Busy!

I have been so busy getting some projects done and 2 of my dogs have health issues and so I been caring for them and trying to keep them happy while going though their health changes.

A fellow blogger Rachel Mankowitz wrote a book. I ordered on kindle but found it to hard to read outside on my phone. So I ordered the paperback copy to read outside . My dogs want to be outside all the time so when I am not working or playing with the dogs I plan on laying in the hammock and reading her book.

Another friend of mine Pete Braven wrote a children’s book. I ordered it because my dogs love to be read to. He has a 2nd book written and waiting on art work to be done.

I am finding it hard enough getting though this post let alone write a book. It has been so long since I blogged so much has changed and am trying to find my way around the new format of writing on here.

So Buddy has been with us for a year now. He really amazes me on how well he gets around and not being able to see. He went to his first veterinary appointment and got his shots. We were told he was six but vet says he is around 8 years old. I also had vet check his eyes in the hope he could get some vision but vet says no. On the up side Buddy gets to go in my large fenced in yard and wander and run to his delight. Buddy always was taken out on leash and not often as he should have been. He never got the chance to explore. He is loving his new found freedom. Yes he runs in the yard ! He has gotten really close with Midnight and Athena and they taught him zoomies! They look out for him . On a sad note Midnight started having really bad seizures . She is on 2 different seizure medications and she is just not the same happy go lucky Middy. She sleeps a lot.

Buddy has been sticking to Middy like glue since she had seizures.

2 different times I managed to get pic of Buddy snuggling Midnight.

Middy sleeps most of the time these days.

When you say outside Buddy is up & ready to go.

Samantha is doing surprisingly well. She was expected to lose her mobility about 7 months ago. She still chases the chipmunks and although she is not 100% she is enjoying life.

She loves her new bed and Hedgehog

On chipmunk watch.

Athena is doing well. She is healthy and strong.

Athena the blanket thief

Athena & Buddy chewing bark together.

Sasha the Bird is doing well. Sas mouth as usual.

Sasha the Bird

She was allowed there until she started shredding the plants.

I finally name the turtle. Her name is Daisey. I added a mirror to the side of the tank and she visits herself lol . In this picture she is napping. She always wedges herself in various positions to sleep. She loves those fake plants. she rearranges them all the time. Reminds me of when I would come home from school and my mother would have rooms rearranged. My Mom did that on a regular basis.

On a sad note my sisters dog Popi passed away today. He was 20 years old. He was the sweetest little guy ever.

New addition

First off this new WordPress set up for writing so far I do not like. I will hopefully get use to it . 2020 the year of get use to it ugggg!

We have another new addition to our family Buddy. He was headed for the shelter . My son came and had a talk with me about him and we decided to take him in. You see Buddy is Blind. He would have just been put on a kill list. So into our family he came. He has been with us since the end of a last winter. Buddy’s previous life was not that good so not only was he blind he he was scared of everything .So instead of writing this blog I have been spending my time helping Buddy to adapt to his new surroundings, adapting to living in 2 households, and most important showing him love, kindness and that he will not be hurt or hollered at and to feel safe and secure. That love ,kindness feeling safe and secure works so well .Buddy is starting to come out his shell. He has 2 new best friends Middy and Athena. For the first time in his life he can wander in our very large fenced in yard without a leash. He loves it . He even runs now. Buddy always ready to go outside.

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Buddy and Sasha enjoying outside.

News on Samantha is sad. I took her to the vet because she lost control of her Blatter and was wearing diapers. After all the tests and x-rays reviled she has Spinal Stenosis in laymen’s term she has narrowing of the spine. She has mobility now but she will be losing her mobility. She is on medication so she has her control of her Blatter . She is on a anti inflammatory and pain mediation.

She no loner goes upstairs anymore. I have made it very comfortable for her downstairs. She is not alone as Sasha the bird is down there with her and does that bird talk to Samantha. Sasha loves Samantha.

Samantha loves to chase the chipmunks. The chipmunks run under the log when they see her coming. It is so funny as she is digging at one end and chipmunk runs out the other and there’s Sam digging and looking.

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Where is that chipmunk?

I never moved these stumps out or smoothed the tiny hill down because the animals love that area. Birds, chipmunks , dogs. Buddy loves that area also. He is digging under the stump because he knows there are critters there. I caught him drinking from the bird bath.

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Middy and Buddy are close already. Middy knew somethin wasn’t right with Buddy as Buddy kept bumping into her. I think she has figured it out and she looks out for him. Her Gotcha Day was Oct 13. She is 11 yrs old now.

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Athena loves her comfort, her tire, and sunshine. She demolished that tire and I got her a bigger one. She has done a job on that one too. She also has Buddy chewing tires now.

Lastly my sister’s dog Tyeina passed away last month. She was 15 yrs old.

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It felt good to sit and do this. I never take the time to do things I like to do. today I took the time.

I know it’s been a long time.

Oh  How I miss writing. I have so many projects going on. I still don’t have everything the way I like and it has been a little over a year that I moved. I have gotten a lot done and have had some set backs with disasters happening. All in all I am making progress.

I have also been spending a lot of time with my BabyGirl and doing a lot of one on one with her as she has Cancer. She insists on staying next door at my son’s house because she loves him. When he is at work she is with me. She goes on walks because that is her favorite thing to do. Her most favorite right now is the corn field at the back of our yard. Oh she loves walking there and I have a hard time getting her to get out of the corn field when it is time to go in. I am hoping she will still be with us for warmer weather so I can take her on her most favorite creek hiking. She is doing well . She has quite the appetite. My son even cooked her a steak dinner. I think he has been cooking for 2 lol.

I don’t know how much time I have left with her but for now she is eating well, going to bathroom and even though she sleeps a lot she is still active. BabyGirl has shared 14 years of her life with me and I know I am going to have a hard time when she passes.

I have started my flower seeds indoors this year to get a early start on them being actual plants when last frost is out the way. I planted French Marigolds on March 19 and the sprouted and have 2 leaves by the 22. I am taken this as a good sign that flowers will be doing well.

Calibrachoa and  French Marigolds.

I also planted Gazinnias.

Buying the seeds a Heirloom company that I ordered off of sent me some purple Russian Tomato seeds. I planted them also. From what I hear they are delicious tomato’s. I was not going to do veggie garden this year but I am growing those tomato’s lol.

 

I will be planting Foxglove, African Daisy. Black Eyed Susan’s , More wild Iris , Poppy’s and Rose Moss. Then I have a perennial wild flower mix to add into the yard. My next project in the house is making a linen closet out of my small walk in closet on  ground floor. I also have a plan to make a spice rack for pantry. I have a lot of seasonings and herbs  so a wall rack in order.  I also want to read a fellow Blogger’s book she wrote. It is called Yeshiva Girl by Rachael Mankowitz .  Where can I find the time! Well this took up some time to do and I really have to get busy. I just decided to do what I wanted to do instead of what I have to . Good to do that once in a while.

All Moved!

I know it has been quite some time that I have wrote anything. I had been so busy as my son and I have been house hunting for a duplex house. We both came to the decision that we would be less stressed and happier being neighbors. My son works a lot and I never got to see him much. I understood his not coming to visit often as I knew how much he works. He also stressed about me being so isolated and what would happen if I had a issue like when I had pancreatitis a about the middle of January . I had had it for a while and was doing all my chores and out shoveling snow. It got so bad I had to call him to come take me to the hosiptal. Great timing on my part as he had just gotten out of work. They wanted to keep me. I was having none of that. So they said if I could keep the Ginger Ale down they gave me with no pain I could go home with the diet restriction Jello and  clear liquid diet. I went home and next day Brian showed up with all kinds of broth and Jello and  pedialyte and juices.  Had some testing done and my gallbladder not functioning . Have to have it out. I put it off for after the move. Was suppose to do in February but I had to much on my plate. I will be making a appointment soon as I am almost caught up on everything. Finally!

Middy ditched me to spend the night with my son Brian as it was his night off. He works 3rd shift so him and Middy were on his schedule and was outside as the sun was rising. He took this picture. 

I had a great view at the other place and I am just as happy with this view. My yard will need a lot of work but to spend some time outside and not freezing will be welcome.

I dug up and prepared all my bushes ,plants and bulbs for the move. Had some great weather in December and was perfect to do that job. My lilac bush was the last plant my Mom gave me and I didn’t want to leave it. I even brought my wild strawberry plants.

 

The dogs have all adjusted. Athena manage to escape from Brian and Brian was running all over trying to catch her. I had Samantha on her leash so I couldn’t help. I also knew after Athena got her run in she would come back. When she did Brian was still down the road looking for her. Escape artist that she is she got out that week on me too. At the old house. I wasn’t about to run all over to get her so I got in my car rolled down my window went out in the road and called out “Athena want to go for car ride?” She came a running and I open passenger door and she hopped in. Took her for a little ride and went home. Beats running around like a crazy person ! 

Athena looking so sweet and innocent knowing she is a escape artist.

Athena cuddle time with Brian

Girl knows how to get comfortable.

Snuggle time with Kong.

Raw bone yum,yum

Now my oldest elderbelle BabyGirl adjusted quick. She is a veteran at the moving. She goes up and down the stairs with ease and I was a little worried about that. We were on a single level home at the old place.  She sure has had a lot of spunk sense moving here. Even though we lived  9 years at the old place she still knew what was up and helped me get the others adjusted and into a routine. Middy I think had it the hardest as the old place was the only home she knew sense she came to live with me.. It was all very confusing to her. She has adjusted well and I think she likes her new surroundings.

Middy needed a little bit more time adjusting. It didn’t help that she had been dealing with her winter allergies and they were bad this year. She is on the mend.

 BabyGirl is a happy camper in her new digs.

Middy checking out her new yard.

 

BabyGirl enjoying new yard and a beautiful day.

Now we had some beautiful days and all were happy. A couple days later well ….

This is back door to garage where I let the girls out.

BabyGirl was not a happy camper . BabyGirl sun bathing one day and a couple days later working hard making paths in snow to go to bathroom.

Samantha takes everything well. She is just a happy dog.

Except when she thinks you want her Kong.

I made a breakthrough with Samantha here at the new house. Sense she came to live with me I could not get her in bath tub for a bath. I had to give her a bath outside with a hose.  Winter I had to wipe her down. I always kept trying and for some reason this move made her trust me more. She got into the bathtub here and had her first inside bath. She followed all my directions and felt so comfortable she laid down in the tub. No more hose baths for her!

Sasha didn’t miss a beat with the move. She like BabyGirl is a vetern at moving. I believe she really likes it here and added bonus is she see’s Brian more. She has a special bond with Brian. She is singing and dancing more.

Sasha going to make a mess for me with paper towel roll. I pack all her toys in a little box put in her play area and told her if she wanted her toys she would have to unpack herself. She did . She shredded that box and got all her toys out lol.

Sasha and her cat ball.

Sasha checking out front view.

We had a lot to adjust to but we are making our way and helping each other. I really don’t want to move again because it was hard!

 

Catching Up

It has been awhile since I have posted a blog with more than a few words and a couple pictures. Life tends to do that sometimes. It has been a really long and cold winter and even on Easter it was snowing here.I was invited to my sisters house for Easter Dinner but didn’t go. I was exhausted and I hate driving in bad weather. So I had a ham sandwich and gave all my animal children some extra special attention.

Easter Day Weather in my Area

Update : Sadly David passed away June 18th 2016.

My Ex  David whom I stayed friends with and but don’t live with for years now had a stroke a few years ago. He had some side effects from the stroke where his blood pressure goes to low and he falls down. He has fallen but never seriously hurt until January. He fell about 20 times in his apartment and had to be rushed to the hosiptal where I was told he had bleeding on the brain and broke his neck in 3 places. He had to be transferred to the city to a better equipped hosiptal. While there he was eating a meal and all the food went to his lungs instead of his stomach . He was found unresponsive and his heart stopped. They revived him but at the time they didn’t know about the food in his lungs and found out where the food went when they tried to hook him to a breathing machine that would breath for him. His brain has been without oxygen for a bit now and they called me because I am his health care proxy. They had to do surgery to remove the food but called me to get permission or let him pass away. I said do the surgery. I became overwhelmed, stressed out and anxiety kicked in from making this decision. I waited about 3 hours when the doctors called and said he made it threw surgery. Now we had to wait for him to be conscious  to tell what the damage or if there was damage from his brain going so long without oxygen. It was a hard 2 days wait to see if I had made the right decision. I was called by the ICU nurse to let me know he was awake and responsive and doing well. She told me she never seen anyone who went without oxygen that long and doing as well as David is. Even though I knew he was ok it took me a long time to recover from me making the decision I did. I could not shake the anxiety and stress. When I talked with David he said he did want to live and I made the right decision. He spent 2 months in that hosiptal and he has transferred to a nursing home by my house for rehab . He is on a feeding tube and has swallow  exercises so he can eat again. He has not eaten in 3 months. I was planing on going to visit him with my dog BabyGirl (nursing home allows pet visit as long as their shots are up to date) who originally was David’s dog but she  lived with me most of her life because David said I can take better care of her than he could. He loves her that much. So they always have lots of visits. Well they have not seen each other in 3 months and you could see it affected BabyGirl that she hasn’t seen her daddy. All was planned when I get a call that David is in ICU with pneumonia and is blood pressure dropped to a dangerous level. He was in ICU for 4 days. Yesterday BabyGirl and I were able to go and visit him. It did her a world of good to go see him and she was very well behaved while there. Here they are together after not seeing each other for 3 months. David also beat me in Gin Rummy so his brain is doing well.

 Staying in all winter I did a lot of bird watching.

The pictures are far from great. I remedied that . I ordered my camera today!

Sasha the Bird has been busy also you can check out her video’s here.

I can not forget Mary Jane the cat this is her latest mischief. I was filling her food storage container . I turn my back for one second and saw this. She has taking trough feeding to a new level hahaha

 BabyGirl and Midnight got their new fancy custom collars !

Today Is Midnight’s Birthday !

I don’t know Midnight’s actual birthday so I made Gotcha  day her Birthday. She is 5 years old. Happy Birthday Midnight and many more! We had a puppy party!

    

                                                          

                                               BabyGirl hoping she gets to have cake too.

Sasha Returns !

Sasha is a African Grey Parrot who resided in my son’s Verizon store in Philadelphia. When my son moved to Florida and me back to New York Sasha went to Florida with my son. Sasha Stay in Florida with my son’s friend and roommate in Florida when my son moved back to New York. I missed her a lot but the friend always kept us updated on how she was doing. Five years passed and my son’s friend called him to let him know that she could not care for Sasha anymore. My son Brian took a week vacation time, rented a car and headed to Florida to get Sasha. Before leaving he let me know what was going on and ask if I could care for Sasha. Of Course I will!

It has been a little over a week now and Sasha is doing great! Already copying what I say and has the dog commands perfect to where the dogs listen to her. BabyGirl remembers her from Philadelphia and Sasha remembers BabyGirl.

 Midnight however never met Sasha or a talking bird. Midnight was totally confused as to why the bird was telling her to sit and lay down. She was confused but she would sit or lay down it is so funny. (When Midnight cries because she is not getting her way Sasha cries just like her and she will stop.) Poor Midnight so confused. LOL

When I first let her out her cage because African Greys like to be out and about she went for my books, picture frames and curtains to rein her terror on them by tearing them up . I managed to stop her before any real damage happened and put a box out to put her focus elsewhere . It worked! I got pictures of Bird in a box !

 

Introducing Sasha

I also have been working outside getting all those jobs done before winter hits. I was cleaning out my shed when my neighbor Korie came over to mow my lawn . He had seen I was working on the shed and knew I would not be getting to the lawn because I have to pick and choose due to my limitations. He is a good kid. He is 21 but that is a kid to me. LOL  Now Midnight does not like laying on the grass so I take a chair cushion and put it in the shade for her. Normally when Korie goes by with the lawn mower the dogs will move. Korie was not close enough I guess and the grass flies out the mower and Midnight just laying there . She didn’t even get up afterword. She was not giving up that cushion! In defense of Korie he probably thought Midnight would move like usual. Midnight will not lay in the grass but will lay with grass on her go figure!

My friend in Georgia sent me a picture of a plant she planted but she can’t remember the name of it  so I am posting the picture in hopes someone can tell me what it is.

 

Well this was relaxing to do but now I must get up and go outdoors because the work won’t get done otherwise!

Wordless Wednesday

July 4th

We had quite a busy July 4th. We went into the city for my sisters annual 4th BBQ. Always a good get together. I don’t stay for the fireworks because BabyGirl gets to frighten by them so we head on out back to the country where we got to see a amazing Lighten Bug show in or back yard. BabyGirl and Midnight had such fun chasing them .

I got to see my brother whom I haven’t seen in 15 years. Midnight stuck to him like glue. He said she was going home with him and maybe would bring her back next year lol . No I don’t think so!

Of course BabyGirl and Midnight wore their 4th of July decoration.

 

 

Our weekend was so busy and when everything was over BabyGirl and Midnight were exhusted and they spent the whole day Sunday like this

They had a fun , exciting, safe July 4th!

My Dogs Still Manage to Be….

I try very hard to make sure that my girls get outside and exercise. They have a field for a yard and are off leashed trained       They go for walks down country roads     They also have their favorite pass time and that is creek hiking

What I discovered about my dogs are with all that exercise they are  Couch Potatoes !     Of course when out side their couch substitute is