Texas Lady

We had a death in the family Saturday.  Never a good thing no matter when or to whom it happens, or what family is left behind to grieve.  And this one was no different in that respect.  I’ve been thinking every time we’ve returned home that I should come here and “talk” about it, but I haven’t because I haven’t known what to say.  I still don’t.

I’m so sad, hurting though I’m not exactly sure where the pain is coming from.  The man who died was a peaceful, pleasant person who saw his 93rd year before he left this earth.  All who knew him loved him and that feeling was mutual.  And he loved babies and dogs.  Nobody who loves babies and dogs could ever be a bad person….at least not in my book.

Family who hadn’t been together for 20 years was reunited, happily so, and surprisingly so.  Even though the loss was great, the loss wasn’t total.  All the new babies were loved and passed around.  If not for this gathering how old would those babies have been before getting that love from so many hearts, even if they’re too young to remember all those hands that held them or all the kisses bestowed upon them in the past week?  All the children got to experience the adults in new forms as they age and change with Time’s march.  All the adults got a chance to rebond over new interests, ailments and cares.  Everyone got a chance to cry without shame, hold, hug and kiss whomever they cared to, and not have to “be” anything they weren’t capable of being in the moment.  Everyone who came together got to show their love for the deceased, to feel the pain of loss, and, for some, to realize just how much they cared but never realized it before.

And this family is like so many other blended families of this era.  Parts have split, new marriages, deaths, divorce, and births have changed the face of this family.  But this family is luckier than most because all the parts have healed and all the pieces put back together have meshed into a cohesive unit that functions well together.  Sometimes it surprises me how well we all “work” considering all the fractures that have rebonded.  Ernest Hemingway said in The Sun Also Rises: “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry”.

And, of course, there’s a sick dog in the story.  It wouldn’t be one of my stories without one, would it?  We brought her home with us to doctor.  She’s lost her daddy and is ailing, and we have such a wonderful veterinarian that we wanted to give her a chance to heal physically even while she is grieving the loss of her owner.  And perhaps it will give those still grieving a rest from caring for her in her illness, too.  We couldn’t walk away from her without trying to save her, too.  And maybe she’ll help our hearts heal, too.  Next time I’ll post about Jolie.

I’ve been working myself toward retirement for the past few years until I finally have it down to less than 4 months.  I’m paying off my financial committments because I don’t want to be in a financial pinch any time in the next 20 years or so.  Loans paid off, car paid off, house paid off, dogs almost paid off (LOL); Ronnie has to pay off his own before he can think about retirement.  I still owe $300 on my new Coverpro machine.  I have my Paypal account and my Bill Me Later accounts that I will pay down to a minimum but will never completely lose them as long as I still have my life.  We only have one credit card and that is with Sears for a refrigerator (that Ronnie loves) and a treadmill (that Maximus loves) and hopefully will be paid off by the time I retire.  We’re doing really well in knocking out these responsibilities.  I can now see it coming together for the first time.  I’ve stressed and worried over this decision for years and now that it’s here, it’s an anticlimax.  It’s all over but the shouting!  YeeeeeeHawwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

On another note it seems like the dogs are getting ready for retirement, too.  As I have calmed down lately so have they.  It is quieter in here, everyone gets along better, even Gino eats on a schedule now.  Who’d a thought three weeks ago that peace could reign in this house?  We very definitely need to give our pack a break.  We’ve put them through a lot over time with the fosters and the dogs we’ve baby-sat for, because even though we knew it was temporary they didn’t.  They had to give up their space, their attention, their affection, peace, fun, etc. in order to humor us.  And they handled it well for what they went through.  But it’s over now, guys.  We’re holding now.  We’re chilling out and taking some time for ourselves.  Now it’s our turn, your turn, my turn.

A night at the movies, home movies that is.  Gino, Dusty and mom enjoying some time snuggling and kicking back on the loveseat.  Not really opera; just Netflix while snuggling my little boys.  Yes, MY little boys.  We decided we couldn’t give Gino up after all.  So he’s a Lindsey now.  The last of the Lindseys.  We’re full now and holding.  Gotta get my retirement done before I’ll have any time to throw away for a while.  We’ll just be content to babysit here and there for other people’s pooches and spend some quality time with our own.
Maximus is still enjoying his treadmill (when Ronnie has a chance to put him on it—that chore seems to have gravitated to Ronnie’s realm of responsibility) and is doing well, happy and peaceful.  He loves playing with Gino and is so good with him.  He will just let Gino chew on him and jump on him to his heart’s content.  I don’t know who’s having more fun with those two.  Bandit plays with all the dogs.  He’s everyone’s big brother.  Fancypants is the senior who can take or leave the rest of the pack.  She prefers to be left alone even if that sometimes means under the bed by herself.  The other dogs will leave her alone so it seems to work.  And if we miss her we know right where to look.  Mimi still bites and barks way too much, but since we have less animals here and she’s getting more one-on-one time she seems to be a happier camper.  Gypsy will soon be 4 years old and, much like her mother, she rules the roost HER way and tells the big dogs exactly what she wants and doesn’t want.  She’s still Ronnie’s arm-candy even when I dress her in ruffles.  Dusty is still my baby and has been enduring a bout of jealousy since Gino, Buffy and my 3 grand-dogs came into our home.  He’s so glad to lose 4 of them and is waiting (not too patiently) for Gino to pack his suitcase, too.  Gino, on the other hand, is in no hurry to leave and since he first set foot here, he’s the ball of fire that keeps the whole house rocking.

My baby is ready to roll!  I just don’t know if we’re ready to part with him.  However, we did make the above flyer and I have it posted everywhere I could think to put it and have shared it with everyone on Facebook.  We talked about it tonight and agreed that if he finds a good home that’s fine, but if he doesn’t that’s fine, too.  We do have a couple that NEED homes both for their sakes and for my sanity.

We had 11 dogs in this house for about 2 weeks.  Picture this: 1000 square feet of living space (subtract the sewing room and the garage), 2 human adults and 11 dogs from 4 pounds to 81 pounds.  Each of those air-breathers has his or her own opinions, schedules, tastes in food, tolerance for others, fears, hopes and dreams, stress levels and digestion.  Mix together and gel for 14 days without a break.  I was ready to scream and all the dogs beat me to that point.  The only one who I didn’t hear scream was Ronnie and he just held his head and muttered under his breath a lot.  He also would mysteriously disappear from home for multiple hours and told me he was really at work.  Hmmmmm, I wonder.

Here I sit once more working on computers……..not mine, 2 laptops for friends.  It’s been one of those weeks where I start looking to see if it’s a full moon.  Today we lost our first foster dog.   He was 10 years old, had a broken pelvis, high heartworm positive and an intestinal blockage, low red blood cells, high white cells….it was stacked against him.  Our wonderful veterinarian did surgery on his intestinal blockage after spending about 3 weeks building up his system in order for him to survive the surgery.  He made it through from Friday until today but was just too weak and too sick to carry on any longer.  We miss you, Thomas the Chihuahua!!!!!!

On a good note, we have saved two more little Chihuahuas from euthanization and I have to concentrate on that instead of losing our senior Chi.  Zoe, AKA Dottie, and Gino are still with us, fully vetted, spayed and neutered, micro-chipped and in foster homes.  We think Zoe has found a home already, waiting for all the paperwork to be processed.  Gino is here with us right now because his prospective foster mommy is on vacation.  He’s having some tummy issues that we’re working on and trying to fatten him up, then he’ll be ready to find his furever home, too.

I’m really tired and think bedtime is in the picture for me.  I just wanted to come and post about Thomas.  Rest in peace, little buddy.  You were loved and will be missed.

Update 7/30/12: Zoe has been adopted into a wonderful, loving home!  So happy for her.  We have Gino with us until he’s ready for adoption.

Buffy, all dressed up and going to town…….Today Buffy’s parents came home from the hospital, and even though they’re not ready to have her full time, we did visit so they could spread the love around.  We bathed her in baby shampoo, put on her new dress and necklace, put a soft blanket in her chariot (doggie stroller), and away we went to the neighbors’ house around the corner.  The weather was pleasant, Buffy sat up and rode like a champ and Mom & Dad were so happy to spend some quality time with their long-lost babydoll.  Their son was there installing a doggie door so Buffy could continue her trips out to commune with nature and she’ll go home to even more comforts when it’s time.  Next week she gets her teeth cleaned and then will go visit Mom & Dad again.  We’ll see how they’re doing at that point before making any decisions on Buffy’s future.  We made sure to tell them that she is taken care of as long as we are needed; they’re not to worry.  That made them very happy, because you never know who you can trust with your animals or your children in this day and age.  They could tell we were taking very good care of their “child”.  Lots of smiles and a happy day.

Maximus took a ride to his vet visit in Friendswood today.  He was a good boy, only barking a little in new situations but calmed down when he was told all was well.  I think this was his best vet visit since he was a tiny boy.  So now he has all his shots, is healthy, happy and holding his weight at 81.6 pounds.  That boy is just one big solid muscle!  He runs and runs on his treadmill; too bad we don’t have a humongous yard so he could run and run in the sun and fresh air.  Next week Bandit will get his ride to Friendswood, too, when we pick up Buffy from her teeth-cleaning procedure.  When you’re dealing with multiple animals it seems there’s always someone who needs a check-up.  When you’re dealing with Dr Susan Pickle at Alvin Friendswood Animal Clinic the visits are a breeze with happy, friendly staff and wonderful doctors.  It’s almost a pleasure to take them to the doctor (would be better if they didn’t have to go at all, right? LOL).

I didn’t get to sew, but I didn’t get a long-change either and haven’t had a weekend off in a month, but I’m better with that today.  I knew I wouldn’t have any time for myself today so that made it easier to handle from the start.  Ronnie did take me out for Tex-Mex and Margaritas after the Buffy visit so it wasn’t a total loss.  So far I only have 4 appointments next week for my 3 days off (wah already!  LOL)  but I’ll keep plugging away and it’ll all get done some day.

…..and this is not it!  Instead of calming down I think I just keep adding people to my list!  Is it a full moon or something?  I was hoping when I finally got a day off (you know, one of those where you sleep at night?) everything would be better, calmer, more organized and peaceful.  And now that I’m home from the doctor (bitch!!!) and have my housecleaning started (and at least looking decent) and the laundry going, I do at least feel a little better.  Chill, Cheri, ommmmmmm!

Work has been crazy (no days off, lots of issues with instruments and weather, bosses suck, you know–the usual) and I’ve had a million appointments to move every time they force me to work my days off.  I am so ready for retirement!  A few more months and that particular stressor will disappear.

The dogs are doing great, all getting along well for the most part if we could put Mimi in a straight-jacket.  That girl gets more excitable all the time.  She finally bit Maximus the other day while I was at work.  Ronnie intervened or our Miss Mimi might have gotten her head snapped off.  She’s about aggravated him as much as he can handle.  We just try to keep them apart and hope for the best.  We need to get our trainers to the house so they can evaluate the situation but we can’t even get us at the house at the same time much less fit in the trainers’ schedules.  I just hope the gods are with Miss M.

Another stressor is that I haven’t gotten to sew.  All I can do is read about it, look at pictures and dream while I do something else.  My fabric and machines sit in there gathering dust.  There are classes I’d like to take, things I’d like to learn and beautiful things I’d like to create.  But I had an appointment today then came home to clean.  By the time I get our laundry and the dogs’ laundry finished it’ll be bedtime and I have another doctor’s appointment tomorrow to work around, then Thursday Maximus goes to the doctor.  Maybe I will get some time to go cut out my pillow cases in the next 2 days.  That would make me feel better.  I bought a new Coverpro machine that I haven’t gotten to use yet either.  I realized that since I’m going to retire soon I won’t be able to afford the Quattro machine I want ($6000) so I bought the Coverpro instead and will wait for a new embroidery machine until the boat is paid for.  (damned boat!!!!!)  Here I go again!  DAMNED BOAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOLLLLLLLLLL

This is how my night is going.  Look at this face; how could anyone not love this sweet little girl?  Dogs definitely keep you grounded because there’s no artifice to them.  They’re real and they live entirely in the moment.  Buffy is saying “This is me.  This is who I am.  And I give back far more than you’ll ever be able to give me.”.  I’m going to cry when this baby goes back to her parents, when they are well enough to care for her again.  But it won’t be the first time I’ve cried over a 4-legged baby, and I don’t think it’ll be the last.  I’m so fortunate to experience the love they have to give, and to have an outlet for the extra love in my heart.

So I’m home from Denver.  I can walk in the house again after 24 hours of plowing a path.  How do men survive when they live on their own full time?  My god, it was gross!  I’ve done nothing but bitch for 24 hours.  He had even somehow managed to screw up the new refrigerator so the freezer was defrosted, there was no ice and the compressor wouldn’t run.  It had an error message on the screen when I got home.  I had to look it up on the Internet to find out how to get it to work again.  Jeez!!!!!!!!

I have 3 more days of vacation and probably enough errands and chores to last me until that point.  I hope to get a chance to sew before that time.  I have 8 pillowcases and a window valance to finish so I can get into making myself some clothes.  I really need some casual, summery things with an eye for comfort and style instead of the cookie-cutter ungodly things made for my age group.  Why do clothing manufacturers think that as women age they lose their sense of style?  What a crock!

I’m in the process of uploading 225 photographs taken in the past week both at home and in Denver, so it gave me enough time to check in here.  I hope to get to bed earlier than last night but it’s almost 2 A.M. so there’s not much chance that’ll happen.  Thankfully my first appointment tomorrow is at 1:30 so if I sleep in it won’t be the end of the world.  Going to head that way anyhow.  G’night, all………

I only have a few minutes right now but wanted to get started on this post.  Today I am picking up my grand-daughter, Monica, for our 3:30 hair appointment—I think.  She went over her data plan so her phone is turned off until Tuesday, so I can’t call her and can’t get ahold of anyone who lives with her right now.  Dammit!…….Update: my daughter just texted me that Monica is going.

Yesterday was my company physical and I’ll be scarred for the next week.  They were short a nurse so they let an emergency medical tech draw my blood.  I don’t have good veins but he was so over-confident of his abilities that I agreed to let him try.  He hit the vein right away then went right through it and had to dig around to find it again in order to get 2 vials of blood.  He said he was sorry he’d bruised me.  I said I was used to bruises, no problem.  Until a couple of hours later when I removed the bandage.  The blood pool under my skin is about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide and was sticking up 1/4 inch from my arm.  This bruise will last my entire vacation and will be very ugly.  Ugh!  I’ve got to stop trusting people in the “medical profession” just because they work there.  This is twice they’ve screwed with me in the past 2 weeks.  Assholes!!!!!!!

Well, must be going.  Monica awaits!!!!!!

Home again.  Happy, relaxed; it was a good day.  We had our hair done, visited Starbucks, Walmart, Walgreens and the local barbeque place.  Poorer but pleased.  Unfortunately not finished with errands, packing or shopping.  Still have to get a pedi, too, before I leave.  All joyous events to experience on this vacation and I’m not done yet!

Step 3 completed.  Bought lateral file, removed L-return; now the next step, putting the files in with some semblance of order; that is on today’s game plan.  First we’re going to eat Tex-Mex with family so it’ll have to be much later today.  I also got my serger out of the shop, put back together and threaded.  So when I get all those damned files out of there I can sew again.  Last night I shredded two garbage sacks of old paperwork.  I’ve probably got about that much more I haven’t even sorted yet so it will be a chore yet to come.  BUT…it’s getting noticeably better already.  Can’t wait for the after pictures of the sewing room..  Yay, me!!!!!!!

9 Hours Later:

Tex-Mex was good; guys have gone fishing so the dogs and I have the house to ourselves.  All the Mother’s Day gift certificates are in the emails and I only have one blanket to make and I’m done for another year.  I managed to get ALL the files out of the file boxes and filled the free-standing shredder three more times.  I still have to go through some of these existing files and clean them out, and I have to label all the ones that have none.  All I’m left with is a small stack of memorabilia that has to be put with the existing keepsakes and all the extra stuff is gone.  I knew it was going to be time-consuming but it was a back-breaker!  My neck hurts and I’m too tired to do much else tonight.  I vacuumed when I finished with the files, then changed the water in the fish tank; I really need to do laundry but all the paper-trash is in bags in front of the washer and dryer—and I’m too tired to move it all.

The people next door are having a party for a 1-year-old.  They started at noon and are still going at 10 P.M.  I can’t even let the dogs out in their own yard because the kids are driving them crazy.  I just took them out to potty and put the big ones in their crates for the night.  The 5 littles are in here in the office with me.  They’re worn out, too.  I wanted to sew tonight but I have to wash the fabric and can’t so I think I’ll just try to chill for a while (if I can—too much nervous energy), maybe I’ll pour a glass of wine and kick back with Facebook.

Well, I won’t pour a glass of wine because I’ve only got a half glass.  Wah!  It’ll have to be enough unless I want to steal some of Ronnie’s stash (there’s an idea!  LOL).  I’m outta here!