I've been bad about this entry. Mostly because I have rediscovered the wonder of clear vision. Well, almost clear since I still have one eye to go. But to say the operation to remove the cataract from my left eye was a success is almost not a strong enough phrase.

The wait on the day of surgery was frustrating because I hadn't eaten and it was 11 am when I was told to show up at the Eye Surgery Center in Huntsville. It was over an hour before I was brought *inside* and *prepped*, which means I got my blood sugar taken (because I am diabetic and they didn't want it to be too low) and then talked to the anesthesiologist. He ordered the IV, which was then administered and that was the last I saw of him. It turns out I was one of 15 patients being done that day. The chair I was in is, apparantly, a surgical chair because I never left it until I was done. After the IV was flowing, the nurse made me nice and comfortable, gave me a couple warm blankets (it was cold in the pre-op room) and told me to try to rest. There were 8 patients in *my* room. I assume the others were in a different room. One-by-one, each was removed and never seen again. Wouldn't you know *I* was number 15?

About a half hour before I was finally going to be taken care of, my eye was filled with some kind of gel. It was checked about 15 minutes later and more gook given. When I finally was wheeled into the operative room, I was so very grateful, I wouldn't have cared if I wasn't ready (only joking!). More drops and the doctor just told me to look towards the light. I felt nothing and don't think I even blinked unless I was told to do so. At one point, he told me to look to my left and I did so. Then the nurse was putting a plastic shield over my eye and I knew it was done. It was totally painless and couldn't have taken more than 15 minutes or so. I was given post-operative instructions, including the fact that I was to wear the plastic shield until I got home and then reapply it each night at bedtime for a week. I have three different types of eyedrops, two of which I use for the first week as instructed and the third I will use for a total of four weeks.

On the drive home, my vision was a bit on the fuzzy side and I told the Beast that when he kept asking me if I could *see better*. I guess he thought it happened in an instant. Well, actually, I wasn't sure exactly when I would be able to tell. I did as instructed though and went to bed happier because it was so effortless and I had been worried about that fact.

But....the next morning....as I sat at the kitchen table, looking out the back door, I was suddenly struck by the fact that I could SEE! I mean, really and truly see clearly and it was amazing to me. The colors looked more vivid and the edges of things were crisp and clear. I almost cried when I realized it and how long it had been since I had seen well. Vision is an incredible thing and, when you start to lose it, you suddenly become afraid of losing it entirely because it's a scary idea. I'm grateful that my eye problems are now so easy to fix with the advances in the medical field. If anyone you know has cataracts, tell them to GO FOR THE SURGERY! There is nothing to fear, no pain, no discomfort even. Maybe a little frustration when you are forced to wait for hours and, oh yes, bring a snack along or head directly to McDonald's or someplace because you will be HUNGRY afterwards.

Tomorrow, actually later this morning, I go to the orthopedic doctor and find out if I can give up this darn brace on my wrist and start to do some normal things. It's difficult to do most things when you can't use your left hand I have discovered to my chagrin. It was the end of August when I broke the wrist so I know it's weak by this time. I will have to build up the strength in it slowly, I am sure. But, I do most things a lot slower these days.

The Beast and I have been taking rides to some of the different sites around here that have scenic overlooks and hiking paths (but we aren't hiking). We are watching the leaves turning colors which we haven't enjoyed in years due to living in Florida for so long. Its also an amazing thing to be able to see it and enjoy it the way I can now.

I've also been discussing with my youngest son what we will do for the Christmas Holiday. We will be spending two days of Thanksgiving up in North Carolina with the Beast's aunt and getting to spend time with some of the family we haven't seen for a while. It should be fun. We were going to take Baron with us but couldn't find a pet friendly motel closer than 35 miles and that was down a very wind-y and up and down mountain road so my niece, Tara, is going to keep him for the two days we will be gone. Bless her heart. She had originally planned on driving down to Tallahassee to spend Thanksgiving with her brother and his family (and her dad and his) but decided that it would be too darn stressful with all the stress she's been under for the past few months. So she's staying home and making dinner for her own family and a few friends. Otherwise, we would have to MAKE that darn ride to the pet friendly motel and the Beast HATES it with a passion.

My son and I discussed several options for the Christmas Holidays and I still have to talk with my daughter-in-law about a few things but I feel like I will at least be able to plan on what gifts to get and meals to plan. I know it will be here sooner than I think even with planning ahead. At least I should have both hands I can use. And both eyes. The right eye will be done on November 8th. Thank you if you said a prayer for me. I truly do appreciate it and it helped.

Well, time to go back to bed and try to get a couple more hours of sleep before I have to get up, shower and go to the doctors office. It's 40 degrees out here and it's not even the coldest part of the night. Frost warnings were issued earlier and I forgot to bring in my potted flowers on the deck, darn it. Oh well. C'est la vie!

Have a great day and give your loved ones an extra hug. Be sure to tell them you love them as often as you can.

Love you all.

First of all, you should know about the squeaky toy I bought for Baron a couple months ago. It became his favorite. Sometime after Patches came to live with us, it got badly chewed up and the squeak was gone. He stopped playing with it even to chew on.

He's been losing his baby teeth this past month and he's scared the heck out of us a time or two. He had a knuckle bone he was chewing on but, I swear, he was knocking out some of those baby teeth and his gums would look like they were bleeding badly. On closer examination, we discovered it wasn't but I had to clean up bloody slobber off our rug and tile.

The Beast finally took Baron to Petsmart and selected a couple squeaky toys from their variety offered and let Baron *choose* the one that interested him the most. He also bought some veggie dog biscuits and a couple chewable rawhide things that resemble a horses hoof and some other monstrosity. He's got stuff to chew for a while that I hope lasts until he loses the last of his puppy teeth. He had started to hide and chew both the Beast's and my sneakers. I didn't let him get away with it but he kept trying. He didn't even attempt any such thing while he had his squeaky toy before so I am keeping my fingers crossed I know he will eventually grow out of this chewing thing but I don't want to have to replace perfectly good sneakers because I wasn't paying attention one day.

My first cataract surgery is tomorrow. The hospital called yesterday to tell me that I was to come in a half hour earlier than originally scheduled due to a patient having to reschedule. They try not to have any *dead* time in-between surgeries I guess. It's a 40 mile trip one way for us but I don't mind. This surgeon came highly recommended and I find I am not nervous at all. BUT.....these drops that I have to put in my eyes in preparation DO make me nuts. I have one I have to use four times a day, another twice a day and now I have an antibiotic eye drop that I have to add to the queue. Keeping those straight isn't a problem since I wrote it right on their boxes. NOW I find out that this will continue for another five days AFTER the surgery. *sigh* A few days rest and then I will have to start the routine all over again for my left eye.

The southern California wildfires had my siblings and I worried because we have a much loved aunt and uncle that live in it's path in the San Diego area. I finally got ahold of my aunt (we call her AJ for Aunt Janet) and got all the details. They have not been officially evacuated in her neighborhood as of the conversation we had yesterday but the air quality was so bad that they actually took their travel trailer (5th wheel type) and parked it in the Walmart shopping center parking lot. That's where they were spending their nights. Their granddaughter has lived with them since she was about 1.5 or 2 years old so she was with them too. Since her high school was the emergency shelter at first, there is no school. The Santa Ana winds finally drove one of the fires into the area where the high school is located and those people were moved to the Santee High School which is further south. AJ, my uncle and Vanessa had packed important papers, extra prescription refills and all their albums and photos into the trailer as a precaution. Everything else is replaceable they felt. They have been going back to the house to shower and eat and check messages that might have been left. They also took whatever additional personal items they could when they returned to the trailer because, unless the Santa Ana winds die down soon, their home is definitely at risk. They have lived in that house for about 50 years, raised their three kids in it and now their granddaughter so there is a lot of history there. My uncle just laughed and said it would be the first time they collected on insurance if the house does burn and it would be nice to have a new one again.

You really can't tell the house is that old because they have remodeled and kept things in really good shape. They own everything they have and make a good income because both of them have pensions besides their Social Security. It makes life a little more secure from that perspective. We did a lot of catching up since it had been almost a year since I last spoke to them on the phone. I think it was around last Christmas when I called last. It seems AJ will have to have cataract surgery soon so she was interested in how things go for me. I promised I would let her know how everything went with my surgeries. I would keep it positive even if I had complications because I sure wouldn't discourage anyone to have their cataracts removed to improve their vision and quality of life.

Another interesting thing is that I saw my *old* doctor on Tuesday. I found out where he had moved accidentally and decided I wanted to stay with him rather than a 25 year old doctor barely out of med school. Experience shows. But....I discussed my pain problems with Dr. Holder and he had me try to touch my toes. He didn't want me to force myself, just do it naturally. From his observation, he felt I needed a muscle relaxer since my back muscles had probably started to atrophy from being ill and sedentary for such a long time. And I am happy to report that most of my pain has disappeared! I am STILL amazed that something so simple could have such a profound affect. I got a lot done today and actually had a great nights sleep last night. The first time in a long time. Although he also gave me pain pills so I would have them if needed, I haven't had to use any so far. I feel like I finally have my life back. Well, almost. I still need to get this brace off my wrist but I won't know about that until next week. At least I can take a bath or shower if I want and get that hand and wrist clean. Took me a while to get rid of the dead skin that a couple of weeks in a cast can cause. It was NOT a pretty sight.

Well, I have clothes to fold waiting for me and one more load to wash so I will leave you all for now. Depending on how quickly my vision responds after surgery (I was warned my vision could be blurred for 1-5 days), I will let everyone know my reaction to the surgery.

Have a wonderful evening and a great week. Live life to the fullest and be sure to tell the people you love that you DO. You just never know what lies ahead (like the wild fires). Niters all. Love ya.

I had a lot of little things to blog but it all fades into unimportance with the *loss* of Patches. If you haven't read this before (and I have no reason to think you would be a new reader but....will explain a bit anyway), Patches was a lost dog we took in about 5-6 weeks ago. He was an Australian cattle dog mix, we assumed but we might have been wrong on that and it will be explained in a bit.

He was a good dog after he got over being terribly scared. It took a lot of effort to coax him out from under our travel trailer. We had seen him a couple of times over a few days but thought he might just be a dog owned by someone locally or one of the newcomers to our little corner of the world. He was just what the doctor ordered for our doberman pup who really needed someone to chase and be chased by...a playmate,so-to-speak. Patches (our name for him since New Dog seemed kind of cold) was just a few months older, we think.

Now big dogs, even big puppies, eat a lot. If you go back through my blogs there is an entry on current dog foods on the market and the base ingredient that the majority of them are made from. After doing some research, we found a kibble that did NOT include this product and supplemented it with chicken or lamb (when cheap), rice and carrots. I saved the *broth* from cooking enough chicken for a week to use to wet down the kibble and add a little more taste.
I even cooked up chicken gizzards and livers to add more variety to their food (although I doubt they would have cared as long as they were fed)

The Nutro kibble is one you purchase at a pet store like Petsmart or Pet Supermarket and it's not cheap even when you buy the big bags. Rice is cheap, thankfully. Even carrots are not too bad because you don't have to add a whole lot with the *mix*. Chicken is relatively cheap if you only buy what is on sale but you usually end up buying the BIG bags of leg quarters or chicken tenders because that brings the price down more. Gizzards and livers are very inexpensive and the gizzards are a LOT easier to cut up when they've been simmered for an hour or so. Heck, I've even bought a big bag of wings and spent the time stripping the meat off after they are cooked. Don't want any bones to get mixed in, do we!

Patches actually seemed to calm Baron down and he started developing better manners. So we were very happy about that. The search for his owner dragged on (he had a rabies tag on his collar and we tried to track them down that way) with no results. We thought he might actually have been dropped off in our semi-rural area thinking a cattle dog would find a home here. We are surrounded by small farms with lots of cows (a pain in the butt in the summer, trust me).

The Beast started doing things that indicated we would keep Patches if no owners were found. I wasn't against it. Like I said, he and Baron got along like good companions and friends and we didn't have to worry about exercising Baron. We have a huge backyard that's fenced in so the dogs could be out there almost all day during good weather.
BUT....reality in the form of expense started setting in. Both dogs needed neutering. Both dogs would require shots and boosters. Baron, we knew since we bought him at 8 weeks old, had all his shots (well, he lacks one but he will get that next week). We were clueless on Patches, other than assumming he had his rabies shot already this year. Then there is the flea & tick stuff you have to put on them. Heartworm medication to prevent THAT problem, especially essential in the South. Those pills cost $10 a pop. It means we spend $20 a month just for two freaking pills. Advantix (flea & tick stuff) is also not cheap. *sigh*

The Beast had two strokes six years ago and he was forced to retire because he couldn't do the work he could BEFORE the strokes. We owned our own company but sold it to employees so we didn't have that concern unless they couldn't keep the business going. The Beast acted as consultant, mostly by phone but, later on as he regained some of his stamina, also on site. However, that was *gratis* so we were forced into SS Disability since the hubby was only 58 at the time.

Now, when you are forced into a limited, fixed income, unnecessary extra expenses are heavy burdens. We DID have a teenager that we had custody of at the time but we got nothing to supplement having her. She was our grandddaughter so why would we even expect such a thing? We had pretty much been raising her since she was about 3 years old so it was not a big deal to us. It just meant her mother couldn't interfere like she had been before that. Every time her mother had her for longer than a weekend, the kid came back to us with a bad attitude. It would take us weeks sometimes to get her back to the happy kid she was before then. She is no longer with us now and is, in fact, a mother herself (and a darn good one, to boot).

Now, we do have savings. And we have owned the last three homes we lived in so we don't have a mortgage. That all helps but.....we still have auto insurance, homeowners insurance and property taxes that have to fit into that fixed income if at all possible (so far, not possible because our home in Florida hasn't sold yet)

So, the Beast and I were sitting down, going over facts and figures and came to the conclusion that, although our hearts said one thing, our pocketbook said something different. Patches could NOT become OUR dog. But we didn't want to turn him into Animal Control because after about a week, they destroy any *strays*. He was too good a dog to have that happen. So I did a little research.

It turns out that the Greater Birmingham Humane Society does NOT destroy animals except for the ill or if they are aggressive dogs. They also have a lot of families in the area that *foster* dogs. I was amazed. They spay or neuter all animals turned in to them and give them an implant under their skin (like Home Again) that is registered when they are finally adopted. Since we had sheltered and fed Patches for more than a month, they considered US the owners of Patches (the Humane Society does NOT take strays but you can turn a dog in if you are unable to keep it any more for some reason). So, we made the trek from our home in Northeastern Alabama to Birmingham (just an hour and a half away).

Now here is what shocked me. I went inside to see how complicated it would be before the Beast brought in Patches. He was taking him for a final walk to say his goodbye. I also wanted to be doubly sure that he would not be put to sleep. Again they told me the reasons that he COULD be (none of which applied) so the Beast brought in Patches right about then. The woman behind the counter took one look at him and said, "Oh, he's an Australian cattle dog". I almost fell over because we had to do a little research on the web before we found THAT out. We also found out his coloring (which includes a light blue) is called Merl.

The paperwork got filled out and the woman said to me, "I'm going to foster him out because we have a family that's partial to cattle dogs." That made me feel good because she also added..."and they will train him while they are fostering." Patches DID need some basic training as we discovered but it was almost impossible to train two dogs for us since, even when the dogs were separated, they were totally distracted by either one of us being with the other one. They also wanted each others company all the time.

When they started to take Patches out of the front office to the back, I couldn't help it. I cried. But I pray each day that Patches finds a family to call his own that will love him and treat him well. He deserves it.

As for our little monster, with Patches gone, he realized he has our full attention now and he *lost* some of his good manners so we are back to some basics with him for a while. I call him a monster only because he reminds me of such a spoiled little kid with this reversal. What a stinker!!!!

Well, I've gotten that out finally so I am calling it a night now. I have more to tell but will have to do it tomorrow. My cataract surgery on right eye is on Thursday and two weeks later it will be done on left eye. I am so grateful to modern technology and medical advances because you no longer have to wait for cataracts to *ripen* (you actually went completely blind in the eye because the cataract had to completely cover the cornea). And it's outpatient surgery that takes 15 minutes to perform. I am SO looking forward to this. I've had some incredible problems with it with sunlight and flourescent lighting as well as headlights at night. It's impossible for me to drive at night.

Have a great night, a wonderful week and a happy life too. Let's get it all in. Love ya and be back here tomorrow, God willing/

The Beast and Baron left at 6 am for his brothers house in a Chicago suburb. I called him at 6pm and he was already there, eating tamales and an Italian beef sandwich, something we crave because it's the only place they seem to make it *right*. At least, the way we grew up with in the Chicago area. Crispy Italian bread, green peppers and perfectly seasoned beef with plenty of au jus to dip it in. Yum! Yum! He claims he will bring home some beef this time AND some of Chicago's great Italian bread. I hope he remembers. He IS getting up in years now

Baron has become quite the traveler. We gave him a bath here in the house the other day (he really smelled *doggy*) and it was the first time he actually saw himself in a mirror. He put his front paws up on the edge of the bathtub while I was rinsing him and saw himself. He barked like crazy and I started to laugh because I realized he had never seen a mirror before that. Something clued him in that it wasn't another dog because he stopped barking at himself and actually looked like he was admiring himself. It was so funny that I stopped pouring rinse water over him because I was watching his reaction and forgot what I was doing.

The next couple of days were nerve-wracking because the Beast didn't want to have him *smelly* while traveling or meeting his brother and sister-in-law for the first time so he didn't let him outside to play with Patches. That was something both dogs were unhappy about. One interesting thing happened though. The Beast decided that it was time for Baron to meet with Bozo ( what we call the lab next door). His owner was home (but not outside with her dog) but he was out of his fenced yard and roaming our FRONT yard.

The Beast put Baron on his leash and took him outside. Baron had his tail straight up in the air (not a good sign...means he's open to a fight because he wants dominance) so the Beast hit the tail down and Baron calmed down immediately and both dogs began smelling each other like normal dogs do. Patch was also outside. Being a bit older, the Beast did not have him leashed since he listens to the Beast's voice commands IMMEDIATELY. However, Bozo made a wrong move. He started attacking Baron in an instant. Patch hadn't wanted to have anything to do with Bozo...no smelling, nothing. But when Bozo attacked Baron, Patches attacked Bozo and, before the Beast could even break it off, Bozo went running away. Patches did NOT pursue him. He just was satisfied that he had defended his *pack*, I guess. But Bozo has been totally silent on the other side of the fence since the confrontation. I'm just happy that the barking has stopped between them.

Patch went *off his food* the other day and I figured it was because I added some cooked tilapia. I don't think he likes fish. Baron eats ANYTHING. I swear he would eat paint right now. That may change in a few more months but I worried about it when it happened because I wasn't looking forward to the possibility of another vet bill. But, we started giving him his kibble with just the added rice and cooked carrots and he liked that fine. When I added the white meat of chicken and some chicken broth, he liked it just fine. So, I figured that he just does NOT like fish...or maybe he just doesn't like tilapia ....LOL

I admit, I'm not crazy about it either so.....I can't blame him. I would really love to know how old Patches actually is because his teeth are formidable and look adult to ME but I am no expert. However, he acts like he's still got a lot of pup in him so its tough to tell. Without Baron around today, he was very calm and spent a great deal of the day just laying in the sun. I went out and played ball with him for a while (he's good about going to get it and bringing it back) and then started tossing his rope around, which he's less willing to bring back. He finally laid down so I came back inside. He was good about getting into the crate in the garage this evening. I brought him in because it's supposed to be in the 40's tonight and we don't want him to get too cold. He IS a double-coated dog but.....who knows what he's been exposed to as far as weather goes since we don't know his age. :sigh:

The Beast is gone...probably for a week. He brought our trailer up there (for moving furniture, not the travel trailer) so his brother can move some of the furniture from his present home to his newly purchased home in southern Illinois. He is also going to help him replace and repipe his sump pump and replace some of the decking out back of the old home to prepare it for the market. Not a good time to do that but his brother has about 18 months before he can retire so they are not in a hurry. If they get done with everything quick, the Beast will *surprise* me by coming home early. I am hoping he doesn't because I have some things I would like to get done without having to stop and help, admire or prepare anything because he's here. I have papers in my file cabinet that need to be trimmed down because some of them date back to the 80's and we no longer need them. I had to wait until I had my shredder here because some of the papers have SS#s or credit card numbers or just our bank numbers on them. I just feel more secure if they are shredded.

I spent the day making a list of items I want to pick up at Walmart tomorrow. Some are cooking things I need for stuff I want to prepare and freeze for us. I always make waaaaay too much but my niece, Tara, has been a godsend that way. She is always eating my leftovers. I actually made a triple recipe of creamy rice pudding today and called her to tell her to bring a container tomorrow to take some home with her for her and the kids. She just loved it when I made it last week and so did the Beast. I didn't realize how long it had been since I made it since I used to make it a lot when all four of my kids were home.

I will be making my nut cups to take along with us for Thanksgiving when we go to NC next month. With all the people that will be there, I will have to bring at least 100 of them or more. Tara has volunteered herself and her two boys to help (with the proviso that I will let her bring some to her brothers in Tallahassee where she is going for Thanksgiving). I, of course, agreed since the more hands, the faster it will go. I have two pans with 24 molds and two pans with 12 so it should go fast and easy *praying here*

I am also making some of my pumpkin bread, just because it's the time of year for it. I have all the ingredients so I will probably do that on Wednesday or Thursday so it's here when the Beast gets home. He loves it with cream cheese for breakfast. I haven't eaten it myself in years...at least not since I became a diabetic. However, this time I think I will use Splenda to make it so I can eat it too. It's an even trade so it makes it easy to exchange one for the other. I may even try making a pumpkin pie with it (Splenda has a brown sugar mix too) and see how that turns out.

Well, we are caught up now, I think so I am going to call it quits. I have been up since 5 and haven't had a granny nap so I am beat. Love you all and remember to tell those you love that you DO love them. You just never know.....

Have a great week. Keep your fingers crossed for me since my wrist will be x-rayed on Thursday and I just might get rid of this cast finally.

Love you all.

It was bound to happen. Baron kept pawing at his ears because he didn't like them being taped up, we thought and he finally managed to paw both taped ears completely off. The day after he did it, we noticed that the ear was very raw looking and was oozing a bit so off to the vets office we went after a frantic phone call.

The vet gave him a shot in the ear (it was slightly swollen, which we hadn't noticed because we were worried about the surface) and said it appears to be an actual allergy to the tape. It actually looked better just a few hours later, to our relief. The vet is going to retape the ears on Friday but with a special tape made for just this reason. I guess that its not uncommon to be allergic to adhesive for animals. I knew people were allergic because my mother was but never considered that animals might be.

The *boys*, as I call them, are still getting along well. At least until some lady dog comes between them but I intend to get both dogs neutered (if the owners of Patches aren't found) before that can happen. The Beast was reluctant to let Baron outside to play with Patches the day after the vets visit and Patches was missing him AND the presence of the Beast. He was haunting our back screen door, looking in anxiously and the Beast had an idea. He propped open the door just big enough for Patch to come in and, slowly but surely, he inched his way over to the Beast. He was conveniently sitting at the kitchen table with a treat in hand. Patch finally made his way completely in and put his head on the Beast's lap and gave out a sigh that almost made me laugh. It was like he was relieved to be near him. He didn't even notice the treat in the Beast's hand right away. He then decided he would take a look around and came as far as the rug. I called him (I was on the couch in the living room) and he finally walked very carefully over to me to be scratched and patted. Then Baron saw him and wanted to play.

Now both dogs are on the large size. Baron weighs 35 lbs at 4 months and Patches, at perhaps 6 months, probably weighs closer to 50 lbs (and it's pure muscle). They are too big to be horsing around our small house so the Beast shooed them out into the back yard and let them play as they normally do.

If you remember, I told you that Patches had resisted with all his might to being brought into the house. He resisted so hard that the Beast couldn't even *muscle* him inside. So this was a HUGE step in the life of Patches. We haven't had the chance since then to see if he will walk through the house (from front to back) yet but I'm sure we will in the next day or two.

A funny note: when the Beast was going to take Baron to the vets, they both went out into the garage and Baron couldn't wait to get into the car for the ride. As soon as the Beast opened the back door, in Baron jumped and settled down into the place he likes to ride (with his head on the console) and then he got antsy for the Beast to get in and go.

One of my cousin's wives called me to let me know that they are hoping to come up from Florida to visit us. She should be getting an insurance settlement soon from an accident she was involved in and they will be looking to relocate. My cousin, Jimmy, has been looking on the Internet about this area and is interested in taking a look around. It would be funny if another one of my family settled in this area. I have a feeling that Jimmy and Sue would like living here. He's very,very laid back and doesn't like the really cold winters of the North and also does not like the heat AND humidity of Florida either. Like I said, it would be funny.......

I'm starting to look forward to my eye surgery. If only because it will get rid of some of the light problems I am having more and more often. The flourescent energy saving lightbulbs my hubby has installed aggravate it so I end up having to lay down when it gets really bad (I can't discern colors and can't read either). After a half hour or so, the eyes *quiet down* and I can see better. It's an annoying problem.

It's supposed to get down into the 40's tonight with a light wind. The Beast is worried about Patches getting too cold so Patches is out in the garage with the crate door open, his bedding and favorite pillow inside. Patches isn't too keen on the garage door being shut and is laying on the floor by the steps down into the garage right now (I just checked on him). The temperature is only 66 right now but I have seen it drop drastically here in less than an hour. We have the screen door shut (of course) but did not close the regular door to the house so Patches can see inside. The Beast left a light on in the garage (the one on his work bench) because he doesn't want Patches to be afraid. I wonder who the light is really on for??? Somehow I doubt that he would be afraid since he's been sleeping in the outdoor dog house out back in our rural area (it's very,very dark around here at night).

Well, everyone but me is asleep here now but I am still feeling very much awake. I guess I will go see if Pogo is up now and play a game or two. I think someone broke Pogo tonight because they had to shut the site down completely. It happened very suddenly and only one or two games were still working. Then they finally shut those down so I came here to update. If it's not working, I will probably go through some sort of withdrawal and it won't be pretty, I promise you!

Oh, yes, one more thing. The Beast is going up to his brother's house in the Chicago area on Sunday. I thought the original plan was that he was going to bring up our trailer (so the brother can transport some of the furniture from his Chicago house to his new one in Southern Illinois) and to help him paint. Well, his wife's sons are painting the house so I knew he wasn't going to have to do that but it turns out he's also going to help his brother repair their deck AND put in a new sump pump and a few odds and ends repairs that are needed. His brother is NOT handy at all but the Beast has become very good at a lot of things over the years and with some of the fixer homes we owned. So I will probably have a whole week to enjoy all by my lonesome. I have several projects I plan on getting done, including going through my file cabinet and getting rid of some old, old stuff that doesn't need to be saved any more.

So, have a great week and weekend. Hope your weather is good and your life uneventful. Love you all.

i am having keyboard problems so bear with me on this. I really dont want to have to take this thing apart but I may be forced to do it *sigh*.

I went to the orthopedic surgeons office last week and got my wrist x-rayed. I gather things are going well because the big cast was removed and a smaller one was promised. However, one of the *pins* (insert NAILS here) had been kind of beaten down further into the wrist than it was supposed to be. The doctor calmly took out a pair of pliers and pulled it up into it's proper place. It was gross to watch and there was quite a bit of pressure but no pain when he did it. I then had more antibiotic ointment applied (and I swear to you it is just Neosporin) and then they quickly and efficiently started putting layers of guaze and a type of cotton batting over my hand and wrist and about halfway down the arm. I was pleased to see that because it meant I could bend my elbow finally.

When the doctor reached for the fiberglas packets in his cabinet, he asked me, "What color do you want? I have...." and he proceeded to recite all the colors available. I told him, "Oh surprise me. I'll take anything but camo..." So he grabbed a packet and unwrapped it and I was definitely shocked at his choice for a 61 year old woman. It was a shocking pink! I mean, it looks flourescent! I was sure it would glow in the dark. It didn't though because *blush* I DID check. There's a little kid inside all of us, I guess. I'm not supposed to return for another x-ray until the 19th. I still don't know if I will have to keep the cast on or if it will be replaced or perhaps, cross my fingers, will finally be off. I suppose only the xray will tell the story.

Meantime, the Beast is setting up more and more items that tell me that he is prepared for New Dog's owners not to be found. He's bought New Dog (whom we now call Patch or Patches) his own water and food bowl, his own sleeping pads for both the outside dog house and the kennel set up in our garage for colder weather. He did get BOTH dogs some incredible looking chew bones made from compressed pieces of something or other that must weigh about 2 lbs. each! The dogs loved them and keep stealing the other ones when they are distracted. It's a kind of game with them, I guess because there is no temper involved in it. I never knew a dog would actually chew on another one's bones or grab up a biscuit that they had had in their mouths if they dropped it. Incredible! But I guess they don't have the same inhibitions that humans do. I don't know why I was surprised since they mate in front of God and everyone, for crying out loud, but I really was surprised.

Meantime, I finally made and kept my eye appointment with an opthalmologist that was one of five recommended to me by one of the nurses I could talk to from my insurance carrier. A very nice, efficient doctor named Charles Woods. I actually made it into the examining room within 5 minutes of my appointment time and there were no long waits in between the various procedures I was subjected to as part of my routine examination. I was there because my optomitrist had told me to see one because I had a cataract in my left eye.

Imagine my surprise to find out that both eyes had cataracts but the left eye was the worst of the two. Well, DUH! I knew that for a fact since bright light would actually almost blind me. The first time it happened, it scared the shit out of me and I was grateful I was within two miles of home and on a familiar road. I got home without incident but it made me reluctant to drive anywhere on a sunny day. I DID, however, have a pair of very dark tinted sunglasses and that helped out tremendously. I also found out that flourescent lighting had the same effect on me. And, of course, the Beast has been, blowly but surely, replacing all our light bulbs with those new curly-cue flourescent ones in an effort to be more energy (insert CHEAPER) efficient. I will NOT let him put them into the lamp on my desk, however, or I wouldn't be able to have a light on when I am at my computer.

On days when I need lighting to accomplish some task or other, I find that I have problems discerning colors if I am under them for any length of time Makes it tough to play solitaire on Pogo when that happens. I also can't see the numbers either so it's an exercise in frustration.

So, I am set for cataract surgery on the left eye on the 25th of this month and then on the right eye on November 8th. I have to start putting two different kinds of drops in my eyes four days before the surgery (supplied to me by the opthalmologist, thankfully) and then I have a prescription for an antibiotic drop that I start the day before surgery. He gave me two kits that include a plastic shield that I will have to keep over the surgical eye when I go to bed (it included the tape to hold it in place) and there is even a pair of very sexy sunglasses! (NOT sexy at all, trust me). I have no idea what his surgical fees will be for this but I even got a nice, reuseable cotton bag to carry it all in. As if I would use it for advertising the doctor and telling the world that I had THIS doctor and inviting inquiries. It's big enough though that I WILL probably use it to hold the yarn on the crocheting project in progress when I am traveling in the car or truck any distance.

The surgery, I was told, is outpatient and takes about 15 minutes. Now if that isn't progress, I don't know what is! I actually saw this procedure (as it was then) about 25 years ago. I observed it when I was an assistant administrator at a medical center in Fort Lauderdale. It was fascinating then (to me) although I was shocked that the patient was awake during the procedure. That still follows to this day. I will be lightly sedated (they said) but awake. I have to warn them that I usually fall asleep when even lightly sedated so they are aware of the possibility.

Twenty-five years ago, they had to wait for the cataract to *ripen* or actually cover the whole iris before it could be removed or they were afraid it would return. Now, with all the medical advances, they have found that this is not true. Perhaps it's the fact that they have developed tools that ensure all of the cataract is removed (even SEEING all of it during surgery is amazing).

A girlfriend of mine took another friend of ours to have hers done last year and she said she was amazed at how quickly the surgery was done and how fast our mutual friend recovered. I have a very positive attitude about this so I am sure that makes a difference too. I am really looking forward to seeing things well again and not having lights and sunlight creating problems for my vision. If you think about it, say a little prayer for me that all goes well and smoothly.

The Beast is not going to have to go to his brother's house in Chicago to help him paint his house to get it ready to go on the market. His wife's sons are in the process of doing that as we speak (for a nice sum of money for them, of course) but they are already about half done. I'm really kind of glad because it makes it easier on both of them (meaning the Beast and his brother) who are both a bit long in the tooth, if you know what I mean. Leave it to the young ones

So now you are caught up on the major events in my life. Boring, I know but it's MY life and I am growing to enjoy it's simplicity. Have a great day and a wonderful week.

Love you all.

We found out (by looking closely) that New Dog's rabies tag was issued this year in Virginia of all places. So The Beast wanted to find out if the neighbor, who had told us she had left a message on the owners phone, had actually called Virginia or if she had gotten a local number. We didn't have to trek over to her house because she stopped by in her van with her kids after picking them up at school to tell us she had heard from the *owners*. It turns out that they told her she had to have copied down the number of the tag wrong because they didn't own a dog remotely like New Dog and had never even BEEN to the State of Alabama. So she figured she just might have copied it wrong since New Dog was so antsy when she was trying to copy the number. She stopped by to see if we still had the dog and get the correct number and try again.

The Beast was a bit relieved because he is developing a real fondness for New Dog and insisted we had to call him a name. I suggested Patches but he prefers Patch since he does have patches of various colors (including the blue....and I mean BLUE with a capitol B). I knew where this would ultimately lead once my niece, Tara, told us that she wasn't allowed to have a dog or cat on her lease. The Beast just had *that look* in his eyes, which he tried very hard (but not quickly enough) to hide.

Patches absolutely REFUSED, and I mean almost violently, to enter the house when the Beast wanted to take him out front on the leash to work with him on a couple commands he seems to be unfamiliar with at all. Like *stay* and even *sit*. We are trying to get him to not be excited when we bring out food to him because he tends to gulp it down and that is not good for any dog. Baron has mastered becoming calm and staying until he's told *ok*. This dog is at least a couple months older than Baron so we figured he should learn, too.

Patches is very good on a leash although we don't think he was too familiar with one before we introduced him to it the other day. But he would NOT come into the house at all so the Beast had to walk him to the gate out of the yard and out front. I kept thinking ....maybe it's a good thing......I don't think our house is big enough for two human beings and two rather large dogs to live in during the winter. Baron, as a doberman and without any undercoat, cannot be an outside dog so we're kind of stuck there. But Patches has a nice undercoat and is definitely an outdoor breed.

We did a little research on the web at the AKC site (Thanks Sis *D* for suggesting it). Guess I am suffering a bit from *oldtimers* since it didn't just jump to mind when we were trying to figure out what breed/mix of dog Patches might be. Turns out that one major part of him is Australian Cattle Dog. In fact, we found a picture of one that the face looks JUST like Patches. But there is something else in the mix because he is going to be larger than the typical cattle dog. However, with all the cattle located in and around our town, it would make sense that someone would have a dog like him. I'm still fascinated by all the blue in his coat. It almost look like he had blue paint spilled on him at one time and a lot of it just never came off. Weird to me since I have never seen a dog with actual blue on him before we bathed him. His coat looks wonderful now. Its amazing what some good doggie shampoo and water will do for the looks of an animal.

Anyway, the *look* the Beast had on his face was confirmed when he took out the larger, heavier crate we had bought in Chicago (it's sturdier but much heavier than the one we are using for Baron but that one was figured more for traveling with the dog). He shifted things around in the garage and put the crate/kennel/cage, whatever you want to call it, up. He then went out to *pick up a couple chew bones for the boys* and returned home with a special rug for the outside dog house and a new bed pad for the OTHER kennel. I said to him.....well, I guess I know what you are planning. He said, "well, if the people don't return the call or can't afford to have him returned, we can keep him in the garage this winter. He's got a double coat, would be out of the wind and I can keep the heat on around 50 or 60 degrees for him" I just gave him MY look. As much as I like Baron having a play companion, I would prefer that the companion lived with a friend, relative or neighbor and we could have *play dates* to help drain off some energy. I can see traveling with ONE dog but not with two and our travel trailer is even smaller than our house so.....well, you can see the problems I can visualize.

But, I am just going to wait and see what happens with the neighbors search for the owners. She doesn't want us to turn the dog into Animal Control but she also has three kids and no fenced yard. I'm not sure if the Beast told her he was considering keeping Patches if he isn't claimed but I have a hunch he might have. We shall see what happens and let the dice fall where they may. It will just mean some major adjustments (of which the Beast is clueless) on MY future travel plans, that's for sure.

Well, I just made up a batch of rice and got that put away. Now I have to cut up the chicken I boiled up, put it away and strain and store the juice from that to mix up with the kibble for the *boys*. I'll be using up the last of the old stuff for their dinner in a bit so I preferred to have everything ready for mixing tomorrow. I won't mix the chicken with the rice because it seems to make it smell funny after a few days even being kept refrigerated all the time. I can vary what I add also. I know they are just animals but, even wild dogs don't eat the same thing all the time. They eat what they can catch and kill. At least I'm not feeding them RAW meat !

Well, have a great day everyone. Hope your weather was as nice as ours (cool nights, temperate days and lots of sun for a change).

Love you all.

I got into the doctor's office this past week, had an x-ray taken of my wrist's progress and finally got a shorter cast. The doctor had to pull up one of the *pins* that had somehow gotten pounded down into the wrst further than it should have been. He actually used a pair of pliers! I felt pressure but no pain, thank goodness. There was the usual adding of some antiseptic gel and a fresh dressing then came the new cast.

The doctor asked me what color I wanted and I told him to surprise me. He had said they had white, yellow, a dark blue, red, green and pink. I think that was all the colors, anyway. He and the nurse quickly and efficiently put several layers of guaze and what seems to be cotton and then the fiberglas cast was put on. He sure surprised me with his choice of what appears to be a flourescent pink! I kid you not. I swear, it SHOULD glow in the dark (but it doesn't, I checked that out as soon as I could) Somewhere there still lurks the little kid in me.

My niece, Tara, took the Beast and me out to lunch the day of the new cast. She had wanted to take us to a nice place called Top of the River because she knows the manager and the bartender there. She just didn't realize that it doesn't open for lunch except on weekends. So we went to a restaurant near our home that we had seen but never visited before although Tara's mother and I once discussed going there just to check it out.

Now, I have never heard of Charlie's before. I don't know if its a chain like TGI Fridays, Appleby's, etc. If it is, you must stop in and try the food. If what we ate was an indication, they have great food. The prices are comparable to the chains so don't expect cheap. But the servings are generous (we took leftovers we just couldn't finish although we were starved when we got there) and the rolls they serve hot are different and delicfious. Tara wouldn't even let us leave the tip and we thanked her several times for the lunch. We couldn't remember the last time someone paid for our lunch. It's usually US so this was a real treat.

Baron still doesn't know what to make of the bright pink cast on my arm and is always sniffing at it for clues, I guess. I have more mobility with this new one and can ALMOST type normally. I say ALMOST because I still have to watch that the cast doesn't hit a key I don't want and I can't do it for long because the wrist begins to ache.

Enter a new saga of Baron. First of all, he IS beginning to master and even enjoy the treadmill a bit. We hope he will *take to it* before winter sets in here because neither the Beast nor I can walk him for long enough to drain some of his puppy energy. He has learned the run with the scooter as long as the Beast stays off the road and runs it on the grass. I guess he just doesn't like the feel of the road on his still slick paws.

As for the treadmill, it only took some chicken pieces and a few cheezits to get him to walk on it. It got to be kind of funny how he went from being afraid of it to being eager as soon as we put some treats on the agenda, too.

Now the saga of the new dog. Both the Beast and I had noticed a new dog kind of hanging around. He's rather unusual looking and, since bathing him, we think he's a mix of a blue heller and some kind of hunting dog. He's black, brown, white, some red and honest-to-god BLUE. I was floored when we bathed him to realize all that blue was natural. I've never, ever seen it before.

He's a young dog, less than a year old and looks to be around 40 or 50 lbs. I didn't pick him up to check it out but we know how much Baron weighs and he is heavier than Baron but not by too much. We had never seen him before either with someone or alone so we were kind of curious as to where he lived. The Beast found him underneath our travel trailer on our lot next door and tried to entice him out from underneath but he just gave a low growl. Then we found him under our car in the open garage and knew we had to get him out from under there so, with the use of a large broom, I pushed and the Beast tried coaxing him with a dish of kibble set between him and the dog. I finally managed to get the dog out from under the car and his growls were actually ones of fear. We wondered how he had been treated lately but knew he was both hungry and thirsty. He actually licked his bowl of water clean AFTER he finished it. I waited a while to refill it because I didn't want him to be sick from a lot of water on an empty stomach.

I had some cheezits that I was snacking on when the Beast first discovered the dog under the car and had carried them out with me (yeah, I can be dumb at times, too) but gave a couple to the Beast to try to coax the dog over so we could see the tag on his collar. The dog loved them and he knew I had some in my hand when I walked down the drive to our mailbox while the Beast worked on looking at the tag. The Beast started laughing so I turned and here comes the new dog, trotting down the driveway after me for some more Cheezits.

The Beast eventually brought the new dog into our back yard and introduced him to Baron. Baron immediately figured out he had a playmate and play they did. Of course, first the Beast discovered that New Dog was actually a nice dog, just scared, hungry and also wanting a place to call his own. We have no idea how long he's been gone from his home but the tag says he wasn't just dropped off by someone, we hope.

We have since found out that another neighbor on the other side of the circle had fed the dog (to keep him out of her garbage) and taken the tag number down. She then called the county and eventually tracked down the name of the owner. She told us she had called the people but hadn't yet received a call back. They weren't home, I guess, and she left her number. We told her we had the dog in our yard and would keep him here for a few days so she could direct the people to us to pick him up. The Beast left our phone number with her so we are hopeful we can reunite him with his family.

New Dog is a well-mannered dog. He's young enough to play with Baron (and that has been a blessing since they both get tired out). It's had an added advantage for us because, suddenly, Baron has become a much better dog. I kid you not. He's drained of some energy now so he's much calmer and, although he sometimes jumps up in excitement, he no longer does it with his full weight. Most of the time, he just jumps up in the air and then stays down when he realizes what he did. It's been amazing to us. New Dog has also been showing Baron what *catch* is all about. He actually gathered up all the balls in the yard into a pile when he started discovering them. The Beast decided to throw a ball to him and he just loved running after it and bringing it back so he could do it again. Baron finally started into the competition and a great time was had by all until both dogs finally flopped down to rest. I think I understand the *Power of the Pack* that Cesar is always talking about on his show now. The reason for Doggy Parks is also apparant because they learn from each other and quickly, too. I have to find out if we have a Doggy Park in this area, although I kind of doubt it since most dogs are working dogs, it seems.

So that's what our week has been like. Taking care of two dogs (thank goodness we have a huge bag of dog food)and I made up a lot of rice and chicken but it's not lasting long with two doggie mouths to feed. I hope we hear from the owners soon but I may ask my niece, Tara, if she would like a watch dog that won't scare the babies because he's not hyperactive and is well-mannered. We shall see. She will be here later this morning and she can see the dog for herself. At least now he's bathed and both feels and smells better than he did a couple days ago.

Time for me to get off here. The Beast is up now (he missed my absence from bed). Guess he got cold since its only 57 degrees out this morning. You all have a great day and a nice week. If our life gets a bit less exciting, I should be able to do more blogging now. I can TYPE !!!!

Love you all.