AND MANY MORE, BIRTHDAYS

 Ain't that the truth?

I have become set in my ways

and do not want to try NEW things.

My diet has changed.

I sometimes FORGET important things.

My clothes do not fit like

they used to.

I'm not as agile as I once was...

but I can still 

'cut a rug.'

From time to time

I enjoy an

occasional libation.

"How about a toast

to my birthday?"

Binge watching TV is the

high point of my day...

Especially when the 

screen fades to black...

Birthday girls

love

being serenaded.

But...

I'm easily winded,

Too many damn candles

to blow out.

I am FOREVER 39...

And utterly speechless.

RESTLESS

I am going to do some

 armchair traveling

and take a little staycation.

To blog or not to blog...

 that is the question?

DECORATION DAY IS HERE

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

 set aside time to pause and remember

"The brave die never,

 though they sleep in dust:

Their courage nerves a thousand living men." 

"With the tears a Land hath shed. Their graves should ever be green."

TWO PEAS IN A POD AND A CACTUS

I love indoor plants. But they do not love me. They sense danger whenever I am around, because inevitably, I kill them. Sad but true. It’s not intentional, it just happens. But once upon a time it didn’t. Not sure when that changed, but it somehow did.  So... being without indoor plants in my house, became a fact of life, I have learned to live with... throughout the years. It makes me a little sorrowful, but... it does not stop me from looking at them, when I am, out and about. Every now and then, I get tempted to purchase one. A couple weeks ago,  I became enamored with a cactus I spotted in Lowe’s. I spied it on a shelf… hidden in the back, and pulled it out… to have a look. It was very unusual. It was called a Coral Cactus. Something about it spoke to me. It whispered sweet nothings in my ear and insisted I take it home. So I put it in my cart, intending to buy it. But when I got to the register, my heart would not let me. The thought of it dying… was more than I could bear, so I put it back on the shelf. But… before I left the store, I snapped a picture of it, blinking it into permanence. End of story, right? Out of sight, out of mind. Wrong. The following Wednesday, I was visiting my grandson. He had just had surgery to remove his tonsils. So, I thought I’d stop by and cheer him up. Little did I know... he’s a budding horticulturist. Guess what was sitting on the counter in my daughter’s kitchen? My cactus. The one I did not get for myself. Apparently, a couple days before his operation, my grandson went to Lowes with his parents. (that was the day after I had been there)  He saw this cactus. Took it down from the shelf and ogled it. He really, really liked it. He begged his parents to buy it for him. He is seven going on eight years old. They couldn’t figure out why he wanted a cactus. They told him he did not need it. But he was persistent. Said it was a ‘special plant’. He insisted he would take good care of it. So... they gave in, and bought it for him. Imagine that? The same cactus I loved. What are the odds? We’re two peas in a pod, that boy and I. I took out my camera… and showed my grandson, the picture I had taken of it, sitting on the shelf at Lowes... before it had come home with him. He stared at the photo, for a moment or two. “Aw grandma”, he said looking up at me. I smiled. He smiled back. He then left my side, and went over to look at his new plant, on the countertop... thinking deep thoughts, that only a child can. It tugged at my heart seeing him with the cactus. Some things are just meant to be, aren't they? 

GOT MYSELF A PICKLE, IT'S A DILLY

It won’t be long until FAIR time is upon us. That is the high point of life for most the people in these parts. Everybody vying for a ribbon for this or that… be it cow, pig, cake, photograph or quilt. When we were younger and mobility wasn’t an issue… my husband and I used to head out to the fairgrounds to see the exhibits and animals, then walk the midway… eating funnel cakes, cotton candy, corndogs on a stick and fried dill pickles. Until I moved here… I had NEVER, ever heard of fried pickles. Apparently, some guy in Arkansas popularized them back in the early 60’s. They are supposedly a staple in the south. The thought never crossed my mind to take a crisp delicious thing like a pickle… slice it, then smother the pieces in flour and bread crumbs and deep fry them. When I first saw this… I asked WHY anybody would ruin a nice kosher dill like that? Nobody had an answer. People here just swore they were delicious. Curiosity got the better of me and I finally had to bite. I wanted to see for myself what it tasted like? Frankly, I did not understand what everybody was raving about? First off, you have to let the fried pickle COOL off before chomping down on it, or you’ll burn your tongue. That takes forever. Honestly, it does. Secondly, the dipping sauce (ranch I’m told, is the best kind) is hard to carry around, if you’re roaming the fair. Eating this country delicacy sitting down, makes more sense. So now, one of the fast food places in town, serves them year round. But… some diehard fans of the FRIED PICKLE say the ones at the fairgrounds taste better. Truthfully to me, they all taste the same. Like a pickle covered with flour and bread crumbs, deep fried. I’m not impressed. But still… I have had my share of them throughout the years, in spite of that sentiment. Because junk food and fried food... tends to be irresistible, doesn’t it? Have you ever had a fried dill pickle? What do you think?

OUR KITTY IS BACK HOME

IT IS OVER...

DARA IS BACK HOME. 

The good news is the tumor appears to be benign. 

That is such a relief.

The bad news though is,

she now can not walk without falling down.

She wobbles and then collapses like she's had a stroke.

 This is frustrating her and us.

At times it also appears... 

she does not recognize her surroundings.

 Her sweet little face is covered with stitches.
We feel like monsters for doing this to her. 

The veterinarian's assistant told us 

she would be like this for a while, 

until the anesthesia wears off.

They used gas. Side effects are always bad.

If there is not noticeable improvement by tomorrow

we have to take her back in.

Otherwise we don't see the vet again

for fourteen days, at which point he'll remove her stitches.

THANK YOU ALL
FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
AND PRAYERS.

It means the world to us.

We appreciate it more than you can possibly know.

TODAY IS THE DAY

ASKING FOR PRAYERS 

FOR DARA

She has surgery today at 9 am

to remove the tumor from her face.

As I previously told you 

via another post...

we do not know if it is 

benign or malignant, pending further tests.

We are hoping 

we made the right decision

 for her to have this operation.

Sometimes leaving well enough alone

is the better option.

But she has been a member of our family

for 12 years and we felt we owed it to her

to do everything we can to prolong her life

if she is looking at the worst case scenario.

I will never FORGIVE myself if something 

goes wrong today and we lose her, 

in surgery or post-op .

I will keep you posted here

about her progress after it's over...

Dara should be back home 

from the veterinarian

by five o'clock tonight 

barring any complications.

OUR FAMILY

THANKS YOU

 FOR YOUR PRAYERS,IN ADVANCE.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY LADIES

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." "Call your mother. Tell her you love her. Remember, you're the only person who knows what her heart sounds like from the inside. "

TO 

MY MOM, MY DAUGHTER, 

MY SISTER-IN-LAW

AND ALL MY BLOG BUDDIES

THIS IS YOUR DAY. 

ENJOY!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

A TOILET, SOME KITTENS, A TALE OF LOVE

Twelve years ago… my hubby and I were in the market for a new toilet. Because our rear ends are larger, than the average joe's, we were looking for a style that would accommodate us. The bigger the better. Water saving toilets were all the rage back then. And as you know, they are smaller. We wanted something old fashioned, with an extended bowl. We managed to locate one about an hour north of us. To get there we would have to take back country roads. So off we headed to get our new commode. It was a beautiful day. A glorious drive in the country. Along the way we saw many things. One of them was a sign. It said FREE KITTENS. We are suckers for kitties.Those BIG heads (pardon the pun, since we were talking toilets) and wide eyes. Our own cats had perished several years earlier and we thought stopping for a 'kitty cat break' sounded like a nice distraction. We agreed in advance to not be tempted by this opportunity. We were just LOOKING, nothing more. So we pulled off the road. The scene was chaotic. Kids were running every which way, and so was a great big old dog. There were 3 teeny, tiny kittens nestled in a bed in the garage. One of them ignored us… as we entered the room. But the other two... were all over us. To say they were adorable would be an understatement. We immediately scooped them up in our hands, hugging and kissing them. They mewed and purred. Is there any sound more precious? We were smitten. When it came time to leave, my husband was the first to cave in to his heart's desire.. He said, “Let’s take one of these cuties home.” I told him I could not choose between the two… they were both too sweet. I figured we'd better just walk away, like we agreed to before we stopped. But he would not take NO for an answer. He got the bright idea, to take BOTH of them, instead of just one. He insisted we do this, and not look back with regrets. He knew I wouldn't be able to forget these two little fuzzballs and he also knew... I would always be wondering, what if. At first, I thought he had lost his mind. We were not prepared to do this. I had to wrap my head around the thought of two cats, not one. We had no kitty supplies at home or for that matter in the car. He said we’d be fine. I knew he was right. So I not so reluctantly, gave in... and we adopted them. It was a long, bumpy ride back home, with this pair of kittens in tow... scurrying, climbing and clawing everywhere in the car... with me frantically trying to gather them up, as my husband drove. We headed straight to the pet store and got a litter box in lieu of a new toilet. We named the kitty sisters, Mira and Dara. Dara was mischievous, definitely the troublemaker. And Mira was an old soul. They adapted well to their new surroundings, sleeping together under the coffee table, at first. Then in a couple days... they settled in permanently, on the foot of our bed. Here at our house… they have silently ruled the roost for over a decade, giving us unconditional love, every single day. They are inseparable. We can not imagine one without the other. We have taken for granted… that they will always be here with us. Unfortunately, I recently discovered a lump on Dara’s head. It may just be a cyst or it could be something worse like cancer. I am worried sick, heartbroken at what we might find out. She goes to the vet tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers. We are not ready to say goodbye. 

IMPORTANT UPDATE:We just got back from vet. It is definitely a tumor. Dara will have surgery on May 11th to remove it. We will find out then if it is benign or malignant. Could you please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your support. Thank you.