Texas Lady

I don’t know how I kept up with everything and still worked!  I sewed today (some embroidery, some serging) but the results were disappointing.  One of the blankets was hemmed and embroidered but the adhesive spray I use for hooping caused the cloth to darken.  I washed it twice (hot water, cold water, different additives) and it didn’t get any better.  So, now we have a pretty pink dog blanket that says It’s A Girl!  The design I put on one of the aprons came out weird on the colors.  It doesn’t look like the colors on the pattern I bought.  Bummer!  I can either rip it all out (don’t know if I have enough patience for that) or just throw it away/give it away.  Frustrating!  The good thing is that I learned a few things NOT to do next time, so it wasn’t a total loss.

I spent about 1 1/2 hours messing with the embroidery design software on my computer just trying to figure out the weird colors on that one design.  I ended up uninstalling one of my programs (about $500) and then reinstalling another program ($90) in addition to the other design program ($1200) that was already on my laptop.  I just decided that I have to learn this one software program once and for all and stop playing with so many different programs.  I’ve got to figure out why the colors don’t look the same after they’re downloaded.  I’ll do some research; otherwise, I’ll have to go in and recolor each design that’s screwed up.  It’s time-consuming but it’ll be another lesson learned.

The best thing that happened today was that my new utility table was delivered and my sweet husband helped me get it up and into the sewing room.  I moved some stuff around but still have some organizing to do.  We just bought a bunch of fabric to make blankets to donate and today while I was sewing the little dogs buried themselves in it so it’s all wadded up now and thrown in a basket.  I’m just too tired to deal with it tonight.  Here are two pictures I just took; the third photograph is what it looked like before.

I moved the sewing tables out from where they were originally so perhaps I’ll be able to see more while I’m in there sewing instead of being quarantined in the corner unable to see over it all to check on the dogs.  Too many times while I innocently stitched away the dogs were on the other side of the sewing center eating the fabric or thread in the baskets.  LOL  That gets expensive.

On top of the sewing issues, Dusty screamed again tonight and is lethargic again.  I called today for an appointment Wednesday and they’re supposed to call me back with the time.  Back to kid gloves with him again.  He doesn’t seem to feel bad though; he just wants to be held and I can do that……

Well, he’s feeling much better today.  How’s he look?  We sat on the patio this evening and started taking photographs of the dogs and I had none of Dusty so I was still taking pictures after Ronnie went to bed tonight.  Dusty was playing, biting my fingers, wrestling in my lap tonight….a huge improvement over how he was even 2 days ago.  He’s still on his prescribed medications and seems to be coming out of whatever it was that was bothering him.  I was going to take him back to the vet tomorrow but now plan on going Wednesday instead for his fasting x-rays.  He still has 3 days of meds left so that will get us through Wednesday.  So relieved that he’s feeling better!!!

Today we did errands and went out for Tex-Mex and drinks for lunch.  Ronnie and I were both feeling better physically and actually stayed up all day instead of sleeping half of it.  Tomorrow Ronnie goes back to work and I think he’s ready.  I’m ready, too, because it’s hard to get much done with him under foot.  LOL  I think a lot of couples feel that way at times.  I have a bunch of sewing to get done beginning tomorrow.  There’s a new baby at Ronnie’s job that we bought fabric for so I can make a blanket and embroider it.  Then I have multiple pieces of fleece to make blankets to donate.  I have about a week’s worth of mending to do, also, and I signed up for an online class that will teach me to fit pants so I have to have a pattern and fabric for that.  My new cutting table is supposed to be delivered tomorrow so that means I have to move all the furniture in the sewing room to make it all function properly, but it ought to make a lot of difference in how I process fabric prior to sewing.  I’ll take pictures when I get it all in.  You know, sewing makes me happy;  I don’t know why I don’t do more of it.  I sure have enough projects for which I’ve bought fabric/supplies.  I may be able to get 2 machines running at the same time again.  Depending on the design, I have had the embroidery machine running while I hem blankets on the serger.  It’s kind of stressful to do it that way but it does work if I plan well enough.  I also have 3 aprons to embroider; the designs are ready, just have to be stitched out then I can donate them as well.

I made some strudel-type dessert (except it was peach) since we ate a late lunch and no dinner.  It was good (thankfully since I hadn’t made it in years).  We put all the dogs in sweaters again today and posted the photos on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4375003386766&set=a.4375003306764.163425.1638528457&type=3&theater) . We found that a lot of their clothes are too small now; they all have grown and we have found homes for so many of the tiny dogs that we have a bunch of tiny clothes and none for the bigger sizes.  Mimi managed to come out of her brand-new sweater, lose it (we looked everywhere!), then the big dogs found it somewhere (we’re thinking the backyard), returned it but slightly worse for wear; that translates into it went into the trash can.  Then we spent another evening in front of the TV.  I’m so sick of the TV being on; one thing that I will not miss when Ronnie goes back to work is that the television will be at rest.  I’m ready for the peace and quiet.

As usual when I type a blog entry it is almost 2 A.M., so I’d better get ready for bed or I won’t be productive tomorrow.  Since my week is already planned ahead I’ve got to get going fairly early, so nighty-night.

I have the second load of laundry in the dryer; other than that I haven’t done a damned thing today.  I woke up at 8:30 when the dogs wanted out of the crates but was too exhausted to stay up and ended up sleeping the entire middle of the day.  We ended up with 6 dogs in bed with us as Ronnie eventually pooped out and joined me in a nap.  Only Maximus (in his crate) and Jolie (who chooses not to sleep with us) weren’t snuggled in our doggie pile.

My headaches seem to be going away now and I’m sure the napping helped.  I gave up caffeine yesterday and have been feeling the withdrawals.  Since I am addicted to Diet Coke I was consuming a lot of caffeine on a daily basis.  When I noticed my heart racing and not feeling too chipper I decided it was time to back off from the caffeine intake.  Did I stop drinking Diet Coke?  Hell, no!  I just switched to Caffeine Free Diet Coke!  LOL

Dusty seems to be feeling better today, has even played a bit for the first time in a week, but if you move him wrong he still screams in pain.   Definitely going back to the vet next week!  All other pups seem to be doing fantastic; even Jolie is at peace and doing well.  I think our pack is getting back to normal now that our little visitor has returned home.  They all enjoyed his presence but I don’t think they have the patience to handle a second puppy in their house.  Gino is puppy enough for one house.

Time to go check the dryer.  Have a nice evening, all!

Today was better on all counts.  Little Conway went home with his mommy and both of them were ecstatic….and our entire pack has settled down.  Everyone of them has slept most of the evening away, and Conway’s mom sent us a photo where he is sleeping in her lap.  He was exhausted from playing so hard for 4 days.

Dusty is better, not well, but he doesn’t seem to be in quite so much pain.  He is still lethargic but we seem to think that is partly because of the Centrine they have him on to relax his digestive system.  One of the side effects is lethargy and he’s so tiny that’s probably what’s causing it (we hope).  Luckily it keeps him still and he is more content to stay in a crate since he’s not very energetic.  Usually he will cry and cry to get out, but now he just buries himself in the blankets and sleeps, however we see his little shiny eyes peeking out from time to time.  Right now he’s asleep in my lap and seems comfortable.  The vet clinic called back today and said his blood tests were completely normal.  If he continues to have issues through the holiday weekend we’re to take him to the pet emergency clinic or call someone from our vet’s office.  Next week we are to take him back, fasting, for further diagnostic x-rays.

We did errands (groceries and to Petsmart to pick up another crate so Dusty could be isolated and safe) today and I spent a couple hours at the nail salon.  When we got home we emptied some mailing boxes and put things away.  Dusty had dumped his water bowl in Bandit’s crate (where he’d spent the afternoon) so I washed Bandit’s blankets and set up the new crate for Dusty.  Then all of us (2-legged and 4-legged) snuggled up on the couch and loveseat and vegged out in front of the TV.  Really not a bad day and sort of productive.

I’m not cooking for Thanksgiving; we’re going to spend the day together and go for lunch somewhere local.  I always cook at Xmas so I want to set the mood for retirement that I do not cook at Thanksgiving, then the family will know what to expect (sounds good to me!).  Ronnie was fine with the decision.  I figure that since I normally have had to work on this holiday that they are used to it this way, so why not just continue?  It gives me a break as well.  I need to make some phone calls tomorrow.  My family only communicates on Facebook nowadays.  LOL  We’ll have to touch base with them.

Time to go do Jolie’s nebulizer treatment; it’s getting late and almost time to go to bed.  Good night, all……..

The memorial service was held today for my mother-in-law.  I got to meet a lot of Ronnie’s family that I’d only know through pictures and stories.  Everyone was pleasant but tired and emotional; we all made it through and I’d like to think are all better for the experience (the meeting, not the death, of course).

As for myself, I’m still stressed but not because of the death in the family so much (I think I’ve dealt with that well so far).  Dusty (Chi) is still sick and we don’t know why.  Took him in to the vet yesterday.  They did x-rays, a complete exam and blood work.  Other than needing to have a good poo, nothing showed up so far.  He did the poo immediately after his doctor’s visit on the way to the car; the blood test results came in today and the doc will call us tomorrow with the results but the associate vet didn’t see a lot wrong (what does that mean?).  He still screams in pain if you jiggle him much while picking him up.  We’ve put him back in a temporary crate so he can be with us but away from the other dogs running over him or injuring him in any way while he is in so much pain.  He wants out of the crate, of course, but he is sick enough to stay in it with a minimum of complaint so far.  Our little boarder Chi mix goes home tomorrow so hopefully the pack will calm down (he’s not neutered and has been humping every dog in the house for 4 days—-and this boy has way more energy than dogs should be allowed.  He’s barely a year old so goes non-stop all day every day, but he’s well-behaved and lovable, and he minds well.)  When Conway goes home I hope to be able to allow Dusty back out on a basis limited by his health.  I get very upset when Dusty is ill since he’s my favorite and also the tiniest in the house.  It’s just the little ones are so fragile and when they get ill it’s always more extreme than with the big dogs.  I don’t know what I’d do without this little boy.  As it is I carry him around 24/7 in my arms.

I am tired (getting ready for bed—took a sleeping pill a few minutes ago).  I’ve spent too many hours in the car the past 2 days so my joints are screaming at me.  My feet hurt after so much standing in heels today (all the ladies complained about the same thing!).  And my stress level is far too high to be comfortable.  To help matters I just found out I missed my great-grandson’s birthday which was today.  Now I feel like an ass on top of everything else that’s been happening.  Hopefully when I get up tomorrow everything will seem rosier and Dusty will be his chipper self.  I’ve got to go get Damian something for his birthday.  Poor baby must think his Nana didn’t care enough to even remember.  Dammit!

My mother-in-law died yesterday at age 84, so, of course, the family is understandably stressed.  Everyone is trying to make all the arrangements work for everyone else and all the last minute details of her home and finances has to be cleaned up.  Thankfully their family is good about working together.  My family would already be fighting about something.  Rest in peace, Lena Pearl.

Dusty, all 5 pounds of him, is sick again.  I just messaged his veterinarian and will take him in tomorrow to get checked out.  He was in less than 2 weeks ago for the same thing (unexplained pain and screaming when we touch him).  We need to pin this down and figure out once and for all why this keeps happening to him.  My nerves can’t take much more of this.  I just want to cry when he’s hurting and I can’t help him.

I just tried to get him out of Jolie’s crate where he’d crawled and Jolie bit me (brought blood).  I guess because I was too close to her food, but she’s been really gripey lately.  She jumped Maximus last night and I thought they were going to be at each other’s throats.  Scared the crap out of me for a few seconds there.  So, Jolie is now confined to her crate for the rest of the night until she comes to her senses.  We are babysitting for another dog this weekend and she has been much more jumpy since we got him so I hope she calms down when he goes back home on Tuesday.  Everyone (2 and 4 footed) in this house seems to be on edge and hopefully things will calm down for all of us soon.

Me and shopping, that is.  Yesterday Ronnie was off work and I had errands to run, so I invited him along.  (Would you?)  So we delivered some stuff from the back of my car, went to Apple at Baybrook Mall to get Applecare on my phone, then did lunch at Bonefish Grill, a new restaurant that was on our list to try out.  The atmosphere was okay but the food was not what I expected.  The menu said French fries; they were shoe-strings that were worse than the ones that come in a can; neither of us ate them.  I asked for a glass of Merlot, told the waiter just house wine, I wasn’t picky.  What they brought tasted more like sewer water.  I did drink it but that one glass lasted me the entire meal.  Ronnie tasted it and deemed it too nasty to drink. (Why did I have to prove him wrong?  I could have had another instead but I had to tough it out—guess I am pickier than I thought)  The appetizer I selected was Lobster Bisque, which neither of us had tasted before….and neither of us finished.  We told the waiter that the lobster tasted extremely fishy—like it wasn’t fresh.  He assured us that they get seafood fresh every day…..but he didn’t say how long the other place they get it from keeps it before shipping it to them.  Then, when they brought the ticket it was $11 higher than our meal.  It was explained that it was their error (damned right it was their error) and they corrected it.

After leaving Bonefish we went shopping at Walmart.  $300 later we went home.  We each bought some jeans and t-shirts because both of us were lacking.  Today I will try on my pants (post-washing them) and go from there.  I have sewing to do today and a hair appointment.  Ronnie will go straight to the hospital when he gets off work tonight so I have the entire day to myself.  I’ll have to do my best to enjoy it.

After driving 70 miles and shopping at a multitude of stores, I’m exhausted!  Thankfully I made a pot of baby lima beans last night and a lemon cake for dessert, so I didn’t have to cook after I got home today.  Most of what I bought isn’t even for us, but it was stuff I had on my list for a while and it feels good to have it done.  Some will be happy for what I’ve bought today….and that was the point.

I probably have more lists now than when I was working.  It seems like I may be hitting my stride retirement-wise.  I have a list for phone calls, groceries, dog stuff, house stuff, To-Do’s, sewing, wines, places we want to go to eat, etc.  The more I get done the more goes on my lists.  This is how it worked all those years when I was still working, so this is normal for me.  And I feel good with it; I don’t “do” boredom.  In fact, Ronnie told me yesterday that he thought I’d enjoy my retirement if I just kept myself from being bored.  This man understands me on so many levels!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was a cooking day.  I made 2 cakes (one for us, one for Ronnie to take to work)  and a pot of beans with bacon.  Then I did laundry, cleaned/rearranged some of the kitchen and pantry and did a little extra personal hygiene stuff.  A friend texted me last night that I could come meet another friend’s baby (it’s complicated) this morning so I went to bed a little earlier and set the alarm (which I then turned off and slept through).  I got to go cuddle that sweet babe this morning so it was a pleasant start to my day.  The weather was gorgeous and we talked about shopping stuff before I left there, so when I left I thought it’d be a wonderful day to just go shop.  I didn’t have any hard and fast plans for the rest of the day, so why the hell not?  So both the past couple of days have been sheer joy!

Tomorrow my sweet housekeeper comes and then I’ll probably try to do some sewing and phone calls after she’s gone.  I also have some closets and drawers to clean out/go through which means Maximus and Bandit will have to be crated because they both like to eat clothing or any other cloth that smells differently than their crate blankets.  They’re both good with their own blankets but Max will chew up everyone else’s blanket and Bandit will eat whatever he can reach.  We don’t trust either of them anymore.  I was really surprised that when I was in the sewing room the other day Maximus didn’t come in once to steal cloth.  Usually I’ll find brand new cloth in the backyard with holes chewed in it.  Doesn’t pay to let him too close.  And he’ll eat scraps, too.  Ronnie has told me that when he goes to clean up the backyard after my all-day sewing bouts that the poo is much more colorful than on other days.  I found a $5 spool of wooly nylon thread out there (in the grass, not in the poo!) and I didn’t even know he had it.  I still don’t know how he got past me to get the thread without me knowing about it.  He’s 82 pounds of muscle and hot breath; you know he’s in the room…how could you miss him?  But he found it somehow and had eaten/chewed enough of it that I just picked it up and chunked it in the trashcan.  Thread’s not much good in tiny pieces.

It’s time to take my butt to bed before I get too wound up so I’ll wish you good night.

I had a good day today, more “normal” than the past few.  I went to Texas City and picked up my new orthodontic retainers, did some sewing until I ran out of a few things and couldn’t go further.  Then I went to Joann’s for supplies, talked to a girl about some sewing classes and got a lead, came home (again) and did a million loads of laundry, emptied the dishwasher and then vegged out in front of the TV until Ronnie got home from the hospital.  His mom is steadily going down hill; not expected to recover and just a matter of time left on this earth.  Sad.

I was only dog-bitten once today, only one new bloody hole in my arm, and caused from the smallest dog in the house.  Dusty (5 whole pounds) decided to bite a 20 pound dog, which decided to bite him back…in my lap.  Of course, I put my arm up between them to break up the fight, so when the 20 pounder bit back, guess what she bit…………yep, me.  Damnit!!!!!  That makes 16 bloody places on my left forearm.  Looks sick…..but normal…for us.  LOLLLLLLL