Saturday, January 5, 2008

Christmas pictures from Idaho



As long as we are posting pix of grandkids with their Christmas quilts, I thought I'd add my two cents worth. These were my two youngest grandsons, right up until the time their little brother arrived at Thanksgiving. As you can see, they were thrilled with their dirt bike quilts.


Kathi

Friday, January 4, 2008

It can happen to the best of us !!

Jane, you are confusing me with my fellow Kiwi, Bee ! She's the one with Gus, however, if our Holly needs medication at any time, I will remember the tip about peanut butter ! Welcome home , by the way, and thank you for posting the photos and sharing your Christmas morning with us. All the best for the coming surgery.

All excitement here as we are about to leave for the airport to meet DD#2 and family. We will take them to the in-laws for a cuppa, then over to the Bay where they will stay for a few week.s It will be nice to have them closer for awhile.

A lovely morning here , summer has finally come !

Enjoy the day.
Marion.

GUS

Marion, so sorry to hear about Gus' run-in with the motor vehicle. I have also failed to express my concerns about Precious. Ye gods, is there actually someone who calls her dog Precious in front of other people? I call Shadow that a lot but she's a pretty tough out door hunting type dog so I don't embarrass her by calling her that in public. How silly we are about our furries.

The point of this note is to suggest to Marion and anyone else who has trouble medicating her pet. I don't know how he thought to try it but Al discovered that a little bit of peanut butter makes the medicine go down to paraphrase Mary Poppins. Most dogs I know of love peanut butter and when I just shake the glucosamine bottle Shadow comes running for her treat. She get about a 1/4 teaspoon of the stinky stuff and she never notices the rather sizeable pill along with it. Then Mom gets to lick off the spoon. (I administer the pill and peanut butter from a finger by the way.)

Jane, disappointed that the Friday stitch group isn't meeting today.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

TWO MORE SHOTS



The previous shots were of Greg the clown and their Mom, DD#1. The second shots are of Laura and Pete, the lucky winner of the finished quilt.


Jane

I'M HOME



Well, it was a month of travelfor me. First I flew to CA to visit with DD#2. A week after my return I drove to Rochester, NY with my hairy roommate. She is such a great traveler. She had to spend the NY time at a rather luxurious kennel and joined me for the trip to NJ to spend a few post holiday madness days with kindergarten friend, Julie and her Golden Retriever, Luke. I had a long endless feast of foods I love and rarely undulge in and almost no exercise so gained five pounds. Phooey.

My DDs went to gether and gave me an IPod for Christmas. I'm thrilled. I've thinking about it for a year and they finally got tired of hearing me think about it. Haven't had time since getting home Monday night since I left a terrible mess when I left and then added to it. I also had to bring back one of the boys' quilts to finish fuzzing up the seams. I'm attaching a couple of pictures of the Christmas morning celebration of materialism and family.

My knee surgery is scheduled for the 22nd with pre op visit, dentist, and a bunchof other stuff scheduled before then. I'll be hospitalized three to four days then a week or more in rehab facility. I hope to recover much better than the last time. In three years techniques have changed and it is a much better hospital than the local place I went to three years ago. I will be at Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville which acquired the big hospital across the road a few years back from the Sisters of Mercy. My knee job will be at the St. Joseph Campus of what is now called Mission Hospitals. I've heard that the food is awful but the nursing care is great. Nursing care last time was dreadful.


Well, here are the pictures, I hope.


it should read ......

Janna's brother has a gym somewhere down there and they are staying in his house . He is a personal trainer in the UK and was on TV3 late last year showing how to lose weight. Hmmmmmmm love and hugs Bee in another warm and muggy NZ.

I agree it is so hot here

I agree Marion it is so hot here, I keep hoping for rain but so far none in sight . My poor garden is just keeping growing but I can't water as much as I like , when DH went to work he didn't realise just how many times I used the hose but being home now he tends to grizzle about the cost of water. By the way Marion our DS2 is down your way for 10 days we don't know quite where but Janna's , and they are using his house while he is in the UK. To all who have been so wonderful in inquiring about our Gus, he is improving in leaps and bounds , nearly anyway. We don't have to hold him with a towel to help him walk and he has started eating again. I am alittle worried about this as the only thing we had he liked were some chicken fillets!!!!! If he even thinks he is going to get them after he is better , tough luck dear boy. The kittens go tomorrow, I will miss them , they are such little characters, all different. As we were very lucky and our bill at the vets was made as light as they could I have said I would keep on helping. It is the least I can do. I do love cats and as long as they are very tiny I don't mind helping but they must be small enough to keep in our bath while I have a shower. Our bathroom is big but they are grotty little things and walk their food everywhere. Must go and give the boy his pills he clamps his jaws tight and even trying to put them is the side is hard work. Hugs bee in NZ

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Thursday.

It's not "brrrr" here Sara, it's "phew" ! We had a very hot day yesterday and today looks as if it
's heading the same way. We were invited to some new neighbours for lunch yesterday, which we enjoyed, then, at night, we went to another neighbour for a BBQ. The evening was perfect and we were able to enjoy sitting outside until it was time to come home. There has been a lot of subdivision around here in the last two years, so there has been an influx of new people. We all still have our own patch (we have 25acres here) and can't see any other houses from where we live, so we in no way feel "invaded" !! The men, in both of the homes we visited yesterday, work from home, the wives are teachers. The children have left home. They are really enjoying the rural lifestyle and are keen to get to know their neighbours. We had them all here for a meal way back in the winter. It was nice to catch up with them again.

So sorry to hear of the sickness which has left Jean and Rosey feeling so miserable. Do hope you will both be feeling better soon . Keep warm and consume lots of chicken soup ! Wonder how poor Gus is ? I hope he is recovering too.

DD#2 and family will be down (from Auckland) on Saturday. We will meet them at the airport and take them over to the house at the bay. DSIL and his father have a building project in mind and can't wait to get started. I had hoped they would be here for at least a day or two but it seems that this is the plan. DSIL returns to Auckland after two weeks, DD and the Grands will have an extra week and spend it with us. Problem with that is, that "life" resumes around that time, and I have a couple of commitments during that week which cannot be changed and will take me out of circulation.....

DH is making a workbench in the garage, having decided that woodwork is to be his new hobby (at 68 ??) Anyway, I can only encourage him as he really does need a home based hobby.. He's made a good job of it so far, so I hope that will encourage him ! I'm not quite sure what he intends to make , I will be watching with interest !

Enjoy the day.
Marion.

looking for suggestions

Goodmorning (burr) we got our cold weather last night. Hopefully the tropical plants I covered last night didn't freeze.
OK-question. My drip coffee pot is very noisy. It wakes up the puppy, and sounds like . . . well I don't know, just not quiet.
Do any of you have a suggestion for a quiet brew pot?
I've tried moving the thing into the bathroom or sewing room, but it just doesn't fit there.
Thanks, off to have the first cup-a the day.
Sara in chilly Fla.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

January 1st 2008

I always feel that it's a fresh page on life's book to be able to put the first day of a new year and will add my wishes for the coming year, not a happy new year but one in which we can cope with whatever comes our way. One hopes, always, to be happy.

Bee, I could feel your fright with Gus. This happened to our neighbours two years ago, their dog, let out a night, saw a squirrel and took off across the country road. It did not have a good ending. Gus is lucky and I'm glad your vet was not hasty in putting Gus down when he may be able to recover. Ask Celia about rescuing two beautiful kittens. She travelled some distance to get hers and they are bringing her such joy. What else could you do. I don't know how people can abandon animals either.

Doris, the last day I was out, Friday, I took myself off the see Charlie Wilson's War and loved it. I also knew that I was coming down with a sore throat sitting in the movie and by Sat. it went into a full-blown cold the likes of which could be described as feeling like death warmed over. Jean had it much worse than I have and today I feel almost human. I've sneezed so much I've strained my middle back muscles and I'm hoping that by tomorrow at 4, my massage therapist won't turn me away from her door and my every two week appt., given my germs which are hopefully abating. I wouldn't blame her if she did but the fact is, I cannot move or breathe deeply without feeling pain in this region of my back...never had back trouble in my life, so a new experience. The cold has spread to Jock as well but fortunately he's able to get out and bring in the wood and deal with the snow we are having presently.

It's snowing again and our winter began early. It's pretty but I know by the end of Feb. we will all be going stir crazy.

Hope Jane, you've made it back safety to the mountains in North Carolina and your upcoming operation is borne well. Not easy when you live alone. You are a brave woman. But then, what choice do you have. I had to get levered out of bed this morning, giving insight into why older people are sometimes grumpy. The body parts start wearing out.

Rosey

Happy New Year!

I would definitely prefer to be sleeping, but my granddaughter is here for the night and she *really* wanted to stay up to see the new year in. Turns out DH picked up some sparklers and is ready to go when the ball drops. I am feeling old, tired, and out-numbered! LOL

Thank you, Doris. That bad cold turned out to be flu and I was pretty sick over Christmas. Still not fully recovered and I have not been near my little old lady for a couple of weeks, since I have no desire to kill off the residents of the care home she is in... The contents of her house are mostly packed and sorted and after tomorrow we will get busy hauling stuff away, to the thrift stores, the auction and the rented storage unit. I have real estate agents coming out at the end of the week. Eventually this will all be over.

But at the moment what I am here for is to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2008. My horoscopes keep saying this is going to be one of the best years for a long time and am counting on that for all of us! Especially for Gus! LOL

Jean at Mill Bay, back after a sparkler break...

Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year y'all!

Checking in to wish everyone a good 2008! DH and I had plans to go to movies and dinner with friends, then I came down with a bad cold 3 days ago and have been on the sofa ever since. I sent DH on anyway (they saw "Charlie Wilson's War" and liked it) since I'm not great company and he'd have a better time with our friends. LOL

Bee in NZ - what a terrible time with poor Gus! It is a miracle that the doctor noticed something and held off putting him down. Give Gus a hug for me.

Jean in Mill Bay - You have your hands full with the estate and a terrible cold on top of it all. I hope you're feeling stronger by now.

Jane in NC - keep us posted when you have your knee surgery.

I've started some topical chemotherapy a couple days ago, for sun damage on my forehead. Omigosh, this stuff itches like mad and it's only the third night of dosing. I used it around my mouth last year and it took a week before the itching began, at that time. Ugh.....

Welp, DH and I will ring in the new year at midnight EST (11 p.m. our time-LOL) with some boiled custard, and then we are calling it a night.

Hugs to everyone,
Doris W. in TN

Happy New Year !

Just signing in to wish all of my cyber friends a Happy New Year !! No doubt it will hold some surprises for each of us... lets hope that there are more good ones than bad ones !

We saw the New Year in with two good friends, probably the first time in years that we haven't been to a party !! We tend not to "do" parties any more ! Much more enjoyable to just have good friends around and sit in comfortable chairs all evening !! Oh dear . I AM getting old....

A beautiful day here and we are off out shortly, to meet up with friends for lunch. We take an inland drive around the foothills for about an hour, going south. They live an hour south of our destination. Fortunately, there is a very smart Golf resort, mid- way between us, a perfect meeting point. We do this twice a year, it a good way to keep in touch.

The Christmas decorations are starting to annoy me, I will take them down tomorrow !! They go from being enchanting to untidy, overnight ! I've never quite worked out why !

Not much happening in the quilting line. I have some hand sewing on the go, but rather tend to pick up a book and find a quiet corner in the garden at this time of year. The family arrive down on Saturday for three weeks. They won't be here for much of the time as they DSIL's family have a holiday house near to a beach . It's about an hour from here so there will be lots of comings and goings.. It will be good to see them. This was the first Christmas that we hadn't spent with the Grands since the first one was born, twelve years ago..

Bee, sorry to here about the drama in your household. Do hope the recovery goes well and that the kittens will be a nice distraction for a few days !!!

Keep safe and take care.
Marion.

Bee I was so sorry to read about your Gus. I hope he get better real soon. Our little dog Precious seems to have recovered very well from being bitten. She is all healed and seems to have no abscesses.She does tend to be a bit more skittish with noises and strangers, but hopefully that will pass. The big dog has moved our of town, so we are on our own again.
I wanted to come on board to wish all a very Happy New Year. May it be filled with peace , ;love, joy, lots of hugs and good food. Then if we get all that maybe we can pass it on and share all around. Sounds great .
Have a good one,
Grace signing of for 2007

Thanks to Eric and Sue

Happy New year to you.
Thanks for the new cyber friends that I now have all over the world, and can E mail or post to every day if I want to.
Just gave our puppy a bath, I'm as wet as she is.
She has learned to run into the road also, and nearly gae me a stroke when she went zooming out of the garage area yesterday afternoon.
We are going to have a quiet day and night here. Going to a Chinese dinner with another couple, but will go to bed before 12:00. I'm going to start back with the walking tomorrow at 10:00, even though it is supposed to be cold and windy.
DH has done something to his neck. He will take some Advil, but refuses to go to the chiro. or the other Dr. Stubborn! He can barely turn his head, and has self-diagnosed himself as having arthitis. ARG!!
Right now he is up in the attic trying to get down leftover decking wood to take to the Grands house to start building the tree house. We finally found a simple plan that we think is doo-able.
I've finished quilting on the latest quilt. Now must cut the binding, and get it on.
Happy and safe new year to All. And here's to happy quilting and happy days ahead.
Sara in Fla.

I need my head read

We went to collect Gus from the vet and although he is home he is still not walking on his own , he is so badly bruised but time will fix that. We also arrived home with 4week old kittens who were left outside the vet's today.As it is New years Eve the vet is closing and they couldn't find anyone to look after them for a few days. so you can see why I need my head read.They are so cute and are potty trained and love people , climb up to my neck and cuddle. How anyone can do this to animals I just can't think. Fortunately our vet is good and will con people into taking them .No wehave our full complement of rescue pets and can't keep any more. We are busy trying to think of who we can con . Our dIL is away and probably they will have one when they return . They are the ones who decided we were going to have a dog , hence Gus.I didn't know kittens could purr at 4 weeks . Must go and feed them and our other lot. Hugs Bee in NZ

Sunday, December 30, 2007

we are so lucky

our idiot dog ran across the main road yesterday chasing a cat and was hit. The driver was trying to miss him but didn't quite make it . Our neighbour takes him for a walk on the weekend as we shop for him during the week and Gus just lost it and chased the cat. Our vet opened up for us and took Gus in and put him on a drip and all sorts of other meds. he was in deep shock and didn't recognise anyone. He was bleeding internally and they were going to put him down . When they went in with the needle he looked at them and they asked if we would wait for a few hours. After a long wait he was up and wagging his tail. We were that close to losing him. He is still there under observation but we will probably bring him home tomorrow. He is a complete idiot but we love him and are so happy he is coming home. Now I can think about the New Year and wish all the very best for 2008. Hugs Bee in NZ