Torturing Your Pets - Part 2 of Many

What will be difficult to believe is that in the following pictures Gerrard is in fact not angry, growling, or otherwise disgruntled. He just doesn't like what he's smelling. We first discovered the "Predator Face" when we were using lavender oil to treat some little bumps he had on his face (It's a boxer thing. Those wet, sloppy jowls make them prone to what can only be described as dog acne). Evidently, the smell offends him. For those of you not familiar with the Predator movies, here is a photo from the movie to explain where we got the name.

And here is Gerrard's rendition.

Now, from the look on his face you'd think he would want to avoid whatever made him react that way, but quite the contrary - you get the lavender oil out and he comes a runnin'. Same thing with vinegar. Either he's a glutton for punshiment or, like any other little boy, he likes stinky things.

Torturing Your Pets - Part 1

Lemons and Lemonade

Hullo all! Thank you for your warm wishes and sorry to have had to pop off without much notice last week. I am safe and cozy at home again and all too glad to have my books and puppies within easy reach. I returned home on Saturday evening and Wasabi has been at my side ever since. Gerrard would very much like to be but he gets the wiggles so bad that it is impossible for him to sit still for more than a few moments. He brings me lots of toys though.

I woke up the Friday before last and quickly discovered that I was not going to be going to work that morning. A chat with The Good Doctor and it was off to the hospital for tests and lots of lovely pharmaceuticals. Three cheers for pharmaceuticals! It is a rather convoluted story involving changing doctors (yay!), waiting for some very fancy researchers to perform some very fancy tests, but the short version is, whilst waiting, there was some tumor growth, subsequent discomfort, which led to chemo and all the normal protocol for dealing with such things. All that being said, I feel fine. It would be very difficult for me not to feel fine given the stuff I’m taking! :) I’m home and happy, under the care of an excellent physician, we have a plan and that is all I really care about.

Actually, this hospital stay had a lot of positive outcomes. I was at a better, nicer, (Read: I’m never going back to that other awful place again) hospital and under the care of some of the kindest people one could imagine. My previous hospital visits had resulted in a major psychological rift between me and the nursing profession. The mere mention of the word ‘nurse’ would dredge up anxiety to the point that I suffered nightmares. I wish I were joking but, for once, I’m being dread serious. This time was different. This time I had a bright, cheery room with a lovely view and I honestly believe that the nurses cared for me as well as they would have their own child. There were days that I honestly felt a bit spoiled.

And I got yet another demonstration of how fabulous my friends and family are. They never cease to amaze me with their generosity and compassion. Officer B and Daddy, always on the front line, holding my hand through the worst of it and moving heaven and earth to get me what I need – always steady and calm, despite their own fears. I’d be so lost without them. Liz, her sister Rebecca, and other lady friends arranged it so that someone stayed with me every night. It was such a comfort to have them there and I know I slept easier because of it. My poor sister had to manage another family crisis all by herself and did so with her usual quiet grace (You make me proud, kiddo!). And so many others who brought me books, and candy, and crosswords, and prayers, and good conversation, and maybe even a little work (against their better judgment) to keep my brain from atrophying. I could go on and on with hundreds of examples of the kindnesses shown me. No matter how you slice it, I am a very lucky and very loved girl!

A Mad Tea Party

`Take some more tea,' the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
`I've had nothing yet,' Alice replied in an offended tone, `so I can't take more.'
`You mean you can't take LESS,' said the Hatter: `it's very easy to take MORE than nothing.'

Mother's Pride has tagged me to show my tea cups.

The first is my day-to-day stoneware mug that is a good size for any warm, soothing drink. Functional but not very interesting.

This is my rose tea cup and I do actually use it. Perhaps I shouldn't but it seems silly to just look at it. It is perfect for a nice cup of Twining's Lady Grey in the morning.

I also drink a lot of Japanese green tea (matcha) and have an assortment of tea cups. The lack of handles means you have to wait patiently for your tea to cool before you can drink it. The cast iron tea pot was made in the Year of the Dog and has a little Shiba, like my Wasabi, on it.

And so I tag Liz, Jennie, Kathi and Jennifer.

"Clean cup! Clean Cup! Move down! Move down!"

Hodge Podge

So, the creamed cabbage never got made. That sore throat turned into a nasty cold and I spent all weekend coughing like a consumptive. Kind of made for a crap weekend - except for the part where I called and gossiped with my mom. That was fun.

Don't you just love this painting? I found it yesterday when I was researching the Stuart Kings. I just finished a book about Mary Queen of Scots and I like to put faces to names. Anyway, she's got a sly little smirk and I can't help but think that Lettice Knollys must have been quite a character. Rather pretty too. You always read about these great historic beauties but the paintings rarely back up the accolades. I ran across a painting of Anne of Denmark, who married James I, and recoiled from the screen a bit. I know; I'm terrible.

Officer B and I went to see a movie yesterday - on a week night. The truth is our days off don't coincide so we hadn't gone to see a movie since he switched shifts back in January. We saw Iron Man, which was surprisingly good. Sadly, court fell on his other day off so he isn't getting much of a break this week. He had to get up early, put on the ol' uniform, and spend the morning listening to drunks and speeding soccer moms explain to the judge why they don't think they deserved a ticket. 'Cause, you know, the law applies to all those "other" people. I'm glad he likes his job, but it would make me insane.

Fabulous Friday - G.R.I.T.S.

Driving in Officer B's big ol' truck this morning, the CD in the player was his "Upbeat Country" mix. The first song in the cue was Miranda Lambert's Kerosene, and I've got to tell you it wasn't a bad way to start the day. Embedding was disabled, but it's definitely worth a listen if you need an angry girl anthem to put some sassy in your day.

I laughed at myself driving in that truck, country music blaring, singing for all I was worth. Despite all my poetry and pretentiousness I'm still a Girl Raised In The South (G.R.I.T.S.) . So, here's to wherever your from and being proud of it! Happy Friday!

At Home With Mrs. Fox

This is one of those moments when I'm thinking, "Why are you posting this? Who would care?" but I'm doing it anyway. It's where my brain is today.

I thought I would share some photos of my favorite room in the house. Like so many things about me it is probably a little weird. There's that horrible toilet element that we aren't going to talk about because it has nothing to do with why this is my favorite room in the house. This is my favorite room because I LOVE to soak in the tub. I am a marathon bath taker. My record is 4 hours and 3 refills. My secret to not getting pruney toes and fingers? Read a book and prop your feet on the tile.

Here is my vanity where I spend too much time trying to feel pretty. Yes, those are deer antlers. I keep my rings on them. My grandmother kept her rings in the same manner, and it is my little nod to her. And before anyone gets angry at Officer B for killing Bambi, he isn't responsible for this particular deer. His dad is.


By the way, this area is usually a total wreck with junk everywhere. It only exists in this condition on one Sunday morning a month.


And yes, that's a pin-up calendar. I bought it. It's mine. I get a lot of hair-do inspiration from that calendar. Plus it fits into the scheme of the room - you'll see.


These are my World War II propaganda pictures. The furthest one is for the U. S. Air Force, the second is the classic British "Keep Calm & Carry On" and the third is a "Nazi's Are Everywhere So Watch What You Say" themed poster. I love them.

There are three smaller ones over that thing we aren't talking about. The top one is an American Eagle crowning the British Lion with a victory laurel. The second one is tips to be more fuel efficient. My favorite piece of advice is "Do No Demand Hot Water 24 Hours a Day." Ha! The last one is a poster for the Women's Auxiliary.


So, that's it. In retrospect I can only say that it very difficult to photograph a long, narrow bathroom. I hope you've enjoyed the tour.

Fabulous Friday: Snow Day!!!

It was supposed to start snowing last night but at 6:00 AM this morning there wasn't a flake to be seen. Resigned to my fate, I was sure school would be open, but to my surprise the website said closed. I had to read it three times to make sure I wasn't still sleeping. Big B got up and made breakfast and then we went back to bed.

It was disappointing that there wasn't any snow but I was glad I didn't have to go to work. Sleeping late is such a luxury. When I got up at 10:30 and looked out the window, joy of joys, the snow had arrived.

I threw on my boots and coat, rounded up the dogs, and headed outside.

B's patrol car wasn't going anywhere without a defrost.

The Rapunzel view of the back yard from the deck.

The irises and daffodils had just started to come up.

Wasabi says, "Put that stupid camera down and make me some snowballs!"

Mommy's snowballs weren't very good, so Big B came out to help.

"Hurry up!"

"Must destroy the snow!"
B decided he needed to put on some gloves. Gerrard is new to the snowball game and didn't really get Sabi's fascination with them. (Our neighbors just built a new shed which is why there's so much junk over there. It doesn't usually look like that.)

Kill the snowball!

It's a little hard to see but she has a giant snowball at my feet that she is happily smashing. Gard's starting to get the idea. Poor B had to go to work later (hopefully it will be a slow night), but we all had fun playing in the snow together.

Snow!

Not a lot of snow, but SNOW! This was the view from the deck this morning (or as far as I was willing to stick the camera out the door). It's pretty wild to have snow today considering it was in the 70's this weekend. Wasabi, my little Shiba Inu, was in heaven. I couldn't get her to come back in the house. I tried to get pictures but she was just a coppery blur. Gerrard thought the big flakes were fun but needed frequent pit stops in the warm house.

The wigellia shrub in the front yard had started to bloom. The pink blossoms coated in ice were beautiful.

P.S. I am on the mend! A little residual stuffiness but that's about all.

Lovies

A friend of mine sent out an e-mail today about her twin girls turning 20 months. She mentioned that they each had their own special "lovie." I had never heard that term before used for a favorite toy, but I really like it. My sister had her "binkie," a big orange rabbit. My niece and nephews have their favorite "cuddles." I had an old fashioned teddy bear. His name was K. C. after Kansas City where my parents bought him. K. C. was my loyal companion for more years than I care to admit, and it wasn't really until I left for college that he was tucked away in my hope chest. Those little paws have dried tears, shared cups of tea and swashbuckling adventures. He's a brave little bear, my K. C.
I'm lucky to also have my dad's bear, Teddy Richard. Poor Teddy Richard has had a rough life and it shows. I've started several times to replace his lost button eye, but somehow it doesn't seem right. Don't you know he has some stories to tell!
I can remember how comforting it was to clutch my little bear when I was scared, how I never felt alone if he was there to play make-believe with me. Strange, isn't it? How a bit of fabric and stuffing can come to life in a child's mind. Stories like The Velveteen Rabbit, Winnie The Pooh, and Paddington Bear certainly capture that. Do you still have your childhood "lovie"?