STOPPING TO SMELL THE (ROSES) SUNFLOWERS.

I think that some days I go around on automatic pilot. I get up at the same time. Do my morning routine, get in the car and drive to work. Sometimes I arrive at my job without even really remembering the trip...
Out of the driveway and down the street, then left, then right, another right and over the bridge, down the street, right and left and left, right, left.........and finally left and then right into the driveway of the clinic.
Not even 10 miles and how did I get there?
But last Friday, sitting at the stop-light about to make the third left, I noticed the empty lot. The empty lot that's been for sale for quite awhile....just some concrete, gravel and overgrown weeds.
But not today!

Thanks I needed that.

HEARTBREAKING NEWS X 2

A couple of posts back I asked for positive thoughts and prayers to go out to a friend that was going through a very hard time. She had not posted about it and I felt that it wasn't my place to tell her heartbreaking story. I adore all my blogger friends but there are a few that I chat with through emails quite often and feel especially close to.
The first is Nita. We now have talked over the phone twice and I've been very worried about her.
She unexpectedly lost the love of her life, her little Newman.

Today she has done a post about what happened and how her heart is broken. I would love if everyone could take a moment and leave her a comment. She needs to know that she is not alone.
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-heart-is-dead.html
Then yesterday I get an email from Denise, my other friend that I chat with and turn to with my dog problems. On the same day as Nita lost her precious little boy/dog, Denise had to let her 17 yr old Weezie slip peacefully off to Heaven.

While she might have been more prepared for this sad time, her heart is hurting too.
http://onthevergeofsnapping.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-weezie-girl.html
I can not believe what an incredibly sad week this has been.
I wish I had magic words to mend their hearts but sadly I know there are none.
I'm holding my crew a little bit closer and thanking my lucky stars.

TODAYS PLAN...

Yesterday morning I dug up most of my sideyard.
And TODAY I plan on finishing.
I asked my sister the other day if she thought I should redo my yard.
She was like - "It's your yard" and I start in on how it's gotten away from me, too much work, over grown with weeds now, blah, blah blah. So I ask what she really thinks? and her reply is
"What does it matter what I think?" So, me being me, I press on and say "But WHAT do YOU think?!"
So finally she replies that it would be more work than she would want (and she has a gardening/landscape business) but that all that matters is whether I want it or not.
I tell her that I've had several people tell me how much they like my yard and I can feel her exasperation.
"But what do YOU want and like?"
"What do YOU have time for?"........
ME?
HELL! I don't know!
OK, so yesterday I stood in my overgrowth wild yard and thought about it.
So I started digging.
I dug up a ton of hostas. I moved maybe a fourth to the backyard and the rest are in buckets of water waiting for me to decide what to do next. I moved my 2 butterfly bushes, my Rose of Sharon, my Lilac bush, all to the side of the driveway, along side my neighbor's boat......
Most of them still had their roots in a ball from the previous containers they arrived in. I watered them heavily. I hope they survive.
Last night in the twilight, I dug holes in the backyard for fence posts. I have a little patio area and I think I will surround it with fencing. It would make a nice private place for my dogs.

http://www.ilovedogs.com/2010/01/what-is-dogscaping-its-easier-than-you-think/
The back will have to be higher, to keep the little neighbor boys on the other side of my house at bay.

via Southern Living
I'm thinking of just enclosing that area and taking down the existing privacy fence. That will clear a large space and make it easier to get to the bottom of the yard.
I hope to clear that. Level some areas and terrace some others and then enclosed the whole thing in fencing.

 In my front yard, I want to make some cement pathways, I have the "forms" to make it look like a flagstone. I also want to try creating some garden statues.

Maybe make some clothesline people.

http://www.thefernery.com/rianasgarden.html
And then I have an idea about making some garden step-stones......
OK, time to go outside and start!

http://www.wetnoseguide.com/blog/tag/dog-books/

She's Galloping like a Little Horse Again!

Well, I have GOOD news as far as little Rosie is concerned. Last Saturday we had a little set back and I thought it was because I had forgotten to give Rosie her last dose of medicine until late in the day.  I was telling another vet about how well she had been doing and then later in the day she was a bit crooked again and wobbly. He said the fact that I had forgotten the meds should have not made a difference especially being the last dose. I had told him how I was cleaning house and moving things around and being busy while the dogs were lounging about. He believes something caused her to revert back a little bit. He said it could be as simple was someone knocking into her and he asked me if that was possible.
I told him it was not only possible but probable. So, he told me to keep her kennelled at all times and away from everyone until she's healed and to stop her meds and see how she would do. He was thinking about possibly switching her to a different medication but first we would have to wait 2 weeks. He was going to do a blood test but when I brought her out and when he saw how well she was doing, he decided to just give her time. So she's off the meds and every day has improved. Yesterday she ran several feet but today she GALLOPED!

I weighed her and she's also now over 5lbs! 5lbs and 3 ounces. The canned food is helping pack on a few ounces, that and the fact that she eats in her kennel now and no one can steal any of her meal.
Today I put her out in the play area with one of my boarders that is the same size as her.
"Mellie"

 short for "MarshMellie", and they ignored each other.

They walked around the play area and when it was time to go in Rosie ignored me.

Little Mellie ran up to the top where the yard turns to rock and stopped. Mellie doesn't like walking on the rocks so I always carry her from there. So, I called Rosie and she looked at me but didn't come. Then I bent down and picked up Mellie and OH Boy!

THAT did it! Rosie ran across the whole yard in a hurry.

I think that she might have been a little bit jealous!
So things have been definitely improved as far as Rosie goes.
Then there's Ralphie.

(photo from last winter)
Lately Ralph as been jumping on Jimmy, his buddy. I hate to use the word "attacking" him but that's pretty much what he's been doing. The other day he scared Jimmy so bad that Jim tried to climb from the sofa onto my desk. To make matters worse, Ralphie also came running in from outside and Rosie was in her kennel with her half-eaten bowl of food. While the other dogs scurried up close to smell, Ralphie jumped and banged on her kennel until I quickly grabbed him and put him outside again.
So, I've been upset about his behavior.

(photo from last Spring as Ralph tries to scoot Blue off of sofa)
He's also taken to jumping from sofa to love seat to chair to sofa to loveseat to chair to sofa to love seat....well you get the idea and he's barking like CRAZY the whole time!

(photo from last Summer after his haircut)

Other times he will just sit in the living-room windowsill and watch. I live on a street that alot of people walk on and he barks furiously at everyone of them.

(last Summer BEFORE haircut)

So I had it. I called a woman that comes to the clinic who has agility dogs. She knows a rescue group that looks for high energy dogs (terriers) to foster and teach "fly-ball" and then puts them in good homes that want dogs for fly-ball and agility. She said she would call the rescue group and get back to me today.
So that was Plan A.
Everyone at work said it was a great idea. They said he needed something "to do" with all the high energy. I used to bring him and Jimmy to work every day and now they are kennelled at home all day. So I am sure that is part of the problem.
I was crossing my fingers. I thought he would love doing something like that!
One of my co-workers said she had a Plan B for me, just in case. She rescues aggressive dogs and works with them. She keeps them outside but she said they had large runs and plenty of straw in the winter. She said he could be in the big run she had constructed with her little Chow. (?)
Another co-worker thought I should do Plan C.
and put him down......(?!?!?!?!?!)
So the woman talked with me today and said the rescue group said "NO".
He was too old for them.
(He's three.)
The vet techs and I had already muzzled and wrestled him down to cut his nails and clean his ears and I had taken him back into my area and bathed him and fluffed him dry with the hand-dryer and as I looked at his little shaggy face, I decided what to do.

(photo from last winter)

I went back up to the office area and the girls asked me what I had decided?
I answered "Plan D".
"Cesar" would say to walk him, walk him until he's tired.
That's what Cesar always says - EXERCISE.
That's what my own doctor has been telling ME to do too, so we will be walking.

And finally, I feel uncomfortable even talking about THESE problems when my DEAR friend has suffered an unexpected and tragic loss.
I do not feel like I can or should talk about what has happened. She will tell her heartbreaking story when she has the strength. But she is constantly in my thoughts these past few days and I worry so much about her. Her heart is completely broken and she already has so much on her plate. Life can be so unfair. Please send out positive thoughts to the universe and/or say a prayer for all those in need.

SAW

There's a movie by that name. I haven't seen it. I won't see it. I overheard that it was about some psychopath that chains people up and makes them "saw" through a limb to get free.
I don't understand why anyone would want to watch that. But then I don't understand a lot of things.
So, the title of this post has nothing to do with some grizzly horror movie. Nope it has to do with 2 amazing artists.
The first one most of you might know. I think I originally saw her "cat face" on a comment somewhere but I don't remember where exactly. I just thank my lucky stars that I found her. But if you haven't been so fortunate, here she is!
Sandy Mastroni

OK, that's not Sandy herself. That's one of her creations. She is super talented and creates just the coolest and sometimes eeriest pieces of work. Sometimes it's painted cloth dolls.

Or sculpture

Or paintings

Or creations mounted on cut-out pieces of wood. That she's cut with her scroll SAW.

 I own Ella and Isabella. They are happy in my kitchen and make me happy everyday seeing them there.

After seeing her work, I wanted a saw too! Not that the SAW itself had anything to do with the awesomeness of her art. But still....I wanted one.
Here's a clock that she made!

Check out Sandy's Blog
http://smastroni.blogspot.com/
and her Etsy shop -
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sandymastroni
then one day, I'm leaving her a comment and I see a comment from someone else who is talking about HER saw.
What?! She has a SAW too! I had to check out this Robin Kent.

Can you believe this? Another fabulous artist!

She SAWS up wood and creates fantastic art

or she paints really great paintings.

check out her blog!-
http://robinkentart.blogspot.com/
Now I wanted  a SAW more than ever!
Then a couple of months ago, my step-grandfather had to go into a nursing home. He is elderly and has many health issues. He can no longer care for himself so my step-mom decided to clean out his home and put it on the market. She told me that she didn't want to mess with a garage sale and that she was going to drop everything off at Goodwill. So....I said, "Does he have a scroll saw that you are getting rid of?" Well, ofcourse she didn't know what a scroll saw was but her husband said- Yes there was one! So I asked how much they wanted for it and she said it was FREE.
Yep, just the right price for my budget!
They dropped it off the other day.

I put it inside my front porch...I don't really want to work in the drab basement, but I don't think it would be a good idea to run it in my room. Maybe I'll take it to the backyard and set it up on the picnic table and work out there!
And what am I going to create?
I have no idea.
But - I got me a saw and that's a start.

Painting for MOCA on EBAY

Every year at this time, my niece asks for donations for the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance in memory of her mom, my aunt Diana.
This will be my third year where I have created something and then list it on Ebay and donate 100% of the proceeds to MOCA.
The first year I did a painting, last year was a painted black fabric cat holding a butterfly and this year is a painting again.
Here is the listing info: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teal-Blue-Butterfly-Ovarian-Cancer-Painting-/320747895575?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item4aae107b17

Ovarian Cancer is a cancer that goes undetected most often until it is in the later stages.
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER

�Bloating

�Pelvic or abdominal pain

�Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

�Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

TAKE ACTION if any symptoms occur almost daily for more than a few weeks. Experts suggest a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a transvaginal ultrasound, and a CA125 blood test.

If ovarian cancer is suspected, consult a gynecologic oncologist.

For more information contact 612-822-0500 Or visit www.OVARYACT.com

my NEWEST favorite commercial !

Rosie is WALKING ! ! !

Yesterday Rosie stood up by herself and ate her canned food without me holding it to her mouth. She still had trouble drinking water. It seemed like her tongue won't work like she wanted.
That morning I had found her bedding covered in blood. I had tried not to be worried but I was. When I got to work they said it was "stress colitis", that's something which sometimes happens to my boarding dogs when they get really anxious....and they said considering all that she had been through, we weren't surprised. So we've changed her food to something for sensitive stomach.

But she was standing. Kinda swaying but she was UP. Doc gave her another adjustment yesterday and thought she was doing really well. She still wasn't walking last night but she was standing outside of her kennel and then she suddenly "hurled" herself in a kind of wild run into the kennel.

I was typing an email to one of my friends about Rosie as she was standing in her kennel barking. (I had the door to it open) and she's done this before, for no reason. So I continued typing. I had this big towel in front of the kennel so that if she were to try to venture out, she wouldn't slip on the floor and as I'm typing I heard the door "rattle" and I stand up and look over my desk and she's scurried out and was PEEING on the towel. I was SO HAPPY!

This morning I took her to work and made a bed for her on the floor behind my desk. I walked into the laundry area and left the door open and I turned around and there she was! Teetering a bit but she had made it on her own. I walked back to my office area and she wobbled after me. So I hurried up front and made my co-workers come back and see her. Everyone was SO excited.
She also started drinking water by herself and had finally pulled her tongue back in her mouth (though sometimes it still slips out because she is minus a few teeth).

Later in the day I took her outside in the enclosed grassy play area and she followed me all around it.
The only problem was that while she was in my office area, she started to bark (yip) very loudly when I would leave the room. Finally I set her up a kennel in the boarding area where the other little dogs stay. After a few protest barks, she settled down for a nap. I think she might be a little spoiled now! LOL! Oh well!

One of the Veterinarians thinks that she must have gotten hit on the head first because she said that her symptoms are all in line with a brain injury. They said that the injection for reducing the swelling helped her to recover so quickly. (I think that all the positive thoughts and prayers helped too!)
Now the only thing to worry about is when the drug wears off, which takes between 7 to 10 days.
But I am very optimistic and so happy that she's come this far so fast.....Thanks again everyone for all your support!

Update on Rosie

Sorry that I haven't been by everyone's blogs and left comments. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done. But I wanted to post a quick update.
Jimmy is doing much better after his adjustment. His back was really out and after talking with Doc, it most likely is from Ralphie jumping and pouncing on him all the time. He is on a pain mediation for his sore back and an inflammatory.
and Rosie.....
At first neither she nor I were getting any sleep. She would whine or yip every time I was about to fall asleep. I suppose I could have left her in her kennel downstairs but she was really crying then, so I had to make a bed for her on top of mine. She had not improved at all by morning so I took her to work on Monday. They immediately did xrays on her chest and spine. They gave her fluids and pain injections and something for swelling. Then they wanted to do xrays on her head and neck. We were starting to think that maybe the pole had actually come down on either her head or neck and knocked her over and ended up with the pole on her chest. Doc gave her a chiro adjustment and said that she needed to rest. The other Veterinarian wasn't as optimistic. She and my friend the Head Tech wanted me to prepare myself. They said that if she didn't have a dramatic improvement after 48 hrs more had passed, that I would have to think about what I would need to do. So I had the two doctors at polar opposite ends. I decided to just "believe" she would get better. Last night I sat with her and though she was twisted and her neck still turned to the side with her tongue hanging out, I worked at trying to get her to stand up. There was a brief moment, seconds really where she stayed up.
Then this morning while getting ready for work I saw her in her kennel trying to raise up on her front legs as she was "pooping".  I took her out and washed her bottom and laid her on a towel about a foot away as I cleaned her kennel. I walked into the other room to discard everything and when I came back, she was in her kennel!
I don't know how she did it. but she was in there.
I took her with me to work again and they hooking her up to fluids and gave her the medications. Doc decided that she needed a laser treatment on her neck, so that was done too. Later, I fed her some canned food and she took HUGE bites and gobbled it quickly. Her head isn't as tilted as it was but her tongue is still hanging out. She's not walking but she's sitting up and standing for a few minutes. The other Vet thinks it's a miracle that she's come this far so fast.
I am hoping for the day when she runs like a little horse around the house again and dances circles on my bed at bedtime in happiness.
Thank you for all your kind words and prayers!
XOXO - Cindi

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