No One Cooks Like Mom!

I am fortunate enough to still have both my parents. Last year we had a scare with my dad when he was diagnosed with Melanoma. I remember at that time I started thinking the worst. I started wondering what my life would be like without him here. I couldn't imagine. I am very close with my parents and my brother and the thought of anything happening to either of them takes my breath away. I can't even imagine. In the past couple of years though I've watched as one by one friends have lost parents. I always wonder how they stand it. I know we are geared to be prepared for it on some level, but I still don't understand it and I have no desire to any time soon. I hope my parents are alive for years to come. When I think of all the things I would miss if they were gone I think of my mom's cooking. No one could ever make food the way she does. She's a wonderful cook and try as I might even after she's told me how I can't cook and make it taste like hers. I am sure we all have people like this in our lives. Aunts, Uncles, grandparents, or parents alike. People that touch us in some way, either in something the do, like cooking or in just a way they simply accept us for who we are that we can not possibly ever replace. My dad is about the best I believe at making chili and vegetable soup. I remember growing up though how he complained that no one could hold a candle to his mom when it came to making vegetable soup. My grandmother Lula always made her entire days meals at the beginning of the day. It wasn't unusual in her house to see fried chicken and vegetable soup at the table along with your eggs and bacon. She got it out of the way I suppose for many reasons. She raised chickens and hogs for sale of eggs and the meat. She stabled horses, made homemade quilts and pillows. And I remember very fondly the feed sack dolls she would make. She had a garden and sold vegetables as well. She was a wonderful woman and set in her ways. Never running water in her house. She had electricity but somehow didn't want water running in her house. There was an old well we would throw a bucket down into to draw the water for the use. As much as I have missed her over the years (it's been 25 years on November 27Th since her passing) I can't even imagine it can compare to how much I would miss my mother if she were not here. There are just so many things That go through your mind. My heart goes out to all that have lost their parents because I don't know how you've dealt with it. I just hope I can when I have to. For me I just believe no one will ever cook like my mom. And no one will ever be as forgiving of my shortcomings as my parents.

Dolly & Porter Never Looked Better

So as I'm walking down this road of soul searching I have been looking through old photos, of which I have album after album. In it what did I come upon but another crazy Halloween of the past. I believe this one was in 1991 and my friend Joe and I decided to go as Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner. I think we pulled it off, if I do say so myself. What do you think?

Ghosts of The Past and New Beginnings

I guess one might say that 2008 has been a year of soul searching for me. I have been going back through my mind through all the years and trying to make peace with all the choices I've made. This picture is of myself (on the left) and what use to be a fairly good friend Patty. And No, I'm not a Giant, Patty is just a little height challenged. My height is five foot nine inches to give you a good idea. I haven't gotten together with Patty for almost three years. It will be three years on New Years Eve to be exact. Sometimes in life there are just people we have to distance ourselves from for our own good, even if it hurts. This was the case. I took a good long look at the relationship and found no good value for me anymore. As a matter of fact it was a destructive relationship for me on many levels. My friend Joe recently talked about astrological signs and that two people he knew were very true to their nature. I guess I believe I am too. I always try to look out for other people. I've done that so much so in my life that I was forgetting to take care of me. The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone and I told her I wanted to try to get in shape both mentally and physically. Along with get my finances in good standing and get my house in order. She said to me it sounded as if I had some strong goals. I hadn't looked at it that way, but I guess I do have some rather hefty goals and that is exactly what they are. Not just words. I want to do these things for me and I want it more than you can imagine. It means taking a new look and a new approach at life. Dealing with old ghosts and starting with new beginnings. The first step, face what I really want for me. The second, be realistic and honest with myself. The third, go for it and believe it in with all I have in myself. A great example of something I need for me: When I'm in the stores shopping I have always looked for whatever I thought other people would like. What other people would need. I was in Meijers last night and looked at several things for other people and almost bought the stuff. But then I thought about how I needed to do the financial crunch thing and what is good for them, might not be good for me. It seems selfish I suppose. But I am forty-one years old. That is half way probably at least through my life. Half done or more. I need some of my life for me. I need to get me in a good place and then maybe I can be good for myself and good for them as well. So hopefully those who are in my life will see a lot of good changes in me over the next year or so. Hopefully in doing what is right for me, it will bring me closer with those I love. So ghosts of the past be gone, it's time for new beginnings.

A Grave Discovery @ The Birthday Bash

HAPPY 60TH Birthday to Barb Herb! September 4, 2008 marked the 60Th birthday of a truly unique and wonderful woman. Barb is pictured here on the left with me and her new glasses for her deteriorating eyesight. OK, so maybe they aren't real glasses, but they do look good on her. Oh, and if you wonder why it looks like we are sweaty... well our work takes that leave your thermometer on 78 thing seriously, which might not be bad if it weren't all stagnant air with no movement. Feels like a mortuary in here. Wait maybe it is. Grave and all above. The grave cake up above was Kim's idea. She suggested it and I carried it out. I'd call that team work! You can't tell in the picture, but the tombstone flashes. Ain't it great when it all works out. Halloween stuff was all ready out at the Dollar Tree.
On the right here Barb is giving our general manager, Crystal, tips on how to stay so youthful and vibrant, as Crystal said she thought Barb looked much younger than she actually is. If you listen to all everyone is saying these days she actually is younger right? Cause they now say forty is now the new twenty and fifty is now the new thirty and of course sixty is now the new forty. I just want to know how that works and if someone has been using dog years to calculate, because I sure don't feel like I'm in my twenties and I'm pretty sure I don't look half as good as I did then. Sigh... If people can believe it and want to though I guess that is a good thing.

As you can see here on the left Kim is helping poor Barb get around on her 60Th birthday. Along with this beautiful cane to make sure people can hear her coming. Funny story is our general manager didn't know what the knee high on the cane was for. I had to explain it's poking fun at the fact that little old ladies always wear knee highs. Kids these days. Sigh... Not only that but our immediate supervisor Cecil turned twenty-eight years old on August 28Th. So young. When we told him what we were planning on doing with decorating Barb's office with rest in peace signs, crows, black roses and all the works. He thought we were joking. He said he had never heard of doing such a thing. He went so far as to say to keep from getting in trouble he needed to check with Crystal first to see if it was OK. All of us had a good laugh over that. This is common office party themes for the over the hill gang. Unfortunately I know fit that category, but that is OK, every year just gives me more permission to be a little more opinionated is the way I see it. This picture on the right is of Cecil and Barb. He seemed to really get into the spirit of the evening more than anyone else. Don't know if that is an age thing or just a Cecil thing. But he seemed to be really thrilled that we were doing this after he figured out it was sort of an office tradition and he wasn't going to get fired for breaking any office codes of conduct for it. He brought juice. Barb brought in cupcakes. So we were well sugared up by the end of the evening. Well, that is my birthday bash report for the birthday girl Barb. It was all during work and all in good fun. Rare that one has a good time at work these days. Here's looking at next time!

An Over Zealous Pet Owner

So if you haven't figured it out my dog is a huge part of my life. I tend to worry about her much like a parent would worry about their child and least to say she's had me pretty worried for the past while. Tuesday was her day off drugs. I had been told to space a day between giving her medication. The vet did not want her on the steroids for more than three days without a spacer. I didn't think anything of that or apparently ask all the questions I should have. So yesterday my puppy appeared to be going backwards and not forwards with her recovery. She wouldn't eat and was extremely lethargic. Along with that she was throwing up bits of water and she seemed to have these trembles. They reminded me of how I shack when I have a high fever and I'm cold so I would wrap her up in a baby blanket and hold her and it seemed to calm her. So this morning, as you may have guessed, I called the vets office as soon as it opened and spoke with the vet. Apologizing for driving him nuts I explained what was going on. He then informed me it all sounded normal. He said what she was experiencing was withdrawal from the steroids. He also went on to tell me that she should be much better in twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Whew! I felt better; however, I am still not convinced there isn't something else going on. I expressed this to my vet and he told me what to watch for and told me we may have to check her for pancreatitis. Time will tell. Tonight she was a lot more alert and she ate a little, but still no real appetite. The vet said she can go 5 days without any food and be OK and that she could stand to lose a couple of pounds so she should be OK. Either way I thought I'd take a moment to update you all and to give you a clue as to where my mind has been. I had an email tonight saying they missed my blogs and couldn't wait to read something else. I promise I'll be back to my oddball behavior soon. My life has just been a little on the hectic side for the past few days. Thanks for the prayers, emails and such.

Emergency Animal Clinic Only if You have Money

Northeast Indiana Veterinary, (260) 426-1062 (260) 485-0130 (Fax)
5818 Maplecrest Road,Fort Wayne, IN 46835

I have spent the better part of this weekend worried sick, crying at times over my seven year old schnauzer, Princess. She's been very ill since the middle of last week. Now I have had times away from the house that got my mind away somewhat even though each time I am away there are thoughts of what will I find when I go home. I recently lost a cat, so I guess there is that fear that I'll lose my dog as well. On Friday I took my dog to the vet because I knew it was going to be a long weekend and I didn't want to have the worry and have no way of getting her to a vet. He felt that she had been bee stung again. It sounded reasonable and may even still be the case. He was very generous because he knows I have financial issues right now and didn't charge me for the visit since I had just had her in back in July for the same thing. My Vet Dr. Glidewell is a wonderful vet. I left a message on his home machine because I was so worried yesterday, but it has gone unreturned. Probably out of town for the holiday. I left the message only after trying to get through to the emergency clinic twice listed above and twice being placed on hold for more than twenty minutes. My dog has kept very little down since Thursday. Regular food won't stay down, water is a fifty fifty shot. She's been extremely hot. She's on hydrocortisone 20 mg, for the bee sting. She's been there before and by now she should be lots better. She's not. With the help of my mom (aren't mom's great!) I found that she can keep yogurt down and if I give her ice chips they stay down. I finally called the emergency clinic a third time the lady asked me if she could put me on hold I told her the last two times I had been placed on hold for over twenty minutes so she didn't put me on hold. I explained what was going on. She said it was very hard to say much over the phone, but she did tell me to check the gums and tongue. They should be pink if they aren't then it's serious. She also told me to check for dehydration by pinching the back of the neck where it is fatty and see if it snaps back or stays or is slow going back. My dog is still pink and snaps right back. So far so good. She went on to tell me they could see my dog at any time should I feel it's an emergency. Yesterday, Sunday it would be $89.95 just to see her. That wouldn't include any test, medicines or anything else that may have to be done and oh yeah, if I waited until the holiday, today $109.95 just to see her. Who has that kind of spare change lying around? Now, for me, I have a daddy that if I need it will supply it. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that and I can take her to Dr. Glidewell tomorrow. But I'm thinking there are so many people who would have no way to get that and the woman went to great lengths to tell me that they collect the money before they will look at the pet. So basically there is emergency services for pets, which is good, but only if you have money and in today's economy.. who has money? So someone who loves there pet more than life may actually have to watch them die when help is there. What justice is there in that. Now I have checked into pet insurance too, which is the other thing people throw in your face. My dog would run $40 a month and there would be a $250 deductible. WHAT? How does that help? I guess if it is thousands upon thousands and it saves you great. But if the person is able to do the $40 a month, where do they expect these struggling people to come up with a $250 deductible. I tell you what a racket. I wish I really wish I could win the lottery so that I could open a clinic to help those pet lovers who can' afford a fortune. So I guess if you have a pet and you've got the cash you now know where there is a 24/7 clinic 7 days a week. Just don't forget the gold card or the check book.

Update: 9:00pm. My dog has successfully kept her food down for over six hours. She's more spry and according to my parents who are watching her while I'm at work (yes she has a baby sitter - they live next door) they say she is up and about and has no signs of fever. For those that don't know a dogs normal temp is 100 to 102 degree's. Anything over that is cause for worry and yes you take the temp where you might suspect, although I have found the ear ones for kids works about the same. And my wonderful vet called me as soon as he got home from out of town to check on her. I feel really bad for being an over-worried pet owner, but I am. He's been my vet for 20 years so I'm sure he is aware of how I can worry. If you need a good vet who will tell you the truth and will love your pets too, then take them to Waynedale Animal Clinic on Bluffton Road. 260-747-4196. Dr. Glidewell is a wonderful vet. For now it looks like my dog is on the mend. Thanks for the prayers.

McShots?

No, I'm not speaking of liquor and you won't find McShots on the McDonald's menu. This is a picture of the McDonald's located on West Washington Center Road. I met my mom and dad here today at lunch with my brother and my niece and nephew. This particular McDonald's has a nice play place for the children to play at which allows the adults time to talk. While dining here, in the play room we were shocked to see two holes in the windows of this McDonald's. Looks as if someone has been using the windows at McDonald's for target practice. Now, I know in all reality this was probably done when the store was closed and no one was there, at least I hope, but what goes through someones mind that says it's OK to shoot at any building? How stupid does one have to be to really just go around shooting at buildings, empty or not? And


Heaven forbid that these shots were not taken when the restaurant were not closed. What if they were done when the store was open. Children are playing in here. I just don't get it. I don't get what anyone child or adult would see as a good thing for vandalizing property or in taking the risks of the punishment that would go along with such crimes. And what if done when open? Children could be hurt. Either way beyond just imagining what happened there is the fact that these wholes are there big as life. Not covered and no one seemed to be making any effort to be doing anything about them. Now granted these wholes are about three stories up but the one whole is fairly large, looks like a shot gun blew it out, would have to be allowing the cool air out from the air conditioning. It was nice and cool in there yet. Doesn't this cost a large amount of money? Well, I for one am just dumb founded as to why anyone would do this. Hopefully the persons responsible have either been caught or will be caught. McShots are not something I care to find on my McDonald's menu anytime soon.