Enjoying the Last Day

The kids seem to be enjoying the last day of the year. It's kind of cool outside which is nice. My phone says it's 73 degrees, which seems about right.  I feel bad for Lucas because I know later he'll be freaking out from fireworks, as I'm sure he will be for the next week until people deplete their stock.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe New Year's Eve, and the same for the New Year!!

New Year Resolutions

I can't say I have really ever made any New Year Resolutions. 

This year I would really like to volunteer at the animal shelter.  I've been putting off sending in the application because between working full time during the week and doing house stuff on the weekend (like laundry and such other fun cleaning things to do), it really gives me only one day off.  And usually that day off I like to do absolutely nothing.  They want you to do at least 4 hours a week.  When I talked to the one girl I usually talk to there, I told her I never volunteered because I felt like I couldn't give the hours they need.  She told me not to worry, as I do other things for them just by donating toys, scratch pads, food, etc.  But I feel like I still need to committ more than I think I will do.  Plus I feel horrible not spending enough time with my own pets.  I think I'll start after I cut up and braid the 18 yards of fleece material I have to make rope pull toys.  I look forward to that backache.  

I'd also like to try and lose some weight this year.  I do terrible on diets and have zilch energy to exercise, so I'm going to somehow adjust my current meals and at least get my butt out there and walk a few times a week.  I won't guarantee anything on this one though.  But now that the holidays are just about over and all the treats and sweets are just about gone, I might do better on at least not gaining any more!

I'm really going to try to work more on my driving patience.  This will definitely be a hard one.  I would say that I'd put a swear jar in my car, but I'd be broke before the end of the first week of the new year.  I'm really going to try though.

Don't think I really have any more than this.  I really would like to accomplish the above by the end of the year.

Does anyone have any good New Year Resolution(s) that they have?  Please share.

Lucas' Foster Parents

Tonight Lucas' foster mom and dad stopped by for a visit.  They haven't seen Lucas in 6 years.  They fostered Lucas after his heartworm treatment when he was skin and bones.  They gave me pictures but I'd have to dig them up, or should I say dig in to the computer.  They took care of my boy before he came into our lives.  They loved him and healed him.  I'm so glad they were a part of his life.

Music

A little holiday music video. I really enjoyed this one and will be checking out their other videos.

http://thepianoguys.com/portfolio/carol-of-the-bells-for-12-cellos-thepianoguys/

No Transport

So the transport I was supposed to help with yesterday was canceled.  She called me early Saturday morning and said the dog had not been neutered yet, so that needs to be done first.  Told her I would help out next Saturday if they plan on doing it then.  That was a bummer as I was excited that a dog would get a home for the holiday.

Then today when I went down to see my mom, sister and niece, I was supposed to meet up with a girl who was turning in her Doberman to rescue.  I was going to help transport back up to my area then meet with the rescue about half way.  I talked to the girl Friday night and she was adamant about getting this done.  She said I was a lot closer to where the meet-up was than to where the rescue wanted to meet her.  I guess the dog was a stray.  I don't know the entire story.  Anyway, texted and called her twice while I was in the meet-up area, never heard from her.  I don't know why people aren't considerate enough to at least call.  I asked her to call me if her plans changed.  So this was strike two for transporting a dog.  Maybe I'm a jinx, hmmm.  I've never done one before and was really looking forward to helping out.  I don't get the chance to so it was nice to be able to offer my assistance.  Now I'm bummed.

Spent the day at the mall.  It wasn't as bad as I expected.  I wasn't shopping, only along for the ride to hang out with my sister, niece and mom.  I did buy one thing, and the darn thing wasn't even on sale.  So much for sales two days before Christmas! 

Tomorrow afternoon my in-laws will be making their way to our house for dinner.  Breathe in, breathe out.  I'm just wondering how long it will take my husband to tell me that I'm being an a*****e.  We seem to clash when he has these functions at our house.  Not when everyone is here, but beforehand, while we're getting ready.  Breathe in, breathe out.

Well I'm sure I won't get on here tomorrow, so I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Trees done

Hubby decorated the tree Monday night. I helped with the lights, and that was the extent of my decorating the tree.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be helping in a transport of a Doberman that was adopted.  The woman who adopted him out lives in my area, and the transport she arranged fell through so I offered to meet someone an hour away.  Will post picks of the lucky boy if it goes through.

Then Mr. Lucas has a re-check on his lump.  It's gone down a lot, but still there.  He'll probably have to be on antibiotics for another 2 weeks I'm sure because it was so large.

Sunday I plan on going down to my parents as my sister and niece will be flying in to visit for a couple of weeks.  They plan on going to the mall, ugh!  Not really what I want to do on December 23rd, but I really want to see them because I won't be able to spend much time with them while they are here.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and if I don't get back on here, have a Merry Christmas too!!

Cats, Decorations and Trees

First, Patches wanted to say "Hello"

And I bet you thought I was going to say the cat went up the tree!  Thankfully mine are old enough where they've lost interest in the tree.  It's been a long time since any of them went to mess with it.  They've only ever wanted to lay under the tree, of course on top of the presents which they end up ripping with their claws.

Finally started to put the rest of our decorations out today.  Figured I'd better do it today because it's not going to happen next weekend.  I like to try and make some homemade decorations every year, at least when they are easy enough for me to make.  Here's a couple of them.  The first one is a spray painted red wooden basket with spray painted gold pinecones.  I put little decorations on the outside of the basket too.  I made this one a few years ago.  Simple enough for me.  The second one is a spray painted wine bottle rolled in some epsom salt with some flower decorations I bought at Michaels on sale.  When I make my homemade decorations, I also make one for each of our family members and a few of our friends.  Of course I find all these ideas online.  I'm not that crafty!

Went and got our tree yesterday too.  It's not decorated yet.  I doubt it will get decorated today.  It will be the hubby's job to complete.  I have lost all interest in doing any more decorating at this point in time.  Here's the before picture.  Whenever it gets decorated, I'll post an after picture.

 

 

Bought some mulch yesterday for some plants and a couple trees we have.  I'm pretending I have a green thumb.  At least the mulch looks good around my bare trees.  And they're bare because I don't take care of them and water them.  Thankfully we had some rain this past week where a few leaves have popped up.  Maybe one day they will look like Hibiscus trees...hahahaha!

 

 

A little update on Lucas' lump.  It only went down a little from yesterday, but he is feeling much better and pretty much back to his normal self.  Hope it keeps going down.

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday! Enjoy your day!

Lucas and his Lump

So I decided to skip out of work at noon today and do a little shopping.  When I got home and let Lucas out I noticed he wasn't feeling well.  He was mopey and had his head down.  I knew he wasn't feeling well.  I brought my bags in, opened up the sliders in the house and put the dog beds out on the porch.  I went out there and tried to get Lucas to lay down but he wouldn't.  I thought maybe his ears were bothering him.  Then I notice this huge lump underneath his belly near his wee wee.  So off to the vet we went.  He didn't have a fever thankfully.  The vet thinks he was bit by something.  So we were sent home with some pain meds and instructions to take some Benadryl.  If it doesn't go down any by tomorrow I'm supposed to call.  Right now he's zonked out in bed, I'm pretty sure he'll be that way all night.  I sure hope he feels better in the morning. 

Here's a picture of the lump.

Brought Lucas and Holly to work with me this week, but each on separate days. 

I don't know what the name of these birds are, but they are always at the drive thru at McDonald's whenever I go there in the morning. They do this funny thing with their head where it looks like they have no neck. It always reminds me of Uncle Fester from the Addams Family. It cracks me up every time I see them.  I guess it's actually the way they fluff up their feathers.  And sometimes they get angry at the other birds and their feathers get poofy and then they chase the other bird.

Have a good night all!

Loss of a Friend

On Wednesday, my friend Barbara passed away.  Her husband came home from work and found her on the floor.  She was diagnosed with lung cancer not quite a year ago.  She did go through chemo and radiation, but they couldn't do surgery.  From the last time I talked to her, she actually sounded better than she did prior to that.  I know a couple months ago she had another scan done, and the tumor had not grown, so I was hoping that was good news.  Apparently not.

I met Barbara in 1995.  She actually hired me at my current job.  She left there about a year and a half later and moved out to Henderson, NV to work for one of our customers. She was out there for about 6 or 7 years I believe, then she moved back to Florida.  We were friends from the time she hired me.  We both had the same interest, our love for our pets, and we understood each other.  She listened to me when I had no one else at a difficult time in my life.  She had been the only true friend I have had in a really, really long time.  We didn't see each other much, but we always chatted on the phone.

It breaks my heart knowing that I will not be able to talk to her again.  It also breaks my heart because I know how worried she was about 'leaving' her dogs when it was her time.  She was worried about them.  Worried that her husband won't take care of them like she did.  And to be honest, he won't.  She didn't work and stayed at home all the time with them.  Her husband will have to continue to work.  Her dogs, Bruiser and Buddy (they're both Beagles), will adjust in time.  It just makes very upset because I can't stop thinking about how worried she was.  All I know is if there is such a thing as ghosts, she is right there, right now, watching over her dogs, and I'd have to say that makes my heart smile just a bit.

I will miss my friend very much. I hope I can come across another friend like her at some point in my life again. If not, I will wait to chat with her on a different level, I hope.