Blog Archives
Missed that photo op
Posted by doggonedmysteries
High jinks come on the heels of days of rain and chilly temperatures. Both dogs and owners are bored. Is there a better time to play games, then on a rainy day?
We played hide the cookies and do you remember this trick? Gavin and Patty will do almost anything for a cookie. I’d wind them up and put them through their paces. Gavin is faster at doing a down than Patty is. She’s not fond of that trick I think she has issues. Patty does a pretty stick ‘em up. Gavin hasn’t her balance but he beats her paws up on doing a down.
Patty sense of smell is sharper than Gavin’s but I think his vision is better than hers is. Gavin easily frustrates where Patty has patience. Patty gets wild and hucklebutts on the couch while Gavin dashes from kitchen to living room and back again.
Finally, tired out Gavin settled next to me in my chair and soon was snoring. Patty hopped into her Daddy’s chair, rolled upside down with paws in the air and soft snores soon came from that direction. Dang it the camera was in the kitchen and Gavin was asleep with his head on my shoulder. I wasn’t getting that picture.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
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, Photo I wished I'd taken, photo ops missed, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Should a klutz clean ceiling fans?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I need to clean the ceiling fans in the living room. They look like they have a fur coat. EW, yeah disgusting! To do a proper cleaning I have to climb the ladder, prop a bucket of soapy water on it, and scrub each blade. Then I have to wipe down the lights, and the rest of the fan.
That’s why I rarely clean them. They are on most of the time to keep the air circulating so it isn’t often that anyone notices they are dirty. When I notice, you can bet they’ve gone past dirty and into the realm of holy crap what is that?
I hate heights, I hate climbing ladders, and cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. However, even I am disgusted with how dirty those fans are. No one else is going to do it. Therefore, this klutz needs to climb the ladder and clean.
Now I ask you, should I wait until after the conference? Would it be tempting fate to climb a ladder this close to the date?
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, I hate cleaning, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Gardening as a blood sport
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I swear not one day out in the garden goes by where I don’t end up bleeding from something. Today I slashed the inside of my left arm (in the tender skin) with my little pruners. Queen Klutz strikes again. Last week I cut my fingers to ribbons pulling weeds with my old holey leather gloves on. I need new gloves. However, gloves wouldn’t have helped when I tried to amputate my arm today.
I’m still trying to figure out how I did that one. All I was doing was trying to cut down all the daffodil plants before the coming rain flattened them. They’d reached the stage where they’d flop over with the slightest provocation. I was blithely hacking away at them, tossing the trimmings into the wheelbarrow, when it happened. I stared at the laceration and wondered how I managed to do it. No clue.
On several occasions, I’ve managed to trip over a rake or shovel resulting in foot gashes or skinned knees but I’ve never slashed my arm before. DH had no sympathy for me, no; instead, he was hard pressed to keep from laughing. Is it any wonder that he won’t let me drive the mower?
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Before the conference…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Before I leave for what I call ‘my annual four-day working vacation’ I have to prepare the home front. DH is no longer capable of cooking meals other than heating things in the microwave. Therefore, I’ll be making and putting up frozen dinners for him.
The dogs are sometimes too much for DH to handle alone. I’ve arranged for friends to stop in and take them for walks so they are good and tired. That way they won’t be their normal handfuls. I’ll make certain that their food is in good supply and they have plenty of cookies.
Then I need to print out my works in progress so that, if I find time, I can work on them at the conference. I will do the writing on my Alphasmart and can transfer everything to my computer when I get home. However, I need to have the printouts to work from since the Alphasmart doesn’t hold the book files. Yes, this is where a laptop would be a very handy thing and would save my aching back from schlepping a lot of paper. I dream of having a nice one, one of these days…
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pennwriters, Pennwriters conference, Writer, Writers conference, Writing, Writing conferences
Pilling the dogs
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We should own stock in the OTC allergy medicine company. I take two a day, the vet has Gavin on three a day, and Patty is on two. Then there are days when the pollen count is high and even DH needs them.
Pilling a Bull Terrier isn’t easy when you have one like Gavin. You want to what? Open my mouth? I don’t think so. Our vet has collapsed in the giggles while trying to get a look inside Gavin’s mouth and he’s a big guy. Gavin will clamp his mouth shut and you can’t get in there with a crow bar. On the other hand, Patty is easy.
At least she’s easy if she hasn’t seen you give Gavin his pill. Gavin gets peanut butter on a spoon with his pill on top. He’d eat a building if you covered it in peanut butter. Patty sees him get peanut butter and she wants hers served the same way.
I don’t blame her I like peanut butter too but I like mine on crackers or in a sandwich with jelly. Have you ever tried a peanut butter and jalapeño jelly sandwich? It’s good. Yeah, I’m weird.
Posted in Dog related, Food, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
April 13th again RIP Mary
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Dearest Sister,
Although years have gone by, your passing feels like yesterday. It wrenches my heart.
At times, I still reach for the phone to share something exciting, joyous, sad, or what has angered me. Then I remember you aren’t there. I miss that sharing.
No one knows me as you knew me. We shared our deepest and darkest secrets. We didn’t judge. We accepted and loved each other warts and all.
We cried together. We laughed together. We shared joys and sorrows.
I will always miss the sound of your voice, your laughter, and your wonderful humor.
A part of me died with you and yet, a part of you stayed with me.
All my love…
Me
Posted in In memory of...
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was bad enough that I had to put a band-aid on the lower half of my left thumb to cover the open blister I got from all that raking. Then there’s the Goliath bullfrog bite on my right index finger. That also required a band-aid because the scratches run the length of my finger. They kept reopening and bleeding every time I bent it. Now, I have another band-aid on my left index finger where I cut that while opening the box in which my new vacuum arrived. I am the klutz queen.
Yes, my new vacuum arrived today. It purrs like a kitten and doesn’t require ear protection. Holy crap does it ever clean! It weighs less than a third of my old vacuum too. It came with a free steam-cleaning mop.
I could possibly go into spring-cleaning mode. My house might go from slovenly to sparkling at this rate. I can picture it featured in House Beautiful. Hah! Whom am I kidding, with two dogs and DH the slob? Surely, I dream. The house doesn’t dust itself or scrub bathrooms. {Sigh.} Knowing me, it will be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Can two objects occupy the same space?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today Gavin proved that the answer to that question is no. How did he prove it? Well, that’s the story for tonight.
I had Gavin out in the yard. He was behaving, sniffing around looking for a place to mark, when the kids across the street began doing a mad dash up and down the sidewalk. Gavin got excited and began to bark at them. Me, being the idiot I am, decided it was time to leash him and take him inside before he became too wound up.
He was standing still at the front fence barking at the kids. I reached for his collar to snap on the leash so I could drag him away from the fence. At that moment he decided to dart to his left. Where was I standing? I was at his left.
Now if you’ve never met a Bull Terrier in person you have no concept of what their heads are like. Think cinder block and you’ll have a decent idea.
Think fast, if I was at his left, and he dashed to his left, can two objects occupy the same space at the same time? The previously mentioned objects being Gavin’s cinder block head and my freaking knee, I say NAY. I also said ouch, and many other words in a sailor’s vernacular that tinged the air around me a lovely, bright shade of blue.
Yeah, go ahead and call me a klutz. You can even call Gavin an idiot for not looking where he was going. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to pack my knee in ice again.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, can two objects occupy the same space?, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, relative theories and all that stuff, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
How to bathe the dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gorgeous weather today made the pups miserable. Actually it wasn’t the day itself it was what I did to them. Smelly Gavin and stinky Patty got baths. I am on their LIST. After they had their baths and were dry, their majesties did their utmost best to let me know that I’d gone to the top of their LIST. I rose higher on the LIST than squirrels, annoying kids, strange dogs who pee on their fence, and a late dinner.
I did not apologize to them. They reeked and were in dire need of baths. You’d think they’d want to be nice and clean sweet-smelling dogs. Nope, they’d rather smell horrible. It’s a dog thing.
How to bathe Patty: A) Keep her from hiding in either crate by closing the doors. B) Drag her upstairs to the bathroom. C) Lift her 65 lb limp, dead weight into the tub. D) Begin the torture of bathing. E) Spread a towel on the floor, drop a cookie, and back up. F) Dry her. G) Release her from the bathroom to have her karoom down the steps and around the downstairs. H) Crate her with a cookie reward until she’s dry.
How to bathe Gavin: A) Show him a cookie. B) Tell him “Let’s go bed bouncing.” C) Follow him upstairs. D) Throw the cookie into the tub and watch him hop into it. E) Close shower doors so he doesn’t jump back out. F) Begin his torture—you mean get me wet all over? G) Hose him down, get soaked when he shakes. H) Soap him, get soaked when shakes. I) Rinse him, get soaked when he shakes. J) Step back, get soaked when he shakes. K) Dry him, get soaked when shakes. L) Release him from the bathroom. M) Crate him with a cookie. N) Go dry all the walls and the floor of the bathroom. O) Change into dry clothes.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, 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
You will lose pounds and inches in just…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yeah, yeah we’ve all watched those advertisements. If I bought every miracle weight reducing, body trimming, tummy-tightening machine that came down the pike my house would explode. Then there are all those miracle weight loss pills, yeah I’d rather toss my money down the toilet it’s just as effective.
What works is less food and more movement. I can tell, now that I’m outside more and working in the garden again, my jeans are starting to fall down. Where did I put that belt? Sweat equity melts off the winter weight.
G and I are starting to do our twice-weekly mile long walks. The pups love that I’m taking them for an evening walk weather permitting. I walk them separately so that means I go twice as far as they do.
Warm weather meals are lighter and contain more fresh veggies and fruit than my winter meals. The last two days I had the grill up and running again so that means less fat too.
DH, otherwise known as Mr. Fluffy since I had to pick him up from the floor last week, will drop a few pounds too.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, diet and exercise, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, not fat fluffy, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Homeward bound with a slight hitch
Posted by doggonedmysteries
DH claims he’s sane and has the paperwork to prove it. I think that paperwork might need redoing. The hospital is driving him crazy. He’s trying to get his mother released before her benefits run out. They want to add another elderly person to their profit margin.
It is my belief that no hospital, rehab facility, or nursing home should be run for profit. When it comes down to a company’s profit margin, which is what always comes first. Not the patient, not the patient’s family, to heck with the Hippocratic Oath, do no harm, they want money.
The psychiatrist who ‘talked’ to my mother in law today pushed her panic button. He mentioned selling her house.
This poor woman has a not very nice neighbor who has been trying to get her to sell him her house for the last five years. His methods have been heavy handed and, for her, scary. He’s backed off since DH, his best friend, and I had a few conversations with him. We used the words attorney, police, and terroristic threats during our conversations with him. I was not nearly as nice as the men were when I spoke to him. I’ve dealt with too many bullies over the years.
So naturally, when this doctor mentioned selling, her first thought was that the doctor now wanted her house. This put her in panic mode. Do you blame her? It took DH several conversations with the ‘powers that be’ to explain her reaction.
So far, she’s still going home on Saturday.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Elder Care, Family, Fiction, Healthcare, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Ark too Brutus?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty requested the use of a raft to go out today. It might have worked except they have no thumbs and can’t hold paddles. We’ve had so much rain that I heard the stock prices on gopher wood jumped through the roof. I’ve seen pairs of animals strolling past all day. Ba dum dum.
The neighbor’s bulldogs Diamond and Brutus ordered snorkel gear although Brutus really wanted a boat. Cleo, the standard poodle across the street, rented herself out as a squirrel canoe. The two toy dogs next door stepped off their porch and almost drowned so Gavin lent them the raft.
The Koi are touring the neighborhood and the bullfrogs are using in the magnolia tree as a diving board. The daffodils want water wings. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
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