Missing You

Yes, I've been missing for a bit. Life has been rearing its ugly head in and giving me NO time to spend with you, dear reader. It's been a zoo...

I'm still hobbling around with a bum knee. This in itself has been a test of my patience. Every time I think I'm getting better I get a twinge or it locks up. The doctor will be sooo happy to see me again next week with my whining and bitching. I got yelled at when I went last time for not being good about my diabetes. Back on meds and feeling worse than ever. Why is that? I don't take care of myself I feel great (knee excepted), then I take meds and try to watch myself and I feel lousy. This is NOT a happy thing.

Puppies are great. They are full of energy and growing like crazy. Still working on potty-training, but this will be a long-term thing, I'm sure. They make me smile just looking at them.

Christmas was terrific. All the kids came Christmas morning and it was a wonderful time. Some had other places to be for dinner, but that was fine. I made way too much food, as usual, and we're still eating leftovers. I've been a bit weepy lately because I think this is probably going to be the last Christmas we're all together for awhile. Oldest son is graduating college in the spring and is talking of moving out west. Younger daughter gets married in the spring and will be moving to another state - not too far away, but I've heard talk of a two-year committment there, then moving further out west also. Eldest daughter's husband is going back to school this spring and when he graduates (a few years from now) they will not be staying in the area, I'm sure. It's going to be a chore just to get us all together. I go from being depressed to feeling petty for being depressed. Can't win. I see a sappy commercial and I'm bawling like a baby. Hmmm... may have to ask the doc if hormones could be raging. I am getting "up there"...

New Years is just around the corner. I've been listening to the death tolls rise from the natural disaster that has hit India and surrounding areas. We have people from our town that went the Sri Lanka for a daughter's wedding that have not been heard from... we've seen all the stories of lots of other loved ones missing or dead. Even though I'm whining, I do feel so blessed to have my family healthy and close. I pray the next year will bring some hope and renewal for all those who have been harmed by this.

I hope you all had a good Christmas and will have a good New Year.

Thank You

Thank you so much to everyone who wished me better health and happy birthday... It really means a lot!

Dear Doctor

I would have left this thing on my leg for 24 hours a day. I would have kept it up, iced, and taken lots of pain killers. I would have lounged in my bed sipping tea and been waited on hand and foot by DH and a gaggle of mostly grown children. I would have done it all exactly as you told me to... if reality hadn't slapped me in the face!

Geez...

Let's get real here for a moment. I have a husband who leaves the house at 7-ish in the morning, who doesn't usually return until 7-ish in the evening. As understanding as he is, he can only stand frozen pizza or takeout food a couple of times a week. He is a man. He needs to eat. Food. I have kids who have lives. Yeah, really. I have three dogs (two who are VERY ACTIVE 11-week-old puppies) and four cats all whose lives depend solely on me. I have a job that nobody else can do... not even the guy who is supposed to be my backup and who (whom?) I have written a detailed three-hundred page manual of my job so if I were to be hit by a truck he could take over the position. Until then, he needs hand-holding. I have a beautiful home that doesn't not stay that way without some attention. Need I say more? I know my dear readers can all relate.
We won't even mention Christmas or two of the kids' birthdays and one grandchild birthday all within the space of three weeks centering around Christmas. No, that would be overkill.

Please, dear doctor... tell me when I was supposed to do all this resting you perscribed? That's what I thought.

O Christmas Tree

YES! The tree is finally decorated!

I was finally able to hobble downstairs and get the darn thing done! Yippee! I even managed to decorate the rest of the house, what all I was going to do. Whew! What a relief to have it all done. I wish I'd have been able to get it done sooner, as I feel I've missed out on some of the season, but since we've postponed the Christmas party until January maybe I can cheat a bit and leave things up until we have the party? I mean, that IS the theme...

Now if the maid would just come and get it all clean... (slap yourself if you think I really have a maid.)

Fa la la la la la la la la!

Bummed

I'm bummed. Had to cancel a work-related party last night, then tonight I was to go to Amy Grant and Vince Gill concert. I've been looking forward to it and had even joined his fan club to buy tickets ahead of time to get good seats. Grrrrr.... I gave the tickets to my youngest son and his girlfriend. Hope they enjoy it.

DH went to another party that some friends of his were having.

Younger daughter was going to party with her fiance'. They left in good spirits.

Eldest daughter was going to a motel in the big city with her husband and Christmas shopping. Sounds like fun.

I'm sitting here blogging. Exciting. (Do you feel the sarcasm?)

I postponed the office Christmas party that was supposed to be here next weekend. There is no way I'm going to have the house ready for a party with this bum leg. Guess we're going to wait until after New Year's to have it. Just got invited to another party next weekend anyway, so hope I'm at least up to going to one...it's my birthday, too, and want to have something fun to do for a change.

Feeling rather lonesome tonight... maybe I'll get the puppies out to play...

Ouch II

So, now I've gotten my youngest son to take me to the doctor. First thing, I get chewed out about not taking care of my diabetes. Blood is sucked out. Perscriptions are written. Glaring looks are exchanged.

That out of the way, we proceed to discuss my leg. Yes, it is a pulled muscle - probably not torn. I'm put in a lovely thing called an "imobilizer" - basically a brace, and told to keep it on, keep off it, keep ice on it for 24 hours, and to take large quantities of Aleve for pain.

First thing I do is go back out to the vehicle and find I can't get IN the vehicle with said brace. So, off it comes until we get home.

What a bummer. I can see the end coming for some parties... some definate endings.

My elder son is 27 today. We're to go to supper tonight with the family and I'm going to try and go. After that, all public appearances will be cancelled for awhile...

Ouch

Do I ever feel like an idiot. I was taking a box of Christmas decorations downstairs to trim the tree and my foot went out from under me - causing me to fall ungracefully on the staircase. One leg went straight, and the other bent back at the knee - pulling a muscle on the inside of my knee. Damn. (Of course, that wasn't exactly what I said at the time... there were lots of other words and they were said at a loud volumn.) I was lucky my daughter was off work today and helped me up - then called the First Nurse to see what was recommended. Ice and elevation and Tylenol for now, doctor later. It hurts like a son-of-a-gun. I'm NOT a happy camper right now. We have so much going on - plus puppies to take out several times a day! Arrrggghhh!!!

Dear Satellite Service Provider

What IS it with you people in the satellite industry? I've put in phone calls and e-mails to several companies trying to get hooked up with satellite internet service and no one seems to want to do business with me! This is not a cheap project, either. I've contacted one company who said they'd get back to me in a week with options and cost breakdowns and I've heard nothing else from them - for a month! I contacted a couple of others and they've not even returned my e-mails. Of course, perhaps number one balked because I asked for references? I mean, when you are putting out several hundred dollars and someone is coming into your home to do this, can't you at least ask for a name of someone they've done business with - since I've never done business with them myself? Is that too much to ask? Arrrggghhh!

I want faster internet. That's it. Unfortunately, we live in the country and we live on the edge of a forest, so no direct line of site to a wireless tower...and too far out of town for DSL. I have a clear line of site to the southern sky and do have a DISH network service for television, so theoretically I've been told it would work to have satellite internet. But I need someone to install it and service it! Where ARE you?

Frustrated in Iowa.

ZZZZZZZZZZ

Be very very quiet.

Puppies sleeping.

I really should do something. I have a tree that needs decorating. I have Christmas cookies that need baking. I have shopping that needs doing. Wrapping that is calling my name for things I already bought. Normal cleaning. Holiday cleaning. Puppy cleaning.

I think I'll just sit here a minute... more...zzzzzz

Silver Bells

The tree is up... not decorated, yet, but up.

The outside of the house is decorated. Poinsetta bushes on the steps, small lighted evergreens by the door, a wreath, and swag lights on the porch railing. I'm an ice cube after doing this in the 30-something degree weather, but it looks nice!

The tree and other decorations have to go from the second-floor storage room to the lower level. Two flights of stairs. I'm tired now. Think I'll rest.

Arf Arf Arf Arf

I'm a new mother. Okay, I, personally am not a new mother. I'm an old mother. BUT I'm a new surrogate to two new puppies. I had a ShihTzu dog for 17 years that was a sweetie... and had to have her put to sleep two years ago due to health problems. That was really hard. I have a bigger dog - a beagle 'pound puppy' and I love him to pieces, but it's not the same. He's not much of a cuddler - too big. I have four cats, too, and they are all in the house and people think we're nuts, but they have all come to us from various situations where it was either we took them in or they'd probably be killed at a pound. So... soft-hearted I am and we have the cats. All of them have different looks and different personalities and they are all a bunch of characters. All in all, though, they are still cats at the end of the day and cats may cuddle, but they may not - depending on their moods. So, I'd been wanting a new shih tzu, but was reluctant to have one in the new house.

Enter fate. I'd been looking online and in the paper for a puppy. Mine was one of the smaller ones, and I wanted to stick with what I knew. They were quite costly and seemed to only be available several states away. Finally one day a co-worker came in and said he'd seen a flyer on a local grocery store bulletin board for shih tzu puppies - and they were only about 30 miles away! I called the ad, but she'd sold the ones in the picture, but had litter of two-week-old pups. Plus her prices were quite reasonable. I went and looked at them and fell in love. The littlest one was my choice. She had the gene to be what they call an 'imperial' - a smaller one. She was just a doll. I put down a deposit and waited for word that she was old enough to come home.

The breeder was really good about sending me pictures and updates over the course of the few weeks until the puppy was ready. Finally she was... and my husband went with me to pick her up. Big mistake. As soft-hearted as I am, he's marshmellow-goo. I never realized quite how mushy he was until this experience. We get there and the breeder is talking about the pup and her 'big brother' that is her pal... and protects her against the other brothers and sisters (four more in the litter)... and plays with her...and is black and white just like her. Well, DH is listening to all this and holding the little pup and looking at the brother... and says, "she'll be lonely"..."is he sold?"..."we'll take him, too"...

Picking my jaw up from the floor, I stared in disbelief. This is my husband? This is the guy who didn't want another dog in the house? Who ARE you?

So... we have two new babies in the house. Up at night to let them out... feedings three or four times a day... very sharp teeth...chew toys everywhere... wipes for feet, face and piddle... I had four human children and it feels very familiar. (Except I'm a lot older now!)

This will be fun. Exhausting, but fun.

Rudolph

So, Rudolph is on TV tonight - and it's the 40th anniversary of the show. That's pretty amazing, really. It got me thinking about my favorite Christmas movies that I love to drag out every year. Black and white or color, it doesn't matter. I'll watch them all. Some of my all-time favorites are:

It's a Wonderful Life
White Christmas
Prancer
The Bells of Saint Mary's
Miracle on 34th Street - the original, not the remake
Holiday Inn

Maybe this weekend I'll start the marathon...