From a Dog Lover . . . . thanks Kathy!!

My dear, but misguided friend, always had cats, still does, but she finally saw the light and added a couple of funny little dogs to her menagerie.


TEN PEEVES THAT DOGS HAVE ABOUT HUMANS 
'1' Blaming your gas on me..... not funny... not funny at all !!!  
 
'2' Yelling at me for barking.  I AM A COTTON PICKIN' DOG  
'3' Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out.  Exactly whose walk is this anyway?  
'4' Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!  




'5' Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons.  Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.  
'6' The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. 
 You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what 
 a proud moment for the top of the food chain.  
'7' Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!  
'8' Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.  
'9' Dog sweaters. Hello ???  Haven't you noticed the fur? 
  '10' How you act disgusted when I licK myself. 
 Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.
  
Now lay off me on some of these things. 
 We both know who's boss here!  You don't see me picking up your poop do you?

My Latest Little Vice . . . . .

I not only love my vices . . .  I embrace them at times!
Fizzy , almost anything  . . .  . . .

Hot buttery popcorn, home made   . . . . . 

Rocky Road Ice Cream . . . . . 

Butter Pecan Ice Cream  . . . . .m-m-m-m . . . .

Nanny's Macaroni & Cheese . .  . OK, 

any mac & cheese, but especially mine with tomato sauce   .   .   .   . and of course Lawry's

Orange Chicken . .  and yes, of course, most Asian or Polynesian foods  . . . . 

Notice a trend here yet?

Mexican Food . . . .

Camping in the mountains with water tripling over the rocks near by . . .  as the breeze whispers through the tops of the trees . . 

Snuggling little lap dogs who help me relax and let my 
cares and concerns melt away while I scratch them and they try to lick my hide off . . .   but yesterday, I found a brand new little vice that I plan to enjoy on a regular basis.  I plan to caress it, stroke it, call on it often to help me solve some of life's smallest and greatest vexations . . .  the ones that drive me a little nuts so often . . . . . 

OK, admit it, you thought I was going to admit to something really juicy . . .  . not juicy, but this will be so handy!  I use vice grips regularly.  Since my grip has gotten so wimpy, they are some of my best friends.  This little guy is not only cute, it's pretty sturdy, will fit into tight spots and not twist like the long nosed vice grips do!  


Doing the "Happy Dance"!

Playing on the Pinnacle

After last week and especially the weekend, I was more than ready for some fun.  My eye was still pretty sore, OK, it hurt more than at first & got tired in about half an hour of being busy looking in different directions, etc.  Then it would blur and struggling to get it focused again was a little nerve wracking.  My left eye has imbalanced muscles, so when I can't see  clearly, it likes to cross.  Then I had to decided which little monkey to look at until I could get it to straightened out.  Of course that will bring on headaches.  Would you believe that reading a book will help it relax?  Really, it works!  It also helps the kids calm down and relax so that the energy level can be lowered a bit  {:-o  and that's a good thing.


Tati grabbed my hand and showed me the scary masks in the monkey room.  So we took them down and played with them so she could see that they were just silly old hunks of wood.  She and Arianna settled into quite a little routine.  Tati dusted with a cloth, Arianna detailed with an old toothbrush and Lincoln inspected . .  with his mouth, of course.  Nothing like a few tooth marks to give something a little history.  


Arianna decided to do a little more computer work, internet kindergarten wasn't enough for today.  The keyboard is supposed to distract Linc when someone is on the computer, HA!  In our dreams, but our little doll loves to play with it.  Then of course, the little movie TV in the monkey room works nicely as her monitor.  LOVE when their imaginations get going!  I'm not sure how Garrett managed to avoid all the pics, about this time,  Arianna was the wife, Garrett was the husband and Tati was the big sister and Linc was the baby.  It's always the wife and husband, not mommy and daddy, funny, huh?  I grabbed this picture in the middle of emptying the dishwasher.   Then returned to the dishwasher . . . .  








So help me, Lincoln has dishwasher and outside door radar!  As fast as he can crawl, we'll be in big old trouble when he gets to walking for more than a few feet.  As impatient as he is, running will come fast!  Though the angle of the camera makes his head look bigger, he sure has a noggin on him.  I have also noticed that he has quite a barrel chest too.  Attach that to his dad's skinny little hips and legs and you have quite the little character!












After lunch, the girls went home with daddy, Linc went down for a nap.  That gives me time for stories with Garrett and the girls if they happen to still be here. Then Gabriel arrives from school.  little special time for each of them!


A RED LETTER DAY.  Gabriel has made into the readers club.  Pretty exciting day for him.  He has worked hard for it.  BUT even more exciting, an "older" friend (6 years old) at school found that treasure he is holding and gave it to him.  It's a chunk of rusty metal. 


So this has been a good week, didn't get much done but cook and clean up after, but with the great company I had, who could ask for anything more?


Today I had another follow-up appointment for my eye.  It looks good and is healing.  I can stop using the drops to dilate the pupil, so in the next 2 weeks it should clear up even better as the pupil shrinks to normal.  I couldn't see as well as the morning after, but that is normal for the clarity to vary as it heals  . . . . . sure hope he wasn't pulling my leg.

From the Pits to the Pinnacle

Last week was so full of emotions and fears.  Facing eye surgery & dealing with issues were dragging me down.  I had planned to go up to the valley on Monday to spend a couple of days with some of my in-laws, starting at Jon's sister's house.  Have I mentioned that I made out like a bandit in the in-law dept?  Charlotte is so easy and comfortable to be with.  I spent a lot of time with my oldest brother's wife when I was single and lived on that side of the valley.  After the wedding and moving wa-a-a-ay across town, I usually just called her.  I didn't want to do that much since she was raising four little ones and it took time away from a very busy life.  But thank goodness, Charlotte was just a couple of miles away and I took up residence over there when Jon was at work all day.  Everything fell apart on Monday, so we didn't go up until Tuesday.  I had so much fun talking, visiting, butchering their orange tree, getting jealous over their darling square foot garden, which I am going to copy with some old wood out back!

I was gradually relaxing until I got the text from Mariah that a dear friend had passed away.  She had lived with Cystic Fibrosis her entire life, we all knew that she was a walking, serving miracle.  She just kept conquering it. That can make a person seem invincible, which of course makes it a bigger shock when they do finally leave us.

That night, Charlotte brought out some Geneology to show Jon and I got to watch a wonderful brother and sister working together to try to figure out some "mysteries".  Watching these two together was part of why I set my trap for poor unsuspecting Jon.  I loved how he felt about her, his late mother and all of his female relatives.  I wanted to become part of this group lucky women.

The next morning, it was off to the other side of town for eye surgery.  I hung out with another great little sister-in-law.  Jon finally took me over for the surgery.  They had called me to see if I could come over a little early since their surgeries had gone so well and they were ahead of schedule.  When we arrived, there had been a cancellation, so in I went, no time to get nervous (that's a good thing) and it was all done by the time that I had was supposed to arrive to prepare.  Pretty cool, huh?  Definitely the way to go with this sort of experience.

The next morning, they removed the bandage and . . . . . . I could already see better!  This whole week it has been improving very slightly and I am so optimistic.  It will take three weeks to get a good idea what the final result will be and three months to "really arrive" there.  I have to keep my eye dilated, so there is some weirdness, but , "Oh Happy day"!  I have taken at least ten years off the image I have been looking at through in that eye.  My view was way better than the rest of the world's  ;-O  Thank goodness it is clearing up nicely.

This is really long and my little Stinken' Winken is awake, so I'll share this week & pics later tonight.  It's off to chase the boys & change stinky drawers!  This has been a fun, very busy week with my little dollies and monkey boys!

Not a Call I Ever Wanted to Get !

This afternoon when Mariah went to volunteer at Gabriel's class, she couldn't get near it.  After she called me to let me know, Rob went hunting on the internet and found this article.

__________ Elementary is now off on lockdown.  The school was locked down for a few hours as the Pima County Sheriffs Office searched for at least one person in connection with a illegal immigrant drop house. 

Pima County Sheriff Office says five illegal immigrants have been arrested and were being held in a home in the 3400 block of West Green Trees Drive. According to Deputy Dawn Barkman, the Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesperson, one of the five people being held was treated for injuries. 

All of those arrested are believed to be Mexican Citizens.

One "Ding Dong" actually commented:  yawn, happens every day.  Obviously didn't have a loved one in the school... And Gabriel is a very loved one.  He just seemed to be bothered that he didn't get recess. . . .  such a normal kid, with such typical priorities.  Oh how I miss the days when everything was so clear to me  . . . . until I remember all the years that have brought me to this place in my life.  Wouldn't trade that for anything!

Settling Differences & Nanny Naps: 101

We have an office chair lurking around our family room since my great friend, Liz, came to make bride's maids dresses.  It is a great one to scoot around between machines and not tear up the floor.  the grand kids love it to . . . it spins forever.  When they argue over who's turn it is, it's time to get tough . . . and spin them until they beg to stop or when your arm feels like it's going to fall off . . . . which ever comes first.  Gee, I wonder which it was . . . 
Next it was off to the store to get plastic cups for marigold plants from my flower beds.  I am sending them home to the kids' 
houses and then I can work my beds up for a new growing season.

After a quick lunch, it was off to  story & nap time.  I love the book that is in the bottom right corner of the pic. It has several of the old stories retold with the greatest illustrations.  Kind of old fashioned in wonderful muted, but rich colors.  I had actually gotten all the kids quiet and relaxed when Daddy showed up and my rotten dogs thought they just had to raise a ruckus.  Is there much in life quite as wonderful as  sweet little kids snuggling down with you after raising pure cain for an hour or so?  They look all the sweeter for the contrast.


Garrett was such a good little guy for me.  He went potty again before laying back down, got up dry!


Next Gabriel came home from school and snuggled up on the couch to watch a kid's show and let me sleep while the others were still asleep.  My tired ole body thanks him, especially my left eye :-D  When he lays his head on my shoulder and drapes his legs over mine, he can't sneak off without me knowing it.  Aha . .  outsmarted them again!!  He just thinks he gets to stay warm and get comfortable . . .

Oops! Way More Fun Than a Poke In The Eye With a Sharp Stick!

I meant to save this as a draft . . . had to leave before it was finished  ;+O

Last week was quite a week in so many ways.  I got to spend time with two of the greatest sister-in-laws, just got aways for a few days . . .yes, of course i got home sick, but some time like that helps build a little more appreciation for being able to stay at home most of the time.

While in the valley, I received the news that a wonderful friend had passed away.  Though not a surprise, it was hard to take.  Then it was time to go and get a poked in the eye with a sharp "stick".


It was scary.  I have lived long enough to know that "it" doesn't always happen to the other guy.  I was so relieved and grateful when they took the bandage off the next morning and I could already see better than I have for many years.  Over the next three months my vision should continue to improve as my retina heals, so I am pretty excited to get back to business . . .  and maybe be able to sew straight again!  Who knows, I may even break out the power saws, etc. soon . . . .  So there Stephen!  I caught him telling Mariah, "forget the keys, we're going to have to take your mom's power tools away from her."  The nerve . .  I've never taken off more than 1/8 inch off of my fingers.


Anyway, today was so much more fun letting the girls dust the scary masks in the Monkey Room.  Lincoln agreed, when he got here!