Hello Again!

Isnt that cute? A friend from HS has posted about this craft show called A Gathering of Friends and I have been wanting to go. We went! And I bought this adorable set of blocks - the opposite side has a Christmas message. I love it - and do not begrudge the money I spent on it - but I keep looking at it and thinking "I could do this!". And then I laugh and laugh.....

So we are surviving nursing a dog, unpacking more things, discovering that we do not have enough bookshelves in this house, and little room to put them in.....

 So she had her surgery. And they kept her overnight on Morphine and antibiotics. Came home and she was still so zonked that we could barely get her up to go to the bathroom. So she dribbled. And we wiped it up. The next day we went to buy doggie diapers - and they don't make them big enough! We got the largest size and only needed them for that one more day until all the drugs were out of her system. Of course, after that we found out she really needed to be on her Trazedone. How did we find out? A week later taking her in for a bandage change and she ran down the driveway - jumped into the truck - and broker her splint....so she went on her trazedone until her 3 change. That is when they took her stitches out and left the bandage off.

It is also when we discovered another swelling, in the same place, on her other front paw. So yes, she is going to have to have surgery again. But we are hoping to wait until January so we can get through yardwork and the holidays. She will also have plastic surgery done on the granuloma on the foreleg on that same side. I really do not look forward to having her go through this again....or having to nurse her again....and force more pills down her....And there is not garauntee that this follicular problem will not occur again on her other paws....

 This was the temporary enclosure that husband built to keep her out of the dirt yard. She only has the patio and the side, with the concrete walk, and she. does. not. like. it. But we have to keep her boo boos clean. And she has learned how to take the socks off that we put on her.  She also learned on to take her diaper off - and how we cant put it on her if she sits down cause she is too heavy! I will measure her and get non-disposable diapers for her before her next surgery (I already got her bootees).

BUT we are hoping to have the yard done before that. When we went to the pathetic Home and Garden Show we got the number for 2 companies. The first one came out - and showed us gorgeous photos with lots of suggestions for concrete work...….and a price tag of about $42,000.00! More than double what we expected!

So we called the other guy and he came out with some ideas that were more along the lines of what we were thinking (after all, we are not Pebble Beach...) using flagstones. And a price tag of $7500.00 which is less than what husband expected! So now that Bella has healed, we are waiting on his availability - and hoping it comes before the rains start!

Those are just some pretty photos from the vegetable stand we go to in Moss Landing. Much better selection - and much better prices that any of the Farmer's Markets around here.

Happy Anniversary!

30 years ago this past June we moved back to CA to be closer to my mom who was ill, and to help my dad out. So we initially moved into their house with them. And we lived there for a few months - not the most ideal situation. I got a nightshift job in Salinas, and husband was looking for a job.

On October 17th my dad went in for cataract surgery and was home. Husband, kids and I were all in the back bedroom watching the World Series when it happened.....yep, the Loma Prieta earthquake. Very surreal.

First earthquake for our kids. One of the biggest we ever felt. We lost power and communication. I did not even try to go to work that night - not knowing the road situation, and with my dad fresh from surgery.

So …. 30 years go by. And we move back into this same house in June. And here it is October and the 30th anniversary of the earthquake. And we have had earthquakes. A big one up in the Bay Area. And then an even bigger one down here. Don't know if Mother Nature is just dancing with us or what.

The day of the one here - we were outside getting an (outrageous!!) quote for landscaping of the back yard. The estimator and I just looked at each other - not even the usual "Was that an earthquake?" Nope, it was - "THAT was an earthquake!". And my husband never even felt it - only believed up when he saw things still moving.

That estimate - wow! Even shocked my husband. Their work is beautiful. But it really was a bit more over the top than what we wanted or visualized.

So yesterday another guy came. And immediately his vision was more in line with what we wanted. And way more within our budget! So we put a down payment down. Now it just depends on Bella's recovery and when they are able to start....

Took Bella in on Monday. They said her incision is healing nicely but we needed to get her on her tranqs. We realized that when she RAN down the driveway, jumped into the truck, and kept jumping all around. So we came home and gave her 2 tablets - and I had to keep going over and making sure she was breathing! So Tuesday we tried 1 pill, and it did not phase her. Yesterday went to 1.5 pills and she is awake, going to the bathroom, eating, but still spending most of the time laying around sleeping. Bingo!

She goes back again next Monday. We will see then if she is ready for stitches to come out or not.

And So It Continues....

We have received some decent news about our friend and his heart issues. He went to the appt at Stanford and the cardiologist there told him that the only change he would make right now would be his medications. He does not think, at this time and based on his tests thus far, he is a candidate for surgery. Says that overall he is looking ok.

Got our floors/baseboards done - well, 99.75%. They ran out of the trim for one side of the hearth. I love how they turned out. My only complaint is that we listened without questioning to the salesman, the one who actually came to the house looked around and did measurements. And we chose the baseboard he recommended. We did not question that our furnace registers are very close to the floor on the wall. So they had to do cutting around them. Which means eventually hubby will have to patch, sand, and paint the joins.

Then hubby spent yesterday moving everything back into the house. And we were able to get the desk inside also. And got some clothes put away so we emptied (he mostly) emptied out some boxes.

Me? I spent Friday deathly ill. I know it couldn't have been food poisoning because all this week we have eaten the same thing, while we spent every day outside sitting on the patio with the dogs while the guys were doing the floors. I did go out and run some errands so I must have picked up some GI bug somewhere.

But I have recovered. Yesterday was spent on trying to get my energy back. Hubby has been building a temporary fence to keep Bella out of the dirt yard. Her surgery is Tuesday. Tomorrow we will take her and bathe her (well, both of them - they both stink!).

They are just going to do the paw surgery. We discussed with Aaron - not sure who Aaron is - winder if they are called VA's instead of PA's? Anyway he said that the more he and the vet discussed doing both surgeries they realized that both of her front legs would have to be splinted and it would be very hard for Bella to get around. So we are prioritizing and doing only the paw. Which is good; she has had some not so good days this past week. But oh boy is she going to be mad at us!

We were supposed to go camping this weekend, Thursday through today. We cancelled because they weren't don't with the floors by the end of Wednesday as we thought (could be because they don't start work until around 10 - 10:30 but knock off before 5!!!!) and then we needed time to move things back in - and build that fence.....and I am SO GLAD! I could not imagine being that sick in a trailer!!!

So we will be spending a lot of time at home over the next couple of weeks. And that will be good - we can get even more work done around the house!

My Heart Is Heavy

Last week we were told a dear friend had been hospitalized due to a heart attack.
This otherwise healthy man, has had open heart surgery and has an implanted pacemaker/defibrillator. He does not smoke - works a FT job - does a lot of outdoor activity. HIs vice is only red wine.

Thursday night he had gone out to the garage, stopped on his deck and spoke with his oldest son, went into the house and faceplanted on his tile floor in the dining area.

The oldest son heard the thud, came into the house and found his father face down in a pool of blood and non responsive. In faceplanting, he ended up with 5 stitches inside his mouth, a broken tooth, a loose tooth, swelling and bruising along one side of his face, and a sprained finger. He also flatlined. For 17 seconds until the defibrillator did it's job.

In the hospital for several days and many tests. Angiogram showed no blockage, and no valve problems. He was discharged home Sunday with the news though that his 30% heart function was now 12%. They are setting up appointments at Stanford to talk about a heart pump, and possible heart transplant.

Now, about 2 weeks before that he went on a short fishing trip with a friend to one of his many happy places up in the foothills. Hasn't been there in awhile. And now he is admitting several things. One, that the altitude bothered him more than it had every bothered him before - to the point he had trouble sleeping. And two, that he had been having dizzy spells which he never reported to the cardiologist because he though they were side effects of his medication.

This is a good man. A man who is loved by many. A man who has 2 grown sons very dependent upon him. One that is probably never going to be able to hold a job because of issues. And another one who is, and has been, waiting for a settlement for a work related injury for several years now - long enough that it helped cause him to break up with a long time relationship. He also has a expenditures that can barely be handled by his paycheck + social security.

What is the next step? Who knows. And who knows where a 67 year old man, a man without a humongous bank account or celebrity status, would fall onto a heart transplant list. We don't know what to do except continue to be there for him and his sons. If anyone has resources - information - ideas, I hope you let me know.

Now, in our news. Our German Shepherd is going to have to have surgery after we come back from our Hawaii vacation. She will end up with an amputated pinkie toe, at the very least, on her front left paw. Luckily - for anyone but especially dogs - that is not a big deal when it comes to the rest of their lives. And hopefully, at the same time, she will have her lick granuloma removed and replaced with an autologous skin graft. Not cheap at all - but actually about 1/2 of what we were guessing. But the recovery is going to be a royal pain in the neck - mainly because our backyard is just a dirt pit - and the most important things will be to keep both legs (the granuloma is on the right foreleg) clean. Ai yi yi.

The granuloma is ugly. And I guess it can become a problem. But the cyst on the paw is what is important. But doing both at the same time allows for only one time under anesthesia. We do not have good history with dogs going under anesthesia so that day (we will schedule it after we get back - and probably wait until after the floor is put in because while that is happening the dogs will have to be outside all day for a couple of days) will be extremely stressful for us.

She is on antibiotics for now - 10 days worth - her NSAIDS - and they even gave us some calming pills - one to definitely give her the day of surgery - but to use before if she needs it. And giving her pills is a fight. Bought some pill pockets. Ralph, our other dog, loves the (empty) pill pockets. Bella will NOT take them so now we are shoving 2 more pills down her throat. And they don't even smell bad!! She is a (loveable) pain!

We are going to have to take a ride today. The other afternoon we commented on the fact that there were many more sirens than usual. Then a friend called and said his sister told him she saw on her app (her 2 sons are firemen so of course she has an app!) and said that there was a fire at Red's Donuts in Seaside. So I figure EVERY police officer and fireman close by was responding to a donut shop on fire!! So today we are going to have to go drive by and check it out because I cannot find anything on line about it!

Started our packing for the trip so that has the dogs stressed out! Unfortunately this trip is not going to be as relaxing as we hoped for because we will spend the time worrying about our friend and a dog - even more than usual!

Thoughts On A Quiet .... Tuesday

Ok - my whole week is going to be messed up thanks to a Monday Holiday! LOL

I was sitting and thinking today how seamlessly we have settled into our new (old) home. Maybe because we had been planning for it awhile? There are frustrations - but that is mostly due to the work that is(n't) getting done in a timely manner. But just to settling in - it has been too easy!

So we were in Livermore on Saturday. Celebration of Life for our next door neighbor of almost 30 years. Now she is with her husband, her son, her parents, and her brother. Her daughter did such an excellent job. It was a lovely day - and a lovely way to say goodbye.

Then we dropped something off at someone's house - and stopped by a Hallmark! A Hallmark store! Something they don't have anywhere around here! And you know, not once did either of us say - hey let's drive by the old house. And not because, on my end at least, because I dreaded it. I just had absolutely no interest.

We then drove up to oldest daughter's house to see her and the 3 stooges....um, clones. Had lunch there. Drove home. Hit lots of traffic - ok, it was Saturday AND a holiday weekend, so we expected it!

Sunday we drove to Moss Landing to go to the produce stand. And hit lots of traffic on the way home, at about 10:30 - 11:00 AM!

That evening we went to Domenico's and celebrated our anniversary. Tom had the grilled sardines (I had about 1/2 of one); we split the marinated octopus and a shrimp cocktail. Had bread. to help soak up the drinks....walked around a little - it was a beautiful evening. And oh yes, the parking lot was packed - because in addition to everything else there was a Greek festival down at the Custom House Plaza (Italian fiesta next weekend!).

Monday got a little work done around the place and BBQ ribs, tomato/cucumber salad, potato salad and peach cobbler for dessert.

Nice weekend. Calm weekend

P.S.

Our kitchen blinds are up.

The installer showed up yesterday. The one that the owner had no idea when he would be back, and so told us he would contact us next Monday about installation.

And he showed up in his CAR not his TRUCK....

But he could not take a CC payment so they still haven't gotten paid.

Normally I would feel guilty about this. But since the 2 weeks stretched to 7? weeks, I don't feel so guilty.

Finished the baby blanket for the baby shower that I cant go to.
I really really want to.
But it is up north - the day before we leave for Hawaii.
If it was just Tom and I going, that would be ok. We would just find someplace to stay up there and then drive to the airport.
But we are going with another couple and plans have already been made of how to get to the airport (not one we have ever used before) in the godawful early morning.
So I will have to mail this - and also the onsie and book I bought for this lucky little baby!

Monterey County Fair

I know everyone hates to hear "when I was a kid, things were bigger/better/etc" but this fair is a prime example.

There use to be buildings full of things - now there are tables.....the food court was put on by organizations and the food was GOOD....now there are only 2 organizations and one of them was pretty lousy....no chickens or rabbits this year! Cows? Did I even see any? A few.....

Makes me sad. Fairs are supposed to be fun, entertaining, educational....

 Small area of knit items. The "sponsors" welcomed me - saying they needed new blood! I should have entered more....I forgot to take photos but I did "enter" two knit caps for the Veterans....they will be donated at the end of the Fair. Lots of lap quilts displayed for them, but mine were the only 2 caps

 There was a separate building for quilts. And nice ones too - very pretty. But I liked this one because most of the rest were traditional quilts and this was a little different

 I liked this saying

 Very nice gentlemen. He complimented me on my choice of seating (in the shade!) and I complimented him on his sparkly purple shoes. He told me he is an artist and a performer. And today he was celebrating Michael Jackson's birthday....and getting into the Fair free! He said in a few weeks he will be celebrating Prince's birthday by dressing all in purple!

 I really really wanted to just pet and rub the ears on these goats - they looked so soft and silky!

 No thank you! Although probably would have been much better than the lousy fried artichoke hearts we had - Watsonville HS Band use to have a food trailer at the fair - and their's were to die for!

 Maybe we could have had enough lemonade for all the grands at the Alameda County Fair if they had had this there!

 I was told this is a spinning wheel from India that was donated to the spinning guild who sponsored the Wool Show

 This use to be chockful of gardens, and plants, and flowers. So beautiful! Last year there was a company here that we were hoping to see again - because they had something to get rid of gophers....no such luck

Again - the sewing entries use to take up a whole building. Now it takes up this table. Makes me want to decide on something simple to enter next year - just to get another entry there!