Last Day of 2012

So this is it, the last day of the year. Another year over, a new one about to begin.

The BIG question of course is, "Have you made ant New Year resolutions?

Mine always seem to be the same, lose weight, not to let things bother me so much, etc., etc. This year and I've just thought of it, but it's something I tend to do a lot. My own sister pointed it out to me awhile back and she's right, I tend to play the victim a lot, so next year, I resolve not to play the victim which also goes along with not letting things bother me so much. I resolve not let the resentment take hold of me like it has in the past.

I need to face facts that what happened in the past I can't change, I can only change how I react to things from now on. I need to quit dwelling on past hurts. Yes, I had been hurt, but who hasn't and who says that my hurts are any worse than any one's else? I know of people who have been hurt far worse, by loss, by betrayal and have come out stronger for it. I need to point to them as an example  and strive to be more like them.

I can be strong, I know I can. I need to put past hurts where they belong, in the past. This morning was the last time I will dwell on those past hurts and the resentment that came with them and now I will strive not to dwell on them anymore. What was done was done, period. No sense in crying over spilled milk, as the old saying goes.

Tomorrow is the start of a new beginning. Yes, I do resolve to lose weight, I've actually done a good job of maintaining, but it means going to the gym on a regular basis. I admit that I used the holidays as an excuse not to go, but I resolve to again make going to the gym a priority. I always feel better for going anyway.

I also resolve to declutter. We've gotten rid of and donated a lot of stuff around here but there is so much more that needs to be gotten rid of. I guess I can also use my earlier resolution and vow to declutter my mind as well. to keep the stuff that's important to remember and throw out the stuff that's not. I need to especially remember that a lot of good has happened in my life as well. I need to remember those times more. They seem to get pushed to the back when they should be front and center. I've been blessed in many ways and I need to remember that give thanks for it more.

So, there you have it, my new year's resolutions. I am going to try my hardest to keep them, especially the first one because to me it is the most important. I need that one for my mental health and the gym for mt physical health. If I can do both, I will be a much happier person. Personally, I'm tired of being miserable.

Borrowed from a friend, but so appropriate for this post.

What Day is Today Anyway?

Anybody else been mixed up about the days? This week has been pretty confusing as far as the days have been. Has it been that way for you too?

The day after Christmas I kept thinking that it felt like it should have been Saturday or Sunday. The same with Thursday and Friday, except on Friday I actually thought it was Saturday and today I felt like it was Sunday, even though I knew that it was really Saturday. It will probably be that way until after the New Year.

The day after New Year's I'll probably think it's Monday because Dave has to go back to work. I probably won't be back on track until the following weekend, maybe not until the following week.

It's almost like Groundhog Day, you know that movie with Bill Murry where the day keeps repeating itself, but not that frustrating. This felt more like a long vacation, which for Dave it really was. It's been nice having him home, especially last Friday, the one before Christmas when we both got stuck in ditches because of the icy roads. Thank God for nice neighbors and friendly strangers. Yes, gravel roads do get icy, especially when the plow just came down the road and there is ice under the snow from it raining before it started snowing. That was the scenario last Friday. Besides that, it's felt like a vacation for me too.

I guess you can say that I'm pretty much always on vacation since I don't work outside of the house. I do some occasional yard work in the Spring and Summer, but you know what I really mean, I don't have a job where I get a paycheck deposited into my bank account every other week. I do miss it sometimes, especially the money part, I liked that part of working. Yes, I've thought about working, but to tell the truth, I'm only really experienced in retail and I've come to love having weekends off and don't want to give that up. When I was working before, I had to work every weekend and I really disliked it, I mean really, really disliked it.

I don't know how the subject of my not working got in there, but I'm not going to bore you with that anymore. Let me just say that I love having my weekends free.

I will admit that normally, I do like having the house to myself. But every so often, it's nice not to.

Another Year Over, Well almost...

A new one about to begin.

I have  "So this is Christmas" by John Lennon as my ringtone on my phone. Thus the reason for the post title.

I can't believe that another year is coming to an end. It seems as if the years are slipping by faster and faster. Bummer, isn't it?

My heart goes out to the people who lost loved ones this year. So many of them were senseless acts of violence, but and I'm going to get up on my soapbox here for a minute, taking the guns out of the hands of law abiding people is not going to get them out of the hands of criminals. They will still have their guns and will still be able to get one if they so desire. If the recent buy back in Los Angeles is any indication, only those who possessed those guns legally turned them in. The criminals didn't.

Okay, I'll get off now. There is so much controversy concerning guns that the argument will go on and on.

I hope the year saw you well and with work. So many were still without jobs this year. We can sympathize, I have been there and so has Dave. May the new year bring jobs to those without and no layoffs for those who are employed.

The weather this year has been very unusual. Much of the Midwest has been suffering a modest to severe drought. I heard that here in Iowa, we would need at least six months of significant rainfall for us to just catch up to the amount we are behind. Many ponds are dry or drying up and the rivers and lakes are way down. Any precipitation we get is greatly needed and as far as I'm concerned, especially welcomed.

While the Midwest did see a major snowstorm hit right before Christmas, but is still seeing drought conditions, the east coast has been getting inundated with precipitation, especially these last couple of months. From Hurricane Sandy to snowstorms, another hitting just a day or two ago; travelers for the holidays have been stuck at airports or having to delay their trips by car because of the snow, ice, and wind. This doesn't even include those who lost power or had their homes destroyed by tornadoes down south. It has been a rough holiday season for a lot of people.

For those of us who have been blessed this year, we need to thank whoever it is we feel blessed by. For me it is God, but I know that many do not believe and that is their choice and we need to respect it even if we don't agree with it.

Oops! Snuck up onto my soapbox again. Anyway, you know what I mean.

Anyway, my wish is for everyone to have a safe and prosperous New Year. I will also wish for peace throughout the world. I know there is little chance of it, but it's still worth wishing for.

I don't plan on this being my last post of the year, I still have to catch up to last year, but it has been on my mind, so I decided to write it down. I promise that the next one won't be so serious.

Merry Christmas

May each and every one of you have a Very Merry Christmas.

My Faith in Mankind was Renewed Yesterday

My faith in mankind was renewed yesterday. After the terrible tragedy that happened last week, my faith in humanity was badly shaken, as I'm sure it was for quite a few people.

Yesterday showed me once again though that not all mankind is as sick and evil as those who set out to do harm to innocent people.

The day started out cold with snow in drifts all around us from the blizzard we had. It was one of the days that Dave was to go into the office, so as he was getting ready to go, I got up because I would have to drive David to work. Not a problem.

A few minutes after he left and I was in the bathroom just starting to brush my teeth, the phone rang. Caller ID told me that it was him so I spit out the toothpaste in my mouth and answered it. He had slid off the road into a ditch. Before it snowed, we had rain, so there was a sheet of ice under the snow.

Anyway, he asked me to go and get him, but in the meantime he would start walking home. I hurried and got dressed, but when I went outside to start the car and scrape the ice from the windshield, I couldn't find my ice scraper. I knew I had one, the question was where. In the meantime while I looked, I turned the defroster up as high as it would go. I finally got it cleared enough so that I could see out of the windshield and went to get him. He was more than halfway home, but I picked him up and we headed the rest of the way home.

When we got there, we both told David to call off from work, but then I changed my mind and told him to tell his manager that we had to wait for the plow to come through and then I would take him in. The plow came shortly after he hung up, so I was able to get him to work with little trouble. I did almost slide off the road at one point when turning onto another road, but managed to keep the van from going into it. The snowbank from the plow stopped me and I was able to continue on.

On the way home, however, I wasn't as lucky and even after slowing down to what I thought was slow enough, when I turned onto the road to go home the same way, I hit a patch of ice and into the snow filled ditch I went. Luckily a lady in a pickup truck that was coming behind me saw me and offered to give me a ride home even though it was quite out of her way.

Our neighbor tried getting Dave's van out of its ditch, but couldn't. However, a farmer or maybe the rancher who owns the property next to where the van was came by a short time later and pulled the van out.

When Dave got home, we went to get the stuff I left in my van out until we could get someone to pull it out of the ditch it was in. Someone was looking out for us because just as we pulled up to my van, another farmer with a tractor pulled up behind us and maneuvered the tractor so that he could pull my van out. It took less than five minutes. I didn't get his name but did give him a big hug and thanked him for pulling the van out. I also wished him a Merry Christmas. I took it real slow going back home.

This is the season of giving and those people showed me once again that there are people out there willing to give of their time to help another person. May God bless them and may they and theirs have a Very Merry Christmas and the best for the coming New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone.

We Now Have A Fireplace

Okay, I must confess, it's not real, but it looks about as real as you can get without putting a hole in the wall. It took us awhile to get here, Dave grouted it earlier (he's better at that stuff than I am).  All we have to do now is wait until that dries, put the hearth back in place, it wasn't secured in place yet, put the tile on it and grout it. After that, all we need to do is put the picture of a fire in a fireplace that I bought on line and the screen we bought (we were lucky and found that at Menards on sale) back in place, oh and the pups' stockings that Dave had to take down.

Let me tell you about how this all came about. Actually I don't know who came up with the idea, I think it was Dave, but it all started with us coming across a mantle at the ReStore. I don't have to tell you how much I love that place. Anyway, we came across the mantle, I had been wanting one for I don't know how long, but that day they had a really nice on for a decent price, so we bought it. I was a really happy camper that day and even happier when we put it up.

I was okay with it being like that for awhile but then we both felt that something was missing, it looked too plain just being there on the wall, so Dave came up with the idea of a faux fireplace, so I started doing some research. Unfortunately the ones I was coming across on line just didn't look real enough, unless they were an actual hole in the wall, but we couldn't do that here because it was a load bearing wall and an electrical outlet was kind of in the way, so we came up with this idea.

First we found tile that we liked. Some we bought at Menards, the funny thing is that we usually don't shop there because Lowes is closer. Also, Dave always liked Mexican tiles so I found some beautiful ones on EBay for not a lot of money, so I bought them. I bought two sizes, four inch and two inch. The two inch ones were pretty irregular in size, but we were able to work with them. A few, Dave had to sand down so that they would fit inside diamond shape cutouts in some of the tiles bought at Menards. The bigger ones fit fine in the bigger similar ones we bought. I went back to EBay and bought some more of both sizes which turned out to be a really good thing.

Since our walls are painted paneling, we bought a half sheet of 1/4 inch birch plywood and Dave fitted it to slide behind the mantle since there was a slight space. Next came the figuring out a pattern that would look good for the surround. That was my job. This was the original one I came up with.

As you can see by the picture below, it changed a little. I ended up lining the inside of the surround and putting a single line of the small tiles along the bottom of it just above where the hearth would go. This what it looked like when it was all in place. Unfortunately I goofed and the left side is slightly off from the right. I also decorated it for the holidays. One of the main reasons I've always wanted a fireplace.

You can get a really good idea of what the finished product will look like in this picture. The tiles hadn't been grouted yet.

Here's what it looks like when it's darker in that part of the livingroom.

I'm really happy with the way it's turning out. It took awhile, but I think the wait was worth it. The fire picture will be covered in the summer with a piece of black backing board. I found one at of all places, Walmart that fits perfectly over the picture and will look like the inside is black, of course. ☺ Oh and the outlet, it's covered with a removable tile. ☺

The Eagles Have Landed

The eagles are back!

There were seven of them in a couple trees on the property behind ours, two adults and five juveniles. They show up every year now and stay for anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months on their trek to the Mississippi.

They are a beautiful sight to see, especially in their natural habitat. They were too far away for me to get a decent picture with my camera and we wanted to respect their privacy, so we watched them through our binoculars instead, making sure to stand still and move as little as possible. That's what they tell you to do when watching eagles, that and stay at least 400 yards away and a quarter of a mile away from a nesting sight.

Here are some valuable tips from the Iowa DNR:

                                                     EAGLE ETIQUETTE
During the winter, bald eagles are under pressure to consume enough food and expend as little energy as possible in order to maintain body heat. If fishermen, bird watchers, or boaters get too close to the eagles, the birds will waste valuable energy flying away. It exposes them to undue stress and could cause abandonment of a site.

To avoid disturbing eagles, do not get any closer than 400 yards from a perched eagle. When possible, stay in your vehicle, use a blind, or stand behind stationary objects when viewing eagles. Stay on the opposite side of the river or lake to allow them a peaceful refuge. Since over 70% of the
eagle’s feeding occurs during the early morning, avoid visiting areas that eagles rely on for food
before 9 a.m.

If you find a dead or injured eagle, call the local conservation officer, biologist, or the DNR
Wildlife Diversity Program.

Bald eagles are protected by several federal laws, with fines of over $20,000 for harassing, killing or wounding an eagle. If you see a bald eagle in Iowa between April and August, please report this to the local biologist or Wildlife Diversity staff. A bald eagle seen during these months may be nesting nearby, and it is important to document any potential nest sites. But remember—eagles are very sensitive to disturbances when nesting and raising young, so remain at least 1/4-mile from the nest!

We feel very privileged to be able to witness these beautiful birds right from our property. We want to make sure that they keep coming back.

It's Done!

Remember that big thing I have to do at the end of each year and I keep procrastinating about it? Well no more procrastinating because it's finished!

Sure....

Dave said I couldn't do it, but as we were at Barnes and Noble last night looking at Christmas cards, I really wasn't going to buy any because I have some here I was going to send out, I picked up ones that featured rescued dogs on it and he goes, "Those will work." So, with his blessing, I bought them.

Since I end up buying new cards every year, I should donate the open ones and other boxes I have to people who can use them. I have overstocked Christmas decorations listed up on Freecycle, but so far no takers.

We found an Angel tree at Cracker Barrel of all places while we were in Des Moines. I chose a seven year old boy and a six year old girl. I will buy something for them tomorrow and take it back up there after. I was really happy to see one. I haven't seen one for awhile. When we were living back east we  always chose kids from the one at the mall back there. The one at Cracker Barrel is run by the Salvation Army. I think the one back there was too.

Today I was able to get my USPS account fixed, so I was able to print out mailing labels for two packages I need to mail tomorrow. It sure saves time. Instead of having to go through the hassle of the postmaster's questions and taking up his time and mine, and anyone's who might be in line behind me, I just drop it off and that's it. So much more convenient. If I wanted to, I could have opted to have them picked up, but I like making sure that they get to the post office by myself.

I'm feeling a little blue this holiday and do every year. I know a lot of it has to do with being so far from family, but I do try to make a nice holiday for us here at home. Dave usually does the baking because he's a better baker than I. I do sometimes make pezzelles which I think I will this year too. I know Dave and the boys like them and I love the things. I remember when I went home for my brother's wedding years ago, our neighbor who was Italian made a batch just for me because she knew how much I loved them. Her daughter later gave me her recipe, so now I can make them the way she did.☺

My Christmas present to myself this year was a cell phone upgrade. My old phone's battery kept going dead super fast and it kept running out of memory, so since it was also getting outdated and the company no longer carries it, I decided why not. I love my new one, a lot more storage, ease of use and it's also a 4gte. It looks like they've expanded it down this way too, so the phone is really fast. The battery also lasts really long. I had it on all day yesterday and started out at 50% power and it hardly used anymore. My old phone's battery would have long worn out.

Are You Done Shopping Yet?

If you said yes, then:

For those of us who didn't, I'm with you and I feel your pain. I did buy some things, so it's not like I haven't started at all, but I still have more things to get.

Dave is super hard to buy for. I had been thinking that he could use some more shirts to wear for leisure time. Yesterday what does he do, goes out and buys himself some shirts like the ones I was going to buy him. I tell ya, he does this a lot.

So does David for that matter. Actually, so do I but we're not talking about buying for me. Dave knows though that sparkly things and power tools will please me. Yes, I like having my own power tools. It saves having to go and get something from Dave's workshop outside and then when I'm done with whatever it was I went out to get, having to walk outside to his workshop again and putting it away. That's if I can even find it in the first place.

Anyway, this is not about me, so back to the guys. David says that he will be fine with gift cards, but that seems so impersonal, don't you think? I also hate buying him clothes because half the stuff I buy him, he won't wear. I guess he doesn't like my taste in men's clothes. So, if you all have any ideas, let me know. I do have a couple ideas rolling around in my head, so we'll see.

Like I said earlier in another post, we're not exchanging gifts with Kenneth and Elicia, but they are coming for dinner. I haven't definitely decided yet if they're getting something for their anniversary or not other than a card. Maybe I'll get a bottle or two of sparkling grape juice or cider and toast their anniversary with the good champagne flutes we have. And maybe I'll bake a cake or order one saying," Happy First Anniversary." I don't know, have any of you with married kids bought them anything for their anniversary? Part of me is thinking that it should be something a husband and wife do for each other and not other people. Anyway, if I do get them something, it'll probably be a gift card they can use for dinner out or something to that effect.

I do have other things I need to get done before the end of the month, one within the next two weeks, so I best start on those too. That's what I get for procrastinating, I could have had the one due in two weeks done already. It's something I have to do every year too and hate doing it. I keep promising myself that next year will be different, yea right! We'll see about that next year.

We're Getting Fiber Optics!

The company that our phone company contracted to do the work is just north of our driveway right now digging to put in the big box by our house. They were putting in those boxes at the corner where we turn to get to the main road yesterday.

We were marked, but they hadn't done anything until yesterday, when they put in the orange tubing that protects the cable. They were putting in the cable further down on the road that connects to the main road yesterday as well. They were working all around us. We had to back up and turn around to go down the next road over and get back on our road coming north to get in our driveway, they had the road blocked but unfortunately didn't put up road closed signs, only utility construction signs.

But...

Pretty soon we will have fiber optics to the house. Not bad for a rinky dinky little phone company.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot LIke Christmas

Here in the house that is. Outside it looks like a winter day with all the leaves off the trees, but it feels more like spring or early fall with the temperatures we've been having.

Got the wreaths put up in the windows on Friday, put up lights on the fences outside, and put up the tree yesterday. I like where I put the tree, it's out of the way and we didn't have to store any furniture in Dave's workshop or the storage building. The table that was there and was getting to be nothing more than a gathering place for stuff we didn't feel like putting away at the time, we gave to Kenneth and Elicia for her to use as a desk. Dave made it, so I didn't want it going out to his workshop, he really didn't have room for it out there anyway, or the storage building. I was so glad when they decided to take it. They also took a painting that I was going to donate too. Thank goodness Kenneth had decided to rent a SUV for the weekend, the table fit perfectly in it otherwise we would have had to take it down to them.

 The tree

In the process of putting up the tree, I also went through the decorations and threw away some old garland that had seen better days and put aside some over bought, meaning I bought too many, ornaments and a little manger and other Christmas decorations to give away.

I do have some of my shopping done, but still have to get David something and Dave a couple more things that he needs. If he reads this, which I don't think he does, he'll know that one of the things is a couple pair of socks.☺

We're not exchanging gifts with Kenneth and Elicia, their choice really. Kenneth is not really into giving gifts, we agreed mainly because they really don't celebrate Christmas anyway plus we really don't need anything. He said that we're too hard to buy for which I admit, we are. I will get them a little something for their first anniversary though that is coming up on the 16th.

Next topic will be the finishing of our fake fireplace, unless something else arises. I did decorate the mantle, but until it's done, it won't look complete. Until then, take care and try to have a great day.

Deer Hunting Season

Started yesterday and goes through Thursday and then again on the 8th and goes until the 16th. We have had hunters driving up and down the road since dawn and gunfire all around us. Thankfully we have blaze orange fleece that we can wear outside so that they can see us should we have to go to the back of the property. The pups even have blaze orange vests to wear outside.

Unfortunately we have pasture land on all sides of us, so we get a lot of hunters down here. Our neighbor to the south keeps his cattle in the one field during hunting season to discourage hunters from going on his land.

There is a huge buck that the hunters have been going after. Dave saw it yesterday so hopefully they didn't get it. He really is a gorgeous animal. I've seen him a couple times.

This is one of the things you have to deal with when living in the country, but it only happens once a year and then it's over. Sure beats hearing gunshots in the city.

Black Friday Anyone?

Did you do Black Friday?

We went, but not early. We left here around 11:00am or so and and it looked like one store extended their door busters time to keep the people shopping in their store. We looked and there were a few things I was interested in buying, but didn't.

We also went to get my jewelry checked because I forgot to earlier in the month. I was thinking before that it may have been better for me to wait until Tuesday, but I didn't have to worry. I was expecting the store to be jammed, but the sales people were actually standing around. I was shocked. Last year they were packed. Maybe they were earlier.

There were stories of violence around the country. That really saddens me. This is supposed to be the time of year for peace but instead it's turned into a time for greed. People were actually stealing from little kids; what a rotten person they who would steal from a child, even if it's another kid. I heard of adults doing it though. That really is sad.

Even though we went yesterday, I didn't buy anything for anyone yet. It would have been kind of tough with Dave and David being with me the whole time. I usually do most if not all of my shopping on line anyway. It's easier that way. I don't even know what I'll get anyone. They all have pretty much everything they need and usually buy what they want themselves. I can't complain though because I do the same thing. But there will be presents under the tree, but what, that's yet to be decided.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is Angel...

This is Angel on top of the storm cellar outside, her favorite place to watch the cows.

↓ ↓

These are the cows in our neighbor's field that Angel is watching. You have to look kind of close to see them, but they're there.

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

Being part Australian Cattle Dog, I'm thinking Angel wished that she was down there herding those cows, even though she has never herded before. I don't think our neighbor or his cows would appreciate it though.

Any questions? ☺

Sorry Folks, Two More Dog Food Recalls

Again, read this on Dogster.com

Wellness Dry Dog Food and Charlee Bear Dog Treats Announce Recalls

In unrelated recalls, Wellness and Charlee Bear both take products off store shelves over Salmonella fears.

Michael Leaverton  |  Nov 5th 2012  |   3 Contributions

---

Charlee Bear Products announced the company is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Protein Crunch Bar products due to Salmonella fears. The recall went into affect after a sample tested positive for Salmonella.
The recall affects two flavors in the 5.5-oz package size, which were distributed nationally in September and October 2012.

The first, Chicken Recipe with Carrots, has UPC Code: 8710890000 and includes these lot numbers:

• Lot number 19812;  Best by date: 07-16-2015;
• Lot number 19912; Best by date: 07-17-2015
• Lot number 20012; Best by date: 07-18-2015
• Lot number 20212; Best by date: 07-20-2015

The second, Chicken Recipe with Sweet Potatoes, has UPC Code 8710890001 and includes just a single lot number:

• Lot number 20112; Best by date: 07-19-2015

To contact the company, call (800) 396-8893 or email info@charleebear.com.

Next up with a recall is Wellpet, which posted on its Wellness Facebook page that a "small amount" of Small Breed Adult Health Dry Dog Food (12 pound) with the Best By date of August 18, 2013, did not meet the company's "high standards."
The company found a higher moisture content in the product, which has the potential to cause mold before its expiration date.

To contact Wellness, call (800) 225-0904.

If you suspect your pet is infected with Salmonella from either of these recalls, watch for the warning signs, via the FDA:
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Election Day Cuteness

Okay, since we are all doing our civil duty and voting, at least I hope that's the case, I decided that to get your mind off of all those negative ads and off of the election itself for a little bit anyway, I would share some pictures of the pups and Oreo and Peanut that I took the other day and the last one, just now. Who can't use a little cuteness about now?

This was taken Sunday, I think while I was doing my morning routine. Both Rolli and Jake always like to lay at the bathroom door and Rolli always growls at Jake when he's laying on her bed, like he is here. Poor Jake, ever since they were puppies, Rolli always bossed him around.

Forgot about this one. I took this last night when Oreo was snuggling with Dave in Dave's chair. Dave had fallen asleep from a hard day at work.

Angel with her squeaky toys snoozing on the couch with her head on the chest we use as a coffee table. Oh No, she's laying on Mr. Bill! The chest is pushed up next to the couch to give us more walking space in here.

Jake relaxing on Rolli's bed. If only she would quit growling at him and just let him sleep.

"Mom, would you please tell Jake to get off my bed."

Meanwhile, Angel is laying on her favorite side of our bed, mine!

Peanut loves to climb into the cabinet where I keep their food and stuff. One time I closed the door after putting the food bucket away not realizing that she was still in there. Oops!

Last and certainly not least, Max snoozing on Dave's chair, his favorite place to snooze. I guess he is just plum tuckered out from campaigning around here for the Top Dog position. Sorry Max, Rolli still holds that position.

Have a great election day everyone. One good thing for sure will come out of this, no more annoying TV ads or phone calls, at least for awhile anyway.

Puppy Mill Bust Update

Just wanted to let you all know that the last dog from the Sac County puppy mill that was busted back in January and being cared for by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa has been adopted. His name was Fonzie. Here is a picture of Fonzie, taken at the ARL (I assume).

Isn't he a sweetheart? 

Reminds me of the black Cocker Spaniels we had when I was a kid.

The website for Animal Rescue League is arl-iowa.org . Check them out. They also have a Facebook page.

Those in Sandy's Path

For those in Sandy's path, please stay safe, keep your pets safe and heed all the warnings. This is a dangerous storm. She is definitely being one wicked witch.

Boy, Am I Glad I Didn't Wait

Ever stop to think that you were glad that you decided not to wait to do something but went and did it anyway, even though you really would have rather waited?

I'm sitting here looking out of the window watching the wind whipping my "I love you black and gold" flag on its pole and thinking of how glad I was that I decided to go to the gym and get gas yesterday after all.

Especially the gas part. I knew I needed gas in the van and if I had been smart, I would have gotten it on the way home from the hospital, David had to go in for some tests, but nature was screaming and I was hungry since I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I said that I would get it later when we went to the gym.

Later came and after I took a nap because I didn't sleep well the night before, very seldom do if I know I have to get up early and was up around 5:30am, I really wasn't in the mood to go to the gym being that it was getting late. I thought that maybe we would just go to the gym today and I would get gas then. But then I started feeling guilty about putting it off; I did kept putting it off last week and we ended up only going twice. I also remembered that it was supposed to rain today, the temperature was going to drop and it was going to be windy. Three conditions I hate standing out there pumping gas in. My gas tank also spits back at me which makes it even worse. So, I sucked it up, put on my big girl panties and decided that although it was later than the time we usually go to the gym, later was better than not at all. Plus the sun was out, so that made getting gas not so bad. As it turned out, my gas tank even cooperated somewhat and although it threatened, the gas stayed in the tank. It also was nice that the price came down another six cents.

So today, I have a full tank of gas, a rare thing with my van because of the tank issue, but we also made it to the gym and I felt so much better after having a good workout.

So the moral of the story is this, don't put off putting gas in your car today because tomorrow the weather may be worse and you'll be stuck doing it then. And if the gym is part of the package, you'll be glad that you didn't put that off either.

Another Dog Treat Recall

Again, I read this at Dogster.com

Boots & Barkley Expands Recall Over Salmonella Fears

The recall now includes pig ears and dog treats. Also recalled is Yoghund peanut-butter frozen yogurt for dogs.

Michael Leaverton  |  Oct 22nd 2012 

---

At the end of September, we told you about Kasel Associated Industries' recall of Boots & Barkley Bully Sticks over Salmonella fears.
Last week, the company recalled Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats, also over Salmonella fears. The products were distributed nationwide through Target retail stores in August.
The company is recalling lot number BESTBY 13SEP2014DEN for both products. This lot code tested positive for the Salmonella bacteria by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Roasted Pig Ears product comes in a clear plastic bag containing 12 pig ears, and it is marked with UPC bar code 647263899158.

The Variety Pack product comes in a clear plastic bag weighing 32 ounces, and it is marked with UPC bar code 490830400086.

If you have questions, contact Kasel Associated Industries at (800) 218-4417.
In other recalls news, the nationwide peanut butter recall over Salmonella fears is now affecting dog products, as TBD Brands LLC is recalling Yoghund Organic Banana & Peanut Butter frozen yogurt dog treats, according to the FDA.

The recall includes Lot Code 268 12 and earlier, and all cup and four-pack Best By dates of 9/24/14 or earlier.

The company stresses that this recall does not involve All Natural Banana & Peanut Butter products, just Organic Banana & Peanut Butter flavor Yoghund.
According to the FDA:
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has any of these signs, please contact your veterinarian. 
If you have questions, contact TBD Brands at (603) 775-7772 x1007.

Meteor Shower

Did anyone watch the meteor shower the other night? Dave and I got up about 5:30am to see if we could catch any of it. We saw a few but now I wish we had gotten up around 1:00. We probably would have seen more.

What we saw was still cool. It was the first time I had seen one. Usually the sky was too cloudy or there's other reasons, mainly the fact that we just didn't get up. This time I had a bad dream that woke me and I had to get up for a nature call and then remembered about the meteor shower so got up and went outside. I took my camera and pointed it to the sky. When I looked at the screen, I didn't see anything, but when I put the pictures on my computer, I noticed that I did in fact catch two, maybe three. Here are the pictures of the first two. Note that they were taken with my little Kodak Easy Share camera and even though it has 12 pixels, it is far from a professional camera.

This is the third one, well to tell the truth, it was the first which makes me think I was really shaky or bringing down the camera when I happened to catch it.

At first I thought it might have been a piece of hair or lint, but I found it only after I enlarged the picture quite a bit. I'm sorry now that I didn't take more pictures, I probably could have caught more than I saw by just staring at the sky. Next time I'll know better.

I'm hoping there will be a next time and that conditions are as good as they were this time. By the way, after we came back in, Dave joined me, I went back to bed and slept until 10:00.

Another Dog Treat Recall

Read this article at Dogster.com

Nature's Recipe Dog Biscuits Recalled Over Salmonella Fears

Nationwide recall affects bags of Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken.

Michael Leaverton  |  Oct 15th 2012  |  

---

Check your pantry: On the heel's of last months recall of Boots & Barkley Bully Sticks, we've got another recall for dog treats based on Salmonella fears.
On Saturday, Nature's Recipe announced it was voluntarily recalling a limited supply of dog treats that could be contaminated with Salmonella. The products came from the company's Topeka, KS, plant and were sent nationwide, primarily to pet specialty retailers. No pet illness have been reported to date.

The product is called Nature’s Recipe Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken, sold in 19-ounce, stand-up, resealable pouches. The affected bags are marked with Lot Codes 2199TP or 2200TP and a UPC Code of 30521 51549. The pouches also have a “Best If Used By Date” stamp of “10 11 13” and “10 12 13.”

For more information, or to receive a replacement package, you can use the Contact Us form at www.naturesrecipe.com or call the Consumer Hotline at (800) 237-3856, 24 hours a day.

If you've fed your dog the snack, be aware of the signs of illness. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Also, as there is a risk to humans handling infected products, look after yourself as well:
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care providers.

The Joy of Dogs

Yep, I changed the background again. I wanted something to take me into Thanksgiving. Anyway, so that's why you see a different background.

This morning it was so funny. You see, Angel likes sleeping on our bed during the day, especially on my side since it's closest to the windows. This morning while the pups were outside, I went in to make the bed since I had just changed it yesterday. Angel came into the room, stopped and looked disappointed because she couldn't jump on the bed right then and there, so she went to lay on her doggy bed, which is also on my side on the floor, waiting for me to finish. I guess it just wasn't good enough or I wasn't going fast enough for her because she went into the living room and got up on the couch, where she still is. Patches and Oreo are probably on the bed, which Angel doesn't like either. If Patches jumps on the bed when Angel is there, Angel gives her dirty looks and Patches jumps down again. This was her a short while ago. I love that, "What are you going to do now?" look on her face. That's one of those memory foam pillows she's on top of. I got a new one so put that one there for in case I decide to take a nap sometime. Angel loves it. She's not too spoiled, is she? :)

I gotta tell you, this house would feel so empty without the pups. We are so blessed that they ended up here. They bring such joy and laughter everyday. We've always had dogs when I was growing up and I am so glad that we can have them now.

Back to the Vet

This time it was for Max. He hurt his neck at either the second or third vertebra. Poor baby, I could tell he was in a lot of pain. He's doing a lot better today, thanks to a pain pill and as of this morning, a steroid to help with the swelling. He still doesn't want to jump off the landing though, so he may be afraid of it hurting again if he does.

That may have been the way he hurt it the other night. The way he usually goes dashing out the door, others in his way be damned, he pushes right past them and then leaps off the landing to chase after that chipmunk he thought he saw in the backyard. We don't have squirrels anymore, now we have chipmunks. Anyway, he loves chasing after them, so that may be how he hurt his neck because it was yesterday morning as soon as I got up that I noticed something was wrong.

Terriers have thick necks anyway, but Max's was so swollen that he looked like a linebacker for the Steelers. He's doing his "butt scratch boogie" right now with my slipper, so I know he's feeling better. For this who don't know what the "butt scratch boogie" is, this is it.

 

Max likes the new vet too. Of course he likes anyone who gives him attention, but I think he liked her because she was very gentle with him during the exam and afterwards gave him lots of attention. Two pluses as far as he and I both are concerned.

We're supposed to alternate hot and cold on his neck, but it's hard when he won't sit still for very long. The little guy has been moving constantly this morning, only staying in one place for a few minutes. But I did notice that the swelling in his neck has gone down some, so at least he doesn't look so much like a linebacker anymore. And he isn't walking stiff like he was yesterday, so both are good signs that he's on the mend. Since the vet said that this may be a recurring problem, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for it happening again and get him treatment when it does. In the meantime, The Max, aka Zoomer is back, almost.

Jake Meets New Vet

Jake met the new vet yesterday. I think he likes her. She is really nice and is really good with the dogs, well Angel and Jake so far.

Jake was really good, but of course he was given a sedative before I took him in. He didn't even flinch when she had to poke around when she was trying to draw blood from his left leg for his thyroid test. That's why I had to take him in. He has to go in every 60 days.

At one point it was so funny, Jake was laying there with that sad puppy dog look he perfected years ago. He has those big round brown eyes that just melt your heart. Rolli does too, but Jake will lay down on the floor with his head between his stretched out front legs and just lay there and stare at you. The vet started laughing and made the comment that Jake had the saddest look in his eyes. I chuckled and said, "Don't let the look fool you." He gives me that look when he wants something, like going wherever we're going in the car, or if Max is being an extra pesky little brother. Unfortunately Max is extra pesky a lot.

ETA: Jake has now lost about 10 pounds since he's been on the medication. I can tell that he's feeling a lot better too. I just wish his tail hair would grow back.

Can't believe it's October Already Ramblings

As you can see, I've changed my background to reflect the coming of Halloween even though I cannot stand Halloween, but it's fun to do. If you notice, I change my background a lot.

Good news, my finger is healed. The glue really did the trick. I'm happy that I didn't have to go and get stitches taken out.

More good news, David and I are still going to the gym and I'm trying to watch what I eat, sure I am. I told myself that I was seriously going to try to though. I want to make going to the gym more fun by seeing more results than I already have.

Dave and I went to our favorite store, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Saturday. I had been wanting a fireplace, but since I couldn't have that, I at least wanted a mantle, I finally got one at the ReStore. This wasn't the first one they've ever had there, but it was the cheapest so far and in good shape. It's not real fancy, but it's goes with the decor perfectly. It's also nice to have an actual mantle to put the mantle clock that my mom gave Dave on. We put it in on Sunday and does it look nice! It actually feels like we have a fireplace in here. I have some ideas on how to get the blank spot on the inside, where the fireplace goes, to actually look like a fireplace. But even without an actual fireplace, it still looks really nice. I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas. Here's a picture I just took of it. I was kneeling so that my reflection wouldn't be in the mirror. That was another steal we found at a thrift shop a few years back for just $10. I don't know if you can notice, but it's beveled.

Now I really need to repaint. I have the paint, I just need to get to it.

I have decided to take up knitting. I bought a book for beginners and some needles and yarn, so we'll see how it goes. Even if I learn only the basic stitches, that's fine. I do wish that I had taken my mom  up on her offer to teach me years ago when I was still in high school, but then I was concentrating on learning how to sew and boys and didn't want to learn, now I regret it; my loss.

When we were leaving the ReStore, there was a guy parked next to us who had a Steeler hat on and before I could ask if he was from Pittsburgh, he noticed the Steeler fleece on the back of the seat and started talking to us, or rather Dave, even after Dave told him that I was the Steeler fan. I never did find out if he was from Pittsburgh or not, but that's okay, the Steeler Nation is alive and well in Iowa.

Poor Max's skin is so dry that he's itching like crazy, even his allergy medication doesn't stop it. He was using my foot as a back scratcher earlier and my ankle was getting tired, so I flipped up the bottom of my chair which is the perfect height for him to stick his butt under to scratch it. It's been so dry though that all of us are scratching from lack of moisture in the air.

Yesterday Dave and I went to the Farmer's Market in Creston. It's not big by any means, but we bought some homegrown veggies and a plate of oatmeal cookies, I know, I shouldn't have, but I was helping the local economy. We also bought a couple jars of fruit jam with jalapenos, Dave's was with peaches and mine with rhubarb. He also gave me a jar of the same flavor sauce for free because it was the last one. It should be good over vanilla ice cream. All I need to do now is buy some to go with it. I forgot when we stopped off at the store after.

On the way home, I took some pictures of the sun setting behind us, that's the reason they were taken with me holding the camera backwards out the window or looking through the side view mirror.

This is one looking taken looking through the mirror and the next is with the camera facing backwards. I would not recommend trying this particular way since you can very easily lose your camera, especially if the wind is blowing extra hard.

Anyway, that's enough rambling for a day and maybe for the whole month. We'll see. In the meantime take care and take time for yourself, because you're worth it.

I Got Glued Back Together

Yep, you're reading right.

Yesterday I did a very stupid thing and I really thought I was being really careful. I guess up to that point, I was.

I know you're wondering, "Okay, what did you do this time?"

Well, what I was doing was cutting the lip off of a plastic container so that it would fit inside the tray I had my fall centerpiece on. Why was I doing this, to keep our ever loving to eat things like decorations sitting on the table cats away from it so that they don't destroy it with their ever destructive little mouths. Actually I've only seen one of them do it and he knows who he is.

Well, I succeeded in doing what I set out to do, but in the process, cut my finger. I won't share the gory details, but let me just say that it bled like a stuffed pig. Where did that saying originate anyway? As far as I know, stuffed pigs don't bleed, but my finger did.

Luckily Dave was almost home from work, so when he got here, I had called him earlier on his cell phone to let him know what happened, off to the hospital we went. This is the same hospital that was hit by the tornado earlier this year. They were in the process of renovating it when the tornado struck, but have since completed the renovations and the results are really nice. It's really amazing for a small town hospital.

Okay, I got off track there for a minute. Back on track I go.

The doctor was nice even though he was from Omaha. Just joking, I met some really friendly people in Omaha. He laughed when he asked me how I did it and I told him that it was a "blond moment." I then went on to try as best I could to explain what I was doing when it happened. He then told me that gluing it was the better method because stitching it would just make it bleed more and probably hurt more (my opinion, not his), but they would have given me something for the pain, right? But at least this way I don't have to go back to have the stitches taken out, but I also got nothing for the pain. It still hurts too. Oh well, it's nothing that a couple aspirin won't cure and I don't need anything stronger anyway. I need to keep my whits about me and that's hard enough to do as it is.

Dave asked me on the way to the hospital if I hurt anything else and I thought for a second and said, "My pride." Oh well, it goes with the territory of growing up blond.

You Know It's The End of Summer...

When it's time to take the air conditioners out of the windows and store them away until next summer.

Dang, can you believe that it's almost the end of September already?!

The First Day of Autumn

Alas, the last days of summer have left us. I had been holding onto it for dear life. I liked the fact that it didn't seem to be ending.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't like all the days we had in the 90s and even the 100s, but the temps were still warm and the days didn't really seem to be getting that much shorter. I can't count on that now.

We may get our first frost tonight. For some reason it seems early to me, but they say that this is when we get our first frost on average, so I guess I shouldn't seem surprised.

I know Rolli likes the warm days, but not the hot days. She loves laying out in the yard catching some rays. Even Angel has gotten into the habit. They both come in when it does get a little too warm though. I make sure of it. Dave made a little step for Rolli so that she can get up on the landing to get into the back door easier. She was starting to have a little trouble there. She still acts like a puppy on most days though.

Went to Walmart this afternoon. They already have Christmas stuff out! Talk about rushing things!

Nap and Reading Time

I did something yesterday that I hadn't done in quite awhile, I took a nap. It felt so good too. I haven't been sleeping well and I was sitting here reading and I just felt so tired, so I got up and told Dave I was going to go and take a nap. At 2:30 this morning Dave and I were woken up by the dogs barking. There was probably something outside, but I felt worse for Dave because he was the one who had to get up at 5:00. I slept until 8:00 because Jake started barking for me to get up. He gets his thyroid pill in a little piece of cheese, so that's why he was barking. He doesn't care about the pill, just the cheese.

I've also been on a reading frenzy. I've been reading the kindle versions of the Cedar Cove Series by Debbie Macomber and after I finished one, I had to start on the next one to see what was happening with the characters. I did that with the Chesapeake Shores Series by Sheryl Woods. I just bought the latest from each series, so I'm not done yet.

I'm like that, I stumble on to a book that sounds good and I read it and then discover it's part of a series, so I go back and read the others. This summer has been so hot, so I did a lot of reading.

I'm fortunate in that my mom taught me the love of reading. She was always reading. She liked mysteries though. I'm the romance type myself. My problem though is once I start reading a good one, it's hard for me to put it down, or what has been the case this summer, turning off my computer. When my Kindle's screen got cracked and I couldn't use it, I downloaded Kindle for PC onto my laptop rather than buy a new Kindle and have been reading books on it. It's gotten to where I would read rather than go up on my usual sites. If I did, I didn't stay very long because I wanted to get back to reading my book, unless I forgot to close out the site then it may have looked like I was there, but I really wasn't. I only did that a couple times though and more so with Amazon after buying and downloading a book into my Kindle for PC than any other.

I do still go to the gym. In fact David and I have signed up for monthly memberships, where you pay each month instead of a year in advance. Needless to say, the housework has been suffering though.

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side

At least Spot thought so. He's one of our geldings, the one that's half Mustang and Shetland. He's a gorgeous pony, but he also has the Shetland stubbornness.

Here's what happened, Dave had roped off the lower part of the property with wired tape for the ponies to graze on, but he never put the charger on it. It keeps it electrified just enough to give them a nice zap if they should try to escape. I've actually gotten zapped by it a couple times myself. Sottie, our mare we lost a a year and a half ago was famous for testing the rope to see if it was charged and taking advantage if it wasn't. I guess Spots remembered her trick and tried it yesterday, in fact I caught him doing it when I looked out the kitchen window. The next time I looked out, he was happily grazing on the other side. I tried getting him back in the enclosure, but he wouldn't go, so rather than risk him getting out of the yard, because if I chase him, he will run and had gotten out of the yard before, not a funny story in the least. Both he and War ended up about a 1/2 mile down the road in a field next to our neighbor's corn field that time. So, remembering that, I left him be and called Dave who was already on his way home.

Poor War wanted where Spots was, but couldn't figure out how to get there. Thank goodness because that was all I needed, to have both of them out.

Thinking back now, I should have done what I did the last time and got Spot's harness and lead and then got him. It didn't occur to me at the time, but you know what they say, hindsight is 20/20. I know mine sure is.

Anyway, about ten minutes later, Dave pulled in the driveway and when he walked through the gate, saw Spots on the other side of the fenced in part and Spots saw him. Dave said that Spots gave him a guilty look and when Dave went to put him back where he belonged, Spots went without a problem, the big brat. Today he has to hook up the charger before letting them back out in that area.

The next time if this happens, I'll know to go and get his harness first. I just hope it doesn't happen again, but now that Spots knows how to test the line, it probably will. I'm actually surprised that it took him this long to figure it out.

What Would We do Without Cell Phones...

The same thing we had been doing before they were invented.

Who all had a CB radio in their car? I did. I remember getting in my car and chatting with all my friends, "Breaker, breaker, 1-9." Back then it was a really cool thing to have, like a cell phone is nowadays.

My sister got a cell phone! It's about time, but like me, she'll probably hardly use it. It'll be nice to be able to get in touch with her when she's not home though. Right now I can't leave a message with my mom because she won't remember and they don't have an answering machine or voice mail, so I would have to keep calling back until my sister finally answers if I need to talk to her, or call my other sister to see if she knows where she is.

The plan I have has all the bells and whistles, except 4G LTE. To tell the truth, I hardly use the internet, but it is handy to have if I do have to look up something or just want to go up on Facebook while we're traveling somewhere. I might go for a new plan when it's time to upgrade my phone, but that all depends on if Dave wants to join and then we'll go for a family plan. Right now, after my two year contract is up, I won't have to sign a new contract unless I go with a new plan. My two years aren't up though until April of next year, but I can upgrade my phone in October if I want. If I do go with a new plan, it'll be to lower my data plan from 5GB to less, like maybe 2GB. I haven't really decided yet. I may just stay with the plan and phone I have now.

I really liked the phone I had before this one, but they don't make them anymore. That one was drowned on a white water rapids ride at Kennywood in Pittsburgh and when I turned in the claim for a new phone, they sent me the one I have now. I don't like the keyboard on it. The one on my old one was a lot easier to see the little symbols above the letters. This one is a pain, but I was able to find a cool Mickey Mouse case for it. I'm sure I would with a new one, but if I want to change it, like I do on this one, the cost of the cases tend to add up, even on EBay.

I guess I should change my case to my Steeler one since it's football season now, yes I do have a Steeler one, but I think I'll wait until the regular season starts.