I Am Still Here!

I have taken pictures and I have about five half-written blog posts that I never posted. Life is really good and I have been busy. I am looking forward to some nasal surgery next month that will help me breathe much better (I can only breathe through one side of my nose) and hopefully, by some chance, stop the daily headaches. 

All in all, I can't complain about anything and who'd want to hear me complain anyway.  I am looking forward to the holidays and am thankful for everything I have in my life be it good or not so good.

Two Funerals and a Wedding

Exactly one year ago tomorrow, we said goodbye to my sweet, sweet mother-in-law.  She lived to just one month shy of her 94th birthday, and we know that she has been reunited with her sweetheart who passed 25 years before her.

On July 19 of this summer, we said goodbye to my brother-in-law after a very brief illness - it was way too soon for him to leave us  and his wife....

But on September 24 my family had a very good reason to be happy and to celebrate for our niece married the love of her life...

My new nephew-in-law is a carpenter by trade and had a novel way for the rings to be presented... What better transport than in a handcrafted tool box!

The wedding was such a fun time of family.....

Great food and sweets and dancing....

And while this past year has brought much sadness with the loss of loved ones, my family is still able to enjoy fully all of those times that are meant to be fun and joyous occasions.  

I even caught my recently widowed sister-in-law enjoying a moment of fun - displaying just a glimpse of her wicked sense of humor....

Blogging...

I don't know why I just can't do an update every day. There is no reason not to. I wake up breathing so that in itself is something noteworthy.  Pioneer Woman (whose blog I have faithfully followed almost since the beginning) lists the 10 key ingredients to a successful blog and one of them is to basically "water it" daily.

So, I am watering.....

Tonight I am thinking about my daughter who is now off to her freshman year of college.  This is what she looked like as we drove her down to deposit her at her new home for the next nine months....

All the photo editing in the world couldn't have erased the fear on her face that day....

We arrived and moved her into her temporary housing for the first four days while she participated in marching band camp.  This dormitory had air conditioning....

She didn't want us to leave so we hung around for quite a while.  I think she was really mildly traumatized  by the fact that this was really "it" and she would probably not see her home for a month.

I then casually mentioned that her brother, dad and I should probably get back on the road home and this is what I saw....

She wasn't quite ready for us to leave yet, but there really wasn't much for us to do either. So, we all strolled outside and looked around the "turf" outside her dorm. This was to be the gathering spot for the freshmen band members at 5 PM.  So, we waited and chatted, and she chewed her fingernails...

Finally, a few other girls walked over to the "turf".  We encouraged my daughter to go over and introduce herself.  She hesitated a moment and then finally agreed.  She walked over and joined in the circle and....

The moment her butt hit the ground, we were outta there!!

We aren't coldhearted parents. We just knew that we needed to use the opportunity to leave.  We returned four days later for the kids were all moving into their permanent dorms.

We are still going through a period of adjustment... many ups and downs.  I think the ups will begin to outnumber the downs for her soon.  I for one haven't shed many tears on her departure. I think I'm too excited about this next four-year adventure she will be living.  Also, knowing she's really only an hour away brings me great comfort.

Our Gift

Could very well be another birthday for our guy to look like this.... Here's hoping Freckles will be wearing his birthday hat come February 1, 2011.

He has pancreatitis but it seems that the combination of fluids, antibiotics, and anti-nausea medications have really turned my little guy around. We saw him tonight and there is life back in his eyes and I swear he was smiling.  The girls at the vet's office are smitten - he's quite the ladies man there.... They are enjoying his "song" - he had been completely quiet since he got sick. 

Our gift is some more time and if it's a week, a month, or a year I'll take it!!!

Twelve Years and Six Months.....

Can a person every have "too much" time with their dog. I doubt it..... Freckles was like Marley when we first got him at 7 1/2 weeks of age... I never thought I'd survive puppyhood with him. But I did.  Now 12 1/2 years later I look back on the first months (well maybe first year and a half) and I realize how quickly it flew by.  My neighbors would just laugh when I told them my woes.... and to this day they still laugh at me and recall all of my "Freckles stories". 

Now I sit here knowing he's hooked up to an IV with the possibility of making a decision soon. He's not suffering at all right now, he's just not feeling well. I'll get through it and will make the best decision for him (not me). In fact, the vet already knows my wishes.

I got lots of great photos of him, and for that I am thrilled! When I repaint my office, some of my "Freckles art" will be proudly displayed on my wall - especially this last photo....( I am so glad I got a good camera)

Twelve years and six months flew by................

Sock It To Me .......

At first this may appear to be an intricate knitting project I am currently undertaking.

However, truth be told it is a sock!

Two socks actually, two fairly dirty socks.

These socks have been sitting here since Sunday afternoon - when my college-bound daughter peeled them off of her sweaty feet following her participation in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament.  I wouldn't normally have a problem with her removing her wet socks. In fact, I think it's a good idea!

However, these socks have been sitting in this one spot since Sunday, and it is now Thursday.  And, the socks have been sitting outside one of the entrances to my home....

...the entrance we use all day long when we come and go from our house...

And the entrance that friends and neighbors use....

And I have had to repeatedly walk by them, day in and day out. I refuse to take them inside. You don't know how hard it was for me to just walk on by, but I did walk on by every single day.  I really couldn't figure out why they sat there so long and considering she's leaving for school this week, I didn't want to make a big stink about it (no pun intended), but I really found these socks to be annoying.

Is it just me? Am I making a big deal out of it? Could I just exercise a bit more tolerance?

I THINK NOT!

In Eight Days!!!!!

She leaves on 8/21 for college.  I have been so excited for her up until this moment, when I am starting to feel sadness creeping in.  I told her yesterday that she will be leaving for college as a kid (granted she just turned 19 but she really is still a kid) and she will be coming home an adult who is hopefully all set to pass her nursing boards and start taking care of people.  My little girl who I was told was not quite ready for kindergarten because she still couldn't master cutting with scissors is now going off to college.  I still have the packet the preschool gave me demonstrating her deficient scissor skills as they strongly encouraged me to to send her to another year of pre-K to give her another "year to grow" and "develop stronger fine motor coordination".

So, here I am now with lists of things to buy. She just came into my office and showed me the list of needed/recommended items the college sent and on it they have "stuffed animals". I think they know they are getting our "kids".

I have seen commercials where a daughter asks for the keys to the car and the dad sees the daughter as still a very young child.... There are days that in my mind's eye I see this......

But in reality, this is the little girl who is ready to set sail on this next adventure in her life.

We are in the midst of lots of dorm shopping. It's kind of fun, it really is.  I will miss having her living under our roof full-time but my friends tell me that I may feel differently when she returns home for summer break with all of her stuff, she will come home a slightly different person.  Life's all about adjustments.  I will adjust when she leaves and I will adjust when she returns.  Right now I am trying to savor all of the moments I can.... because she leaves in eight days.