He Adopted a Dog!

Well, what a surprise!  We got a new grand-dog.  Our son knows a co-worker who brings adoptable dogs to the area so he got in touch with the co-worker to see how all that works.  Personally, I was a little surprised that my son would want another dog so soon.  But I understand he is a single guy, living by himself and his Maggy was his other half {so to speak}.  And he needs company, a companion.  My son got onto the website of adoptable dogs and Gus was one of them.  Gus was being fostered in Oakton, Va.    

On Easter Sunday, I video called my son to see how he was doing and when the video popped up my son had his camera pointed at the dog!  So that was the first thing I saw when he answered his phone. That’s why I was surprised when I saw him.  I am happy for my son.  There will be a name change from Gus to Franky.  My son is already training him to stay and shake and to stay off the furniture.  

I’m sure there will be more pictures coming.  But for now, I’m glad there is enough room in my son’s heart for another dog.  But we miss Maggy so very much.

Blessings!

We Lost Our Grand-dog

On April 4, 2020 we lost our beautiful grand-dog Maggy.  It was sudden and unexpected.  That makes it even worse in my opinion.  I mean, everything is fine, then boom, it’s not fine.  I was in my office at my desk when I heard my son come into the house.  I didn’t know he was coming over for a visit especially during the quarantine.  He’s a jokester and usually when he comes into the house he throws the office door open to try to scare me.  This time he threw the door open screaming, “she’s gone, she’s gone, she’s gone.”  He held up Maggy’s collar and I didn’t know what he was saying at first.  I was thinking so fast that she ran away and he couldn’t find her but she never did that before so that didn’t make sense.  And my son was crying so hard and I knew something really terrible happened.  I got up and hugged my son until he could control his crying {broken heart} and then he sat down to tell me what happened.  He said that Maggy wouldn’t eat anything that morning and then later she couldn’t even stand up.  He called the vet and they told him to bring Maggy in.  They  did an X-ray of her stomach and found she had a tumor on her spleen that made her spleen burst and the tumor was also growing onto her heart.  There was no way to repair it.  She had to be put down.  Just writing these words makes me cry.  She was a beautiful, loving, wonderful dog.  I still can’t believe she is gone.  My son got Maggy after he came home from basic training.  She was a little puppy then.  But soon after that my son was called to go to Iraq and I kept Maggy for him until he came back.  Then he was called out again nine months later and I kept Maggy once more.  She lived with us for quite a few years.  

My son is single so Maggy was his true companion.  They were inseparable.  They hiked, went to the beach, took daily walks, everything.  And as a mom, I want to make it all better for my son and take away his broken heart but I can’t.  Here are some pictures of our beautiful girl:  

 

 

 

Life is going to be so different without her.  I’m so thankful she was a part of the our family.  

Blessings!

Some Favorite Youtubers who Have Passed

When I began watching youtube it was a whole new concept for me.  I kinda got hooked on it; watching other people’s lives.  I’m one of those who love looking into other people’s homes while driving down the street, curious as to how others live and decorate their homes.   So youtube sorta helps in that respect.  It’s sad to say that some of my favorite youtubers have passed away.  Not only is it sad, it’s quite shocking.  Death is like that isn’t it?  Even if we are prepared it’s still shocking.  But here is a list of those who I shared time with even if they didn’t know it and now will never know it.

Depression Cooking 

Clara was 93 when she passed away.  She gives us insight into what it was like living through the depression and recipes of foods her grandmother and mom used to make.

The Mills Family 

Andrea Mills was a mother of 9 children living in a small house in Wyoming.  She gave tips on organizing, sewing, homeschooling and everyday life.  Around April 2019 she starting feeling under the weather and she tried some home remedies, but after a few dr visits and then finally being admitted to the hospital it was discovered she had cancer.  Unbeknownst to her views, she was 13 weeks pregnant with her 10th child.  In August she passed away.  Tom is now left with 9 kids to raise while is grieving his wife and working and doing all the chores Andrea did.

Phyllis Stokes

Phyllis and her husband Mr. Bucky lived in South Carolina.  She made mostly cooking videos of foods from the fifties, but her and her husband also shared stories of the by-gone days.  They had a couple of poodles, too.  Last year, I can’t remember the month but Phyllis was diagnosed with cancer in the bile duct in her liver {I believe}.  A month after that in July 2019 Mr. Bucky was downstairs sleeping in his recliner and when Phyllis came downstairs to make breakfast she saw him still sleeping in the recliner.  After she made breakfast she called for him to come eat, but he didn’t answer and when she checked on him he had passed away.  Terribly sad.  Six months later in December Phyllis succumbed to her cancer.  I still can’t believe it.  When people have become a part of your day, they are sorta family...even though you don’t personally know them.

Homemade Everything

I watched this channel every now and again.  I found it through Dr. Lee’s channel “Out on the Ranch.”  Homemade Everything is Dr. Lee’s son Mark and his family.  A year or so ago Mark started having sinus issues and went to dr and long story short, he had sinus cancer.  He then had surgery to removed the tumor but it grew back fast.  It eventually went into his jaw bone and a huge tumor grew there.  But what a great attitude Mark had throughout his treatment which eventually lead him to stop treatment and live the best life he could with the time he had.  He leaves behind a wife and two little children.  

It’s so very sad not seeing these people anymore.  I so enjoyed watching them.  

Life is so short...it really is.  It goes by way too fast and trying to make the best of each situation is extremely hard sometimes, but laughter is the best medicine.  Find the funny in situations.  Laugh as much as you can and make as many memories as possible because that is all your loved will have left of you when you are gone.  

I hope you enjoy watching these channels.

Blessings!

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a “stay at home” order for Maryland residents on Monday — further curtailing daily life in the Free State in hopes of slowing the spread of the new coronavirus.

“Every Marylander can be a hero, just by staying home,” Hogan, a Republican, said in a news conference outside the State House in Annapolis Monday morning.

I woke up to this order from Governor Hogan this morning.  We are to stay in our homes and only go out for essentials, i.e. food or medical.  I never, ever, in my wildest dreams thought our state (or nation) would have a pandemic, let alone being 'ordered' to stay in our homes.  This is like something out of a cartoon movie or even the Bible where the king or ruler tells everyone they have to stay in their homes or else.  I was telling hubby today, 'just think, when our great-great grandkids (assuming we'll have one or two) study this pandemic in school {they will, won't they?} they'll talk about how their great-great grandparents survived it. 

Donald and I stay home mostly anyway...okay, we do go out to eat or go to medical appointments, but we mostly we stay home.  So this really isn't a huge problem for us.  

This is a great time for people to clean out their closets, organize their homes, deep clean it, and just chill.  I hope that parents who are homeschooling their kids will decided to continue to do so even after this virus has passed.  It would be wonderful for parents to realize what they are missing in seeing their children finding joy in education and learning.  And that working from home can be an option for parents who have learned that being home with their family is something they have truly missed out on.  

There are blessings in everything.  Sometimes we just have to see past the negative to see the positive.  I believe that is how God made it.  Because He is in charge of everything single thing.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  

Blessings!

 

Never thought I would ever see the world shut down.  What's even more scary is that the medical facilities have basically shut down.  Our doctor appointments and therapy has had to be rescheduled.  And they will probably be rescheduled after that.  If one was in a mindset of doomsday I suppose they would think now is the time the world is ending.  For me, I am waiting for Jesus to come out of the sky on a white horse.  

I have to say I am sick of hearing about this coronvirus already.  It has altered me getting help for my vestibular disorder.  It makes me have to stay home instead of letting me decided if I wanna stay home or go out somewhere.  It makes it hard when I need supplies like toilet paper, paper towels or water and others have hoardered {is that a word?} it and there is none in any of the stores.  Schools have shut down, theaters, restaurants {no eating inside}, sports events...crazy.  I read a funny on facebook how spanking and prayers have come back into schools...meaning since the schools have shut down kids are being schooled at home.  Parents are working from home, too.  I mean, everyone is working from home.  I guess this too shall pass but when you're in the storm it doesn't seem like it's ever gonna pass.  This time next year everyone will be talking about the time the world shut down cause of coronavirus.  And it will be popping up on facebook.  

Blessings!

Mike and Meg (We had a wedding! October 6, 2018)

Our daughter got married!.  It is a sad and joyous occasion for us.    Here are some of her wedding pictures:

It was a beautiful wedding.  But you spend a year planning for it and then boom it’s over with before you know it.  Her and her husband, Mike Stog (of Mike Stog Photography...go check him out, he’s all over the net), are living a happy life and have plans to buy a house and start a family!

Broken Femur/Vestibular Problems

Time flies by so fast and I know I have said that many times, but it amazes me how I think something happened a short while ago, but nope.  We are getting old (husband and I) and our health in going by the wayside.  It’s getting harder to get through a day.  Whoever came up with “Golden Years” was a liar unless he had great health and lots and lots of money.  Otherwise, I’d like to meet him and tell him he is wrong.

One day in March 2017 it was a normal day until the phone rang.  It was hubby at work saying he went to get up from his desk and couldn’t.  He broke his femur bone at the knee.  Long story short, I had to go get him, take him to the ER and it’s been a nightmare since.  Four operations later his leg is fused so he can’t bend it. He can’t drive.  He walks with crutches, he lost his job.  That day changed our lives forever.  I was mad, angry and missing our old life.  No more can we RV.  I have to do all the driving now.  I have to do most of the chores.  *sigh*

Hubby had to go on SSDI.   And because he was on that I was also eligible to get a little money, too.  But when your salary is cut to bare bones your lifestyle is too.  Now it’s worry about everything.

Mostly since 2017, things have been focused on hubby and his health, but last year in October (2019) I woke up with the room spinning.  Hubby called an ambulance as I had collapsed on the floor.  And the long and story of that is ER dr said I had vertigo.  So off to the ENT, audiologists, VRT (vertigo rehabilitation therapy), neurologist and soon to see a eye doctor who specializes in eye problems.  And symptoms with this disorder include 24 hour nausea, dizziness, feeling like you are seasick and walking on a trampoline all the time.  I never even knew this disorder existed.  And what has shocked me even more is how many people are suffering with it.  Of course, I went to facebook groups just to see if there was a group of vestibular disorders and yes there was.  People all around the world and yet hardly any of us are being diagnosed properly.  I have little faith in the medical profession these days.  Google can tell me more about my problems then a man or woman who spend years in school supposingly learning how to medically treat people.  But don’t get me started on that.  Anyway, I had to quit driving for a couple of months, but thank the Good Lord my kids were able to get us to doctor appointments and such.  I told my son this is why people need to have a lot of kids...so us old parents have tons of children to rely on and not burn them all out at one time! LOL.  Most days I just wanna give up, though and not get out of bed, but I remind myself I need to find purpose in the day and that is why I DO get up and even if it’s to wash clothes or cook a meal.  I have to keep pushing on.

Our son bought his own house.  He was living with us, too but we had to convert the family room into a bedroom for him.  He was here about a year or so and it was wonderful having the kids back home and we were all together.  I don’t care how old they get it is always grand to have the kids around.  It’s just too bad we don’t have a large parcel of land where we can build houses for each of the kids and we could be close to one another like back in the days of farming.  But with technology these days we can talk with each other and video chat if we want to.  And that’s the next best thing to having them here.

So this is kind of our four year update.  I’m hoping to start updating here more.

Blessings!
Bev

Getting Back on the Horse Again!

     So where do I begin?  Do I say I'm back like so many other times?  How about if you are just surprised at a new posting?  I have been living life, sorta.  I haven't been out of the country or anything like that.  I have just neglected sharing my life.  But I hope that will change a little bit now.  

     Even though it's been quite a few months, I can't remember everything that's happened, but I can tell you a couple of things that have impacted my heart.  September 2015 Donald and I went on an rv trip to Georgia.  It started off good, but at the rv park we stayed at was infested with ants.  Oh my goodness.  They got into the rv and that was infested.  I'm not talking a few ants, I'm talking they were in every single place, corner, bed, etc in the rv.  Millions of them.  We even brought them back home with us.  Okay, what a nightmare, but the heartbreak happens when we get  home and our beloved cat Angel had gone missing.  We had Angel for 15 years.  He was an indoor, mostly outdoor cat.  He never liked being inside.  He found us when he was a kitten, but he just never took to living inside.  I don't know why.  Anyway, there was no trace of him and he never left the perimeter of the house.  We searched the woods, the shed...etc.  But he is gone.  It's been a year and he's gone. 

     Now, we had another cat, Splash who lived indoor outdoor.  She was a scary cat, but she was always so brave to go outside.  Had her for 15 years.  One evening I let her outside months after Angel vanished and then she vanished.  Can't believe it.  

     And very recently in May, our son's cat Roy went missing, too.  We had Roy for 14 years.  It's heartbreaking.  No sign of them anywhere and I checked with the animal shelter and nothing.  I don't understand it.  So my heart has been heavy.  When a family member is no longer there, your heart breaks.  Mine has been.  No knowing what happened to them hurts because you think horrible thoughts about what could have been their end.  :(

     Now for what's happening in the present.  Our son is moving back home.  He is in the process of home buying, but needed a placed for now.  The only room we had for him was our family room.  So we moved all the furniture over to one side and he is living on the other.  Crazy.  Boom a rang kids.  Isn't that what they are called?  Never expected my kids to still be here in their 30's, but I love them and will help them as much as I can.  It's unconditional.  

     So the daughter is still here, too.  Probably for another year.  Then her life might change.  We'll see.

     The house is in real need of some TLC.  Needs major painting and cleaning.  The other day Donald and I were sitting outside looking around the house and he said, "this place is beginning to look like old people live here."  And I said, "you're right, we are getting old."  I never thought when I was young and vibrant that one day I would no longer have the energy to do daily things that need doing.  It's not only tiring, but it's mentally exhausting.  But you have to keep moving along.

   Well, it's getting late now.  Until later...

Blessings

Stuff

Hi all!  I've been doing a little updating here.  Some new pictures on the side bar, new banner, and I updated my Shelfari reading shelf.  I've wanted to read a bunch more books this year, but just haven't done it.  

So many things I've mentally wanted to do this year, but call me unmotivated, super tired, I don't know what.  The mojo in me is just gone.  

Never thought in my wildest dreams I'd ever get to a point in my life where I wouldn't care about stuff.  Caring is just mentally exhausting to me.  That sounds bad, doesn't it?   Maybe I should clarify that.  I mean, I care about my husband and children and I'm always worrying about them.  Always.  I want them to be happy and healthy and protected by God's angels.   The thing I less care about is the house, what's in it {all the stuff}....it's mentally bogging me down.  No, I'm not a hoarder, thank goodness.  But I do have more than I want to have and donating what I can would be the best option.  I think back to when Donald and I were first married and we had very little.  We did purchase a dinette set and living room furniture before we got married {we never lived together before marriage}; my brother stored it at his house for us.  So when we moved into our home after the wedding we had those things and our wedding gifts.  Plus, our tv was a tiny 4 inch screen black and white.  Haha, those were the days.  We had little but we were so happy.  We had plenty of space in those days to move around.  But here's the thing, why do we, as a people, feel we need to fill up a house with stuff?  

I believe at first we don't think it's stuff.  We are making our house a home, right?  But before you know it, every counter space has a pile of papers on it, the drawers are so stuffed you can't open them, the closet is full of clothes we never wear (admit it!); they are either too big or too small for us and because there's room in the bottom of the closet we have to fill that up, too.  It's truly crazy, ridiculous.  

I remember when we got our first computer, ever.  Back in the late '90's.  We knew nothing about computers, let me tell you.  But Donald knew someone at work who was rebuilding them and we got one for not too much money.  I didn't realize it at the time all the stuff that you'd have to purchase for this thing.  Disks, paper, filing draws/folders for all the cool papers you print out, programs you'd have to purchase...the list goes on.  And don't forget about upgrading to cd roms, and usb and having some place to store all that.  Let's just say, my computer closet is about busting its seams, too.  

Anyway, I did start a clean out process.  Donald and I went dumpster diving at Five Below about a year ago.  Unbelievable what these stores throw away.  We were able to get a ton of toys and this year I was able to donate them to a good cause.  Brand new, in the package with price tags still on them.  But wouldn't you know it....we went back a month later and the dumpsters were locked.  All the stores in this area have locked dumpsters now.  That's another story, though.

Anyway, with Thanksgiving coming up and Christmas it's time to get into gear and get some stuff done around here.  I have a list of projects I wanna do.

So blessings for now!