Monthly Archives: November 2010
What’s on your bucket list?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
One of the cable channels is running the 2007 movie The Bucket List this week. If you haven’t seen it yet, do watch it, it’s destined to be a classic. How can it not with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in the starring roles? Critics gave the movie a thumbs down but most of us common folk enjoyed it.
Two dying men, one filthy rich and the other a blue-collar worker, walk out of the hospital to fulfill the lists of things they want to do before they die, their bucket lists.
I don’t have many things on my list. I want to travel overseas. Some of the places I want to see are Ireland, Great Britain, Italy, Greece, and the country of my birth, Japan. I never had the chance to see where I was born. The US military transferred my family back to the US when I was a mere six weeks of age.
I want to travel across the US by train with DH so I can show him many of the sights I saw growing up. I’d love to meet my internet friends who are scattered across the country and overseas.
Now it’s your turn. What’s on your bucket list?
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I should have duck feathers
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had a lot of rain today and Gavin and Patty, for some perverted reason, wanted to go out every five minutes. I soaked all my shoes and waterlogged every jacket I own. Dripping jackets hung from every kitchen chair back and coat hook by nightfall. Our weather forecasters have proclaimed that this winter we will have more rain than snow.
That is when it hit me; I don’t own anything that’s even remotely waterproof. DH has three waterproof jackets. I could borrow one of his jackets without him complaining. Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be better if I had my own? You bet.
I hate to shop. However, it looks as though I’ll have to start hunting for the perfect waterproof jacket. While I’m at it might be a good idea to find some rain boots too.
Posted in Weather related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
No NaNoWriMo for me
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s a rainy day, the perfect time to sit down and write, or so you would think. Nope. If it isn’t one thing it’s another keeping me away from my books. Heaven’s, I’m glad I didn’t enter the NaNoWriMo I’d never make it close to the word count.
I think about entering every year. However, thinking isn’t doing. Maybe one of these years I’ll do it. I don’t think it will happen until things around here begin to go smoothly for a change and what a great change that would be.
The MIL is out of the nursing home and back in the hospital—has been for several days. Her elderly dog died the other day and we aren’t planning to tell her that any time soon since she’s non compos mentis now. All that would do is confuse her more.
DH is over tired and over stressed, meanwhile, I’m doing my best to keep his spirits up, and giving him a chance to rest and relax when he’s home. Even the pups are being good, miracle of miracles.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Healthcare, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Novel, Novel writing, Nursing home, Word count, Writer, Writing
I could happily live with her electric bill
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I just wrote out a check for my MIL’s electric bill. I wish I had her bill. Mine is sixteen times more than hers is. Sixteen times more! Holy crap. I’ve never seen an electric bill as small as her is. When I opened the bill and read the amount due, my jaw about hit the table.
To have a bill the size of hers I’d have to jettison every electrical appliance, never turn on a light, and forget the computer and TV existed. We did install the energy saving light bulbs in every light of her house but still, sixteen times less than our bill? Those light bulbs didn’t save us that much when we switched ours over.
She mustn’t have turned on any lights at night. Did she turn off her TV at five in the afternoon? I know she stopped cooking anything since we began supplying all her meals. I know she did her laundry once a week. Although with the teensy stackable washer and dryer, the draw on the electricity wasn’t nearly as much as our full sized ones.
Excuse me while I pick up my jaw.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Energy conservation, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I love my tabis
Posted by doggonedmysteries
On the ninth, I ordered more tabis from Sock Dreams. I can’t believe that they arrived from Oregon on the twelfth and that they came via the USPS. Heck, it takes three to four days for a letter to go across town here.
I was so impressed by how fast my first order arrived I had no qualms about ordering from them again. My only problem was there were quite a few colors they were out of stock on. Well, it wasn’t exactly a problem, since it kept me from spending more.
I never should’ve looked at all the other socks they offer. They are far too cute and very, very tempting. I held myself in check and only ordered the tabis but I sure did love the alligator and shark bite socks as well as the chat noirs and the widow makers.
I won’t order them…yet…maybe after the holidays…
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Not a fashionista, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
What recipe?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
A while back, I heard that turmeric was good for people with MS. DH loves a good curry so I learned to make my own curries. His favorite is my lamb curry. I followed a few recipes but, as I usually do with many things I cook, I began to throw the thing together more by ‘feel’ than measurements. Yes, I’m one of those cooks.
I think I learned the throw together method from my father and the way he made the most heavenly turkey soup every year from the left over Thanksgiving turkey. I have that soup down pat now although I make it with chicken because DH isn’t fond of turkey. The worst thing to do is ask me for ‘the recipe’ because I don’t really have one. I modify most recipes to suit our taste.
If you want a copy of one of my recipes, you have to come to my kitchen and watch me cook because I don’t have many of them written down. My white clam sauce recipe is in my head. I learned it from a local Italian restaurant owner/chef after I complimented him on how delicious his was. Before I knew it, he whisked me to his kitchen to teach me how to make it.
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Cooking, Craft of writing, Curry, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Recipe, Writer, Writing
Too many Cannas?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Is there such a thing as too many cannas? I managed to dig out and bring in the cannas and black elephant ears yesterday. It’s a good thing I did since we hit freezing temperatures during the night. The day was a mild mid-fifty degrees.
I was amazed at the size and number of cannas when I dug them out. While I was working on the last bunch in the yard, S walked by with her basset hound Cosby, and I offered to give her some. I have more than enough for the garden next year. I gave her a plastic grocery bag full.
It took me three trips to the basement to get all the elephant ears and cannas down there. I store them in a dark, cool, and moist area.
I did set some of both plants aside for AJ. I’ll give them to her when she comes to take care of the leaves. She’ll also get some lily pads and the lizard tail for her pond.
My van had its second flat tire for the week—same tire. I won’t ask ‘what next?’ because when I do there’s always something that will raise its ugly head.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Canna (plant), Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Garden, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Life is a laundry list of clichés
Posted by doggonedmysteries
A dear friend told me, “The writing will wait.” Yes, it will but I do wish it didn’t have to. However, now I am overwhelmed.
The expression ‘time and tide wait for no man’ (or in my case, woman) comes to mind this week. Hospital runs for his mother, doctor appointments for him, and a run to the vet for allergy meds for Gavin one day this week. I feel as though I’ll never catch my breath.
I look out in the yard and almost feel like crying over the amount of work that needs doing before winter hits us. I am doing none of it this week. The leaves are getting deeper.
As of last night, we hired AJ to get rid of the ton o leaves. (She’s the peach who cleans our walks in the winter.) After that, maybe I can get to the pond to clean it and the filters and then to the garden plants that need digging up and taking in for the winter.
I thought I was going to be able to keep up with things this year as I did last year but luck has never been one of our strong suits.
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Garden, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Home and Garden, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Pond, Water garden, Writer, Writing
His mother may be leaving us soon
Posted by doggonedmysteries
DH’s mother is not doing well. She spent a few days in the nursing home only to be sent to another hospital the other night. The nursing home didn’t call us to let us know but, thank goodness, the hospital did.
She didn’t know DH when he went to see her yesterday. However, she did eat a little bit of her lunch for him.
I ache seeing him hurting like this. All I can do for him is offer the same comfort he’s given me so often in the past.
It’s sad when our parents leave us. I’m so glad I told my mother I loved her whenever I spoke to her. I’m glad that although he couldn’t speak, I knew that my father knew me, his eyes lit up and he squeezed my hand when I said, “I love you, Pop.” I was the only one of his daughters that ever got away with calling him Pop.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: Care giving, Caregiver, Family, Healthcare, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis
A gift from Mom Nature
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Mother Nature bestowed an unusual sight upon us this evening. The sun was setting and I happened to look out my kitchen window. In the eastern sky there was a magnificent rainbow. There was no rain, the sky was clear.
I called DH to the window to see it. I phoned G and told her to go outside there was something in the east she had to see. She went out with phone in hand and I giggled to hear her gasp in wonder at the sight. The colors were vibrant in the early evening sky.
As the sun sank lower and the rainbow disappeared, dear old Mom wasn’t finished. She grabbed her paintbrushes and the brightest pinks, oranges, and reds she could find and painted us a breathtaking sunset.
Every so often, when there are more bad days than good, Mother Nature manages to make us smile. DH and I most certainly needed to smile today and we did.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, gifts, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Our dogs sleep in weird positions
Posted by doggonedmysteries
A loud thumping came from Gavin’s crate. I wondered what he was doing so I peeked. All I saw was a white butt and four white feet in the air. Can you say relaxed? He loves to sleep upside down in his crate. He’s done it since he was a puppy. I’d try to snap a picture but that never works. As soon as I get close to the crate, he springs to life and his feet.
In the meantime, Patty had sacked out on the couch with her head buried under a pillow. I have no idea how she can breathe like that but she often sleeps that way. Then there’s her butt on the pillow position, which cracks me up. Look on the Bullpen page and you’ll find a picture.
Our old female, Sadie used to sleep next to DH on his chair. She’d sleep so soundly that when DH went to bed and shifted her onto the entire seat cushion she never noticed.
Our old male, Malcolm was another one who regularly slept on his back with all four feet in the air. They look like bloated road kill when they do that in the middle of the floor.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Fashion faux pas I live by
Posted by doggonedmysteries
And other ramblings of an overstrained brain…
All the clocks and watches in this house are turned back an hour. The batteries on the smoke alarms are new again. Crap, this means winter isn’t far off. I don’t like snow, ice, and cold. I live with it because DH can’t stand a warmer climate and I hate southern summers.
Yes, I am weird and far from fashionable. I wear my flip-flops year round except in the snow when I change into winter boots to go outside. For that reason, the other day, I did get a start on some warmer clothing for winter. I bought some Tabis. You can’t imagine my delight when I found a place that sells them. I bought seven pair. If you don’t know what Tabis are, they are Japanese socks that have the big toe separated from the other toes. I wore them as a child. The ones I wore had tiny brass clips that fit into threads on the back of the Tabis to close them. The modern ones have no clips.
I have very happy feet now. There are no sock bunches in between the toes, and my feet are warm enough.
I love you and miss you terribly baby sister. Happy birthday, Mary.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Doggonedmysteries 