I'M TAKING A BREAK TO CARE FOR ROSIE

Today I was working outside in the backyard. I was planting my shrubs and moving things around. I decided to dig up the clothes-line posts. I dug deeper holes to set them further down into, so that the weight of laundry would stop pulling them forward. The bottom of the posts are encased in cement from the first time I "set" them. I have several Rubbermaid containers lining the inside edge of my privacy fence. Inside some of them are bags of cement and others hold broken ceramic pieces that I plan on using for mosaics.
I pulled one of the containers up close to one of the holes and propped a post against it. As I dug, the pole fell to the side, but not to the ground because one of the Rubbermaid containers broke the fall.
I dug another shovel full. I'm not sure what made me look over but I did. There is a cross-bar that forms a "T" at the top of the posts and one end was laying across Rosie's chest. I had not noticed that she had followed me down to the end of the yard and apparently jumped up onto one of the Rubbermaid containers to lay in the sun. She rarely jumps up on anything and most of the time has to be lifted. I have no idea how she got up there. But the cross-bar was on her chest and her eyes were open but blank and her body was completely still. I ran the few steps to her and lifted up the end of the post. It's not that heavy. But if you weigh only 5 and 1/2 pounds, it must have felt like a tree.
I picked her up and my hand completely circled her chest. I could feel her heartbeat but see no breaths.
I don't know why but I blew hard into her nostrils and then I opened her mouth and pulled out her tongue and blew down her throat. And then I ran into the house.
I put Blue in a room and hurried the little ones into the laundry room. I was shaking so bad that I could barely press the buttons on my phone. I don't know why but first I called my friend. The head vet tech and she told me to call Doc. So I did. I asked if he could meet me at the clinic. Luckily he was already there doing paperwork.
I drove like a bat out of Hell. The clinic is in another city across the river. Thank God the draw-span wasn't open.  I roared past people and drove up the side of turning lanes.
I ran into the clinic and Doc took her into the surgery room and gave her oxygen. He listened to her lungs, I was afraid that one of them might be collapsed, but he said they were fine. We keep her on oxygen and he said that it was good that I had gotten some air into her.  He didn't think that she had a spinal injury but one of her ribs could be broken. He gave her some injections, one for swelling and another for pain. Finally her pulse came back to normal and her temperature rose to what it should be.
She is still in a "curled" position and her tongue keeps slipping out of the side of her mouth.
Now 4 hours later as she rests in my lap while I type this, she finally begins to actually "focus" on me.
She is still unable to stand, much less walk. Doc said to let her rest and see how she is in the morning and if she's not better to bring her with me when I come to work. I would take a photo of her but you don't want to see her like this, it's not a pretty sight and I also want to respect her dignity....
Yesterday I came home from errands to find Jimmy Chew my terrier crying in pain when he came out of his kennel.

It was obvious that something was wrong with his lower back. I slowly massaged it and then gave him a "pain" pill that I keep on hand for my ancient little Shih-tzu "Griffin" when he's having a bad day. Jimmy seemed much better by the evening, though I had to lift him up on the bed when we all went to sleep. And then in the morning, I had to lift him off again.
Sometimes when I wake up, I feel the same way.
So I massaged him again and gave him another pill.
I told Doc about him as I was leaving the clinic with Rosie.
I'll be bringing Jimmy in with me tomorrow too.
For a chiropractic adjustment.

When I got home, I took a photo with my cell phone of my neighbors fishing boat covered with a tarp parked along the border of my yard. I sent the photo to my sister and typed "Garden View" in the subject line. She text me back "Ohhh Noooo!"
Yep....
Why do I even try to make my yard pretty when I end up looking out my window at an old boat?
Then I called my sister and told her about Rosie.
I didn't realize that they had decided to go out of town, up to Wisconsin. She said they were just about to go swimming in the lake. I said that someday I would like to go. Apparently it had been a spur of the moment idea. I mumbled that I would have needed some notice ahead of time so I could make arrangements about my dogs. She said that if I didn't have those little dogs, I wouldn't have those problems. She's a big dog person and has a personal limit of 2.....
Anyway, my plate is full and I'm taking a break to take care of stuff.

Waiting for the heat to come on!...

It's starting to blow, she can feel it!....

Ahhh!

(see her hair flying up! LOL!)

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks so much and see you later.

- Cindi

Doctors Visit

Every year I go to the Doctors Clinic and get my annual tests. Poked, probed and squished.
I HATE it. But I'm pretty sure that no one actually LIKES it.
I always put it off as long as I possibly can and to be honest I think the worst  part is actually talking with the Doctor.

The clinic that I go to have several on staff and they always ask if I have a request.
And I do. Someone different from last time.
I prefer to go to a woman doctor, someone who actually has "experienced" all the stages women go through. Someone that knows that one day I might cry about anything and the next day I am irritated by everything.
So yesterday I went in an irritated mood.

I already had several tests done and just needed to go over the results and also get my blood pressure taken and be weighed.

Monday nights are the only nights they are open later and after working both inside and outside all day in the heat, it started to pour down rain. I left for my appointment without an umbrella and I was drenched.
Then I ended up sitting in the waiting room for quite a bit while pretending to read "InStyle" magazine. There was a couple there in probably their forties and he had to fill out new forms. The wife would read the questions like "Do you smoke?" and he said no. "Have you ever smoked? and he said "Yes". "No you haven't!"
Yes I did, in my twenties!"
"Well, that's 20 years ago, it doesn't count!"
"Yes it does! the question is "have you EVER smoked!"...  and that was just over one question. You should have heard them when she asked "Do you exercise?" and when he said "Yes" I thought I felt my chair shake!
"You DO NOT!" she practically screamed.

Thank God I had my magazine.
A woman came out with a nurse and the nurse pointed to some vitamin packets in a basket on the table next to me. "Here" the nurse said and handed a packet to the woman. "Take some of these, they are free". So the woman took one, stuck it in her purse and left and the nurse turned and went back to work.
As I read my interesting article on how to spend only $1000 on 4 pieces of clothing, I could see in my peripheral vision the woman across from me, get up and get a packet. Then the woman next to me took one and then someone else. Then the first one took another. I kept reading.
FINALLY the nurse came out and called my name.
I set down my magazine and the woman got up again and took another packet.
When I got in the exam room the nurse took my blood pressure and counted my heartbeats by the clock on the wall. She asked how I was feeling and I said fine.
She left and then the Doctor came in.
I guessed her to be a little bit older than me. I looked at her long blonde fluffy hair

and had a debate in my head about what age a person should cut it shorter. I go back and forth on that one. I just decide that it's not age appropriate and then I see someone older with gorgeous long hair

and change my mind...
So the first thing she said was "I LOVE your purse!" I said thank you. I thought about telling her how I got it for $1.88 at Goodwill and how I had washed it in the washing machine at work to get rid of "cooties" and I was so happy that it came out looking like new again.
But I was tired, so I didn't. She sat down and flipped through my file. "57" she said (The year I was born) "Oh! that was a good year! My husband was born that year! He's older than me."
Now THAT irritated me.
Was she just absent-mindedly making conversation or wanted me to know she was younger.
But she was smiling. Maybe she didn't mean it to come out that way. I was probably just very tired, that and I hate going to the doctors.
Then she commented on my weight. I know I'm too fat and she said. "Now you probably like french fries! and it's OK to have a couple but then just throw the rest away!"

I looked at her and nodded.
I think french fries are OK. I can take them or leave them. THEY are NOT my downfall.
I love CHEESE. Cheese and Chocolate.

and High Fructose Syrup filled Fruitista Freezes from Taco Bell and Mocha Frappes from Mickey D's.
Then she said that my numbers were PRE-diabetic.  (I called my sister when I got home and told her my numbers and she said to ignore her, they weren't that bad.)
Then the Doctor asked if I had access to the Internet? I smiled and said "Yes". She said to go to the American Diabetes Association website. She said I would become addicted to it. It's such FUN! and has SO many great recipes. I nodded OK. She said to also check out the American Heart Association website, I would LOVE that too!

"Well..." I said, "um, I don't really like to cook".  She looked amazed. "Well, it has alot of helpful information!"
I said "OK".
Then she said "Now, you need to start walking." and I said I would.
"No! Really now, you need to walk at a fast pace."

So I said I would really try. It was just that I am on my feet all day long working and I come home exhausted and then I work in my yard or take care of stuff that needs to be done around my house and I'm just tired...but I would really make the effort to start.
Then she said "Too bad you don't have a dog to walk with!" and I smiled and replied "Oh, but I do."
But she was off rambling about her neighbor. She was saying that "You should SEE this guy! Here's this BIG guy being walked by his 130lb St. Bernard!" She said it was SO funny!
I mumbled that my dog was actually bigger.
"What!?" what is it? she asked.
"A Great Dane, a Great Dane mixed with maybe lab?" I answered.
"Oh MY!" She sniffed, "I told my husband that only LITTLE poops are allowed at OUR house".
In my head a voice was yelling "Oh NO you Didn't! You didn't just disrespect my BLUE! This woman had just crossed the line. She could call me old and fat but how dare she say something against my BIG OLE BLUE or any big dog for that matter.

I asked her if she didn't need to fill out one of those pink slips for my thyroid test? and she got flustered and said Oh, yes! and then I said I needed the prescription for the statin I'm on and she scribbled that out for me too. I said "Thanks! and I left and next time...
I'll ask for someone different.

Hand Art

Do you know ABI MONROE?

If you don't, then you should!

I adore her SO MUCH!

She is a FANTASTIC DOLL ARTIST!

She creates lovely journals.

She has the BIGGEST heart!

She actually has more RESCUES than ME! LOL!

She rescued this MOMMA

Who had little "bent and curved" kittens

and splinted their legs and did "physical therapy" on them and they are doing fine now!

She and her husband had 2 little piglets wander onto their property...

and now they have a happy home.

She creates beautiful dolls and raffles them off and gives all the proceeds to the "Rescue the Animals" Animal Shelter.

She has a funny crazy side and lets her husband give her a haircut to match his.

And she surprises a Blogger friend and sends her a Favorite Doll that I will cherish forever!

(Birdy)

ABI MONROE, One of a kind. Beautiful inside and out. I'm so happy to call her my friend!

Check out her blog and Etsy shop!
http://abimonroe.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/abimonroe

SHUT UP and PAINT...

or sew or whatever.
That is what I am now telling myself. Something others have probably been thinking in regards to my previous ramblings.
So, what happened?
I stumbled across an artist that I'm sure many others already knew about.
I had seen this painting before:

and LOVED it! But never knew who MAUD LEWIS was!
I am constantly amazed at how I  much I DON'T KNOW. But after reading about this woman, I am humbled. She didn't worry about "where"

she was going to paint or "when" she was going to create, she just did it. And with crippling arthritis.

Here's a bit of info about her:
She was born in 1903 in Nova Scotia. Her schooling stopped at Grade 3. She made Christmas cards with her mother which they sold to help make ends meet. She was often alone as a child and young person. She was small and had almost no chin. When her parents died she moved to Marshalltown and answered a notice for "live-in" help that Everett Lewis had posted.

At the age of 35 she married Everett and moved into his tiny 12 by 16 foot cabin.

It had a sleeping loft but no indoor plumbing or electricity. Heat came from a wood-burning stove. Maud painted on any piece of wood, cookie sheet or scrap she could find. She used house, boat and craft paint.

Everett was a fish monger and would sell her work and his fish door to door as she sat in the car.

She rarely left her home and painted all day by the window.

She eventually became famous in her lifetime but not enough to afford a bigger home or lifestyle.

Late in life she suffered rheumatoid arthritis that severely restricted her movements.

She was in failing health and after falling and breaking her hip, she passed away in 1970 at the age of 67.

Her husband died in a fight with a burglar in 1979.

This little woman touches my heart. I wish that I could have known her. Visiting and bringing her canvases, paint and new brushes.

We could have sat and chatted over tea next to her window.

I sit and stare at her photo.

You can see her happy heart in her eyes.

I'm going to shut up now and paint.