Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Home
I recently was given my 15 year service award at work. Technically, it's not until November 20 but, they celebrate every one's milestones all at once. They had a luncheon (which I missed) and I was given a catalog to choose a gift in recognition for my service. I couldn't help but think of what led me here, 15 years ago. The job I lost, the bills I had, the changes I desperately needed to make.
I remember my first day here - oh what a mess! I was 23 years old. I was told to report but, not where TO report. The building was like the size of 2 pro football stadiums joined together at a corner. Thankfully, my brother (10 years seniority at that point) was able to help me to get to where I needed to be and he knew my new teamleader. When I first started here, I worked on the assembly line that made the interior of the Dodge Viper. I worked on that line for 90 days - most of the time being transferred to help another team - and on my 90th day, I was given a pee test and a permanent transfer to the door panel line for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I worked my butt off over there! I worked overtime, I stayed late, I worked holidays - I just worked. I was a production trainer - training new people as they came on our line - and I loved it! I did that for two years eventually even taking on a small quality control role for model year change over. When I started my job at Viper, I had 5 years experience in Electronics assembly and eventually, the Electronics Department here found out about that and I was offered a job as a stockroom clerk. I took it. It was a transfer out of the plant. And from 2nd shift to the day shift. I was handed the reins and allowed to make my job into what it is today. I think back to those days when I was using someone else's credit card with a $10,000/month limit - to now where I have my own $50,000/month limit and I spend (with purchase orders INcluded) an average of $1.6M (that's MILLION folks) every month!
It's easy to see how far I've come in 15 years though harder to think about where I came from.
I think about what I left behind. Sometimes, I miss what was home. I miss the smell of PCA on a fall morning. I miss the low drone of the fog horn. I miss the smell of Lake Michigan - and the wet sand. I miss the cidery sweetness of the apple orchards in the fall and the dust from harvesting corn.
I miss watching the sun dip into Lake Michigan at the end of the day. I miss the wind in the dune grass bending and swaying in the lake breeze, and the whitecaps breaking on shore. I miss waiting for the big ships to come through the channel, listening to the deckhands calling to each other while preparing to unload, and the 'dinging' of the bridges as they go up or down. I miss walks on the pier in both the warm sunshine and the cold wind.
Of course, I also miss Big Al's subs and A&W Coney Dogs with a mug of root beer. I miss burgers and beers at the "Nortside" on a Sunday afternoon and being forced to watch the Lions on the TV. I miss the stale cigarette smoke and beer combination in the old bars where I hung out. Oddly, some of the bartenders are still around...
Yet, when I go home, it's not the same. The casino has taken over the apple orchards, the condos have the beach. I always seem to miss the big boats, and the fog horn can barely be heard anymore. Most of the bars are now closed and the "Nortside" is for sale. PCA no longer makes the type of paper that caused that stink (once in a while it still seeps out) and I never get a chance to take my time and walk on the pier.
As much as I miss where I came from, I have to go back to where I am. I've made a good life for myself and my family too - the family that grew here. I think of the traditions we make here and our own little 'one of a kinds'. Looking back at just this past year, our Corky's Drive-In, July 3 Jubilee, Vitale's Pizza, 'The Breakfast Stop', our library that rarely asks for my name anymore. The relationship we've built with our Police and Fire Departments. Free Matinees at The Regent Theater all summer. Our neighbors and the friends we've made in the community. I didn't realize it before but, we do have so much here.
When I left "home", I never thought I'd find those little comforts again. They couldn't be anywhere else! I always looked at everything as temporary. I wasn't going to put in roots. And it just happened....Jeremy and I were talking about this not too long ago - We may have come from cities that are 4 hours apart but, here we are 10 years in our house and Allegan finally feels like home. It's good to be home.
I remember my first day here - oh what a mess! I was 23 years old. I was told to report but, not where TO report. The building was like the size of 2 pro football stadiums joined together at a corner. Thankfully, my brother (10 years seniority at that point) was able to help me to get to where I needed to be and he knew my new teamleader. When I first started here, I worked on the assembly line that made the interior of the Dodge Viper. I worked on that line for 90 days - most of the time being transferred to help another team - and on my 90th day, I was given a pee test and a permanent transfer to the door panel line for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I worked my butt off over there! I worked overtime, I stayed late, I worked holidays - I just worked. I was a production trainer - training new people as they came on our line - and I loved it! I did that for two years eventually even taking on a small quality control role for model year change over. When I started my job at Viper, I had 5 years experience in Electronics assembly and eventually, the Electronics Department here found out about that and I was offered a job as a stockroom clerk. I took it. It was a transfer out of the plant. And from 2nd shift to the day shift. I was handed the reins and allowed to make my job into what it is today. I think back to those days when I was using someone else's credit card with a $10,000/month limit - to now where I have my own $50,000/month limit and I spend (with purchase orders INcluded) an average of $1.6M (that's MILLION folks) every month!
It's easy to see how far I've come in 15 years though harder to think about where I came from.
I think about what I left behind. Sometimes, I miss what was home. I miss the smell of PCA on a fall morning. I miss the low drone of the fog horn. I miss the smell of Lake Michigan - and the wet sand. I miss the cidery sweetness of the apple orchards in the fall and the dust from harvesting corn.
I miss watching the sun dip into Lake Michigan at the end of the day. I miss the wind in the dune grass bending and swaying in the lake breeze, and the whitecaps breaking on shore. I miss waiting for the big ships to come through the channel, listening to the deckhands calling to each other while preparing to unload, and the 'dinging' of the bridges as they go up or down. I miss walks on the pier in both the warm sunshine and the cold wind.
Of course, I also miss Big Al's subs and A&W Coney Dogs with a mug of root beer. I miss burgers and beers at the "Nortside" on a Sunday afternoon and being forced to watch the Lions on the TV. I miss the stale cigarette smoke and beer combination in the old bars where I hung out. Oddly, some of the bartenders are still around...
Yet, when I go home, it's not the same. The casino has taken over the apple orchards, the condos have the beach. I always seem to miss the big boats, and the fog horn can barely be heard anymore. Most of the bars are now closed and the "Nortside" is for sale. PCA no longer makes the type of paper that caused that stink (once in a while it still seeps out) and I never get a chance to take my time and walk on the pier.
As much as I miss where I came from, I have to go back to where I am. I've made a good life for myself and my family too - the family that grew here. I think of the traditions we make here and our own little 'one of a kinds'. Looking back at just this past year, our Corky's Drive-In, July 3 Jubilee, Vitale's Pizza, 'The Breakfast Stop', our library that rarely asks for my name anymore. The relationship we've built with our Police and Fire Departments. Free Matinees at The Regent Theater all summer. Our neighbors and the friends we've made in the community. I didn't realize it before but, we do have so much here.
When I left "home", I never thought I'd find those little comforts again. They couldn't be anywhere else! I always looked at everything as temporary. I wasn't going to put in roots. And it just happened....Jeremy and I were talking about this not too long ago - We may have come from cities that are 4 hours apart but, here we are 10 years in our house and Allegan finally feels like home. It's good to be home.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Jacob - Kindergarten 2011/2012
I will be mailing them out to our family and friends very soon!
And Halloween is coming soon, soon, soon! You're not going to BELIEVE this costume.
We are taking guesses as to what Jacob will be this year. If you'd like to take a guess, please post in the comments section. Of course, there will be a prize!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Coupons
So, I had this dream. Not a dream while I was sleeping but, maybe call it a daydream, I guess.
I'm sure by now you've heard of TLC's show Extreme Couponing and how these people take home nearly $1000 worth of groceries for little or no money. Wouldn't that be great!?! To have that ability? To have a stock pile of stuff that cost you nothing - or next to nothing? Or to be able to make a HUGE donation to the local food pantry to help others in need?
I thought so too. I bought a binder and Jeremy would go out on Sunday morning to get the papers (2) for me to cut the coupons. I'd spend an hour cutting coupons, then watch the sales and try to match up. And I got a few deals, learned a little bit. Mostly I learned that I was spending more money by using the damn coupons on things I wouldn't normally buy!
In Michigan - none of the grocery stores double coupon. Once in a while, maybe but, never consistently. Nor do we have stores that offer a discount card (at least not in my area). Which I'm not sure I understand...Michigan has been hardest hit by this mess of an economy - would that help the people in Michigan or hurt us more.
In the past, I have done most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. Aldi distributes under their own brand where I can buy a gallon of milk for $2.39, a box of cereal for $1.79, and $5.29 for a can of coffee (not the little can). Milk in my regular store - I've never seen it lower than $2.50. Even the store brand of cereal is more than $1.99/box. And coffee - at LEAST $8 for the same size can. Even with a coupon for coffee- which rarely exists, I couldn't compete with Aldi.
Now, don't get me wrong. I have gotten some pretty good deals with coupons. For example, laundry detergent - $6.99 and buy one get one free. Good deal, right? I happened to have a coupon for $1 off of 2. I walked out with 2 bottles for $5.99. Better yet - a detergent on clearance from $8.99 to $4.99 and I had 2 - $1 off coupons. I got each bottle for $3.99. Now - question is, did I need laundry detergent (let alone 4 bottles)? No. Not really. But, I got a good deal.
I had a similar thing happen with deli sliced cheese. On sale 2/$5. I had a coupon for $1 off of each. I got those cheeses for $1.50 a piece. (Did you know that you can use 2 coupons because you're buying 2 items?). Again, did I need cheese? Nope. But again, I got a good deal.
See what I mean. I spent almost $20 on things that I didn't really need. And that's not including the price of the newspaper. Yet, I did have them later rather than spending more to buy them in the future. Am I really saving any money?
I found I was spending my $120 budget at Aldi and then spending another at least $50 at the big store using coupons.
I did find that purchasing the name brand items, even using coupons was costing me more money over the store brand, over the Aldi brand. I've given up the coupon game. I've gone back to Aldi for my shopping. Only using the big store to fill in the gaps. I'm back to my $120/per 2 weeks budget. And I'm saving my hour on Sunday to play Go Fish. I like having more time for that! See ya coupons!
I'm sure by now you've heard of TLC's show Extreme Couponing and how these people take home nearly $1000 worth of groceries for little or no money. Wouldn't that be great!?! To have that ability? To have a stock pile of stuff that cost you nothing - or next to nothing? Or to be able to make a HUGE donation to the local food pantry to help others in need?
I thought so too. I bought a binder and Jeremy would go out on Sunday morning to get the papers (2) for me to cut the coupons. I'd spend an hour cutting coupons, then watch the sales and try to match up. And I got a few deals, learned a little bit. Mostly I learned that I was spending more money by using the damn coupons on things I wouldn't normally buy!
In Michigan - none of the grocery stores double coupon. Once in a while, maybe but, never consistently. Nor do we have stores that offer a discount card (at least not in my area). Which I'm not sure I understand...Michigan has been hardest hit by this mess of an economy - would that help the people in Michigan or hurt us more.
In the past, I have done most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. Aldi distributes under their own brand where I can buy a gallon of milk for $2.39, a box of cereal for $1.79, and $5.29 for a can of coffee (not the little can). Milk in my regular store - I've never seen it lower than $2.50. Even the store brand of cereal is more than $1.99/box. And coffee - at LEAST $8 for the same size can. Even with a coupon for coffee- which rarely exists, I couldn't compete with Aldi.
Now, don't get me wrong. I have gotten some pretty good deals with coupons. For example, laundry detergent - $6.99 and buy one get one free. Good deal, right? I happened to have a coupon for $1 off of 2. I walked out with 2 bottles for $5.99. Better yet - a detergent on clearance from $8.99 to $4.99 and I had 2 - $1 off coupons. I got each bottle for $3.99. Now - question is, did I need laundry detergent (let alone 4 bottles)? No. Not really. But, I got a good deal.
I had a similar thing happen with deli sliced cheese. On sale 2/$5. I had a coupon for $1 off of each. I got those cheeses for $1.50 a piece. (Did you know that you can use 2 coupons because you're buying 2 items?). Again, did I need cheese? Nope. But again, I got a good deal.
See what I mean. I spent almost $20 on things that I didn't really need. And that's not including the price of the newspaper. Yet, I did have them later rather than spending more to buy them in the future. Am I really saving any money?
I found I was spending my $120 budget at Aldi and then spending another at least $50 at the big store using coupons.
I did find that purchasing the name brand items, even using coupons was costing me more money over the store brand, over the Aldi brand. I've given up the coupon game. I've gone back to Aldi for my shopping. Only using the big store to fill in the gaps. I'm back to my $120/per 2 weeks budget. And I'm saving my hour on Sunday to play Go Fish. I like having more time for that! See ya coupons!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rest in Peace Steve Jobs
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. ~ Steve Jobs
I had no interest in Steve Jobs yesterday when I saw the news he had passed. Matter of fact, I said to myself when I saw it on my homepage, "Who is that?".
His quote above came to me in an email from Echo Bodine - the psychic/intuitive that I'm seeing this weekend. I actually smiled when I saw this quote because it is EXACTLY what I was saying in my post yesterday. I'm tired of wasting my time doing what others think I should - or not doing what others think I shouldn't. Because they think it's wrong, it's the devil's work, Satan's song, a gypsy craft or whatever. I can't continue to let those opinions drown out what I know, what I hear, and what I see (though I don't typically see - I more hear or feel). I have to follow my heart. I have to follow what I know I want to do and who I want to be. I wonder why that message came to me yesterday...and now I wonder what time Steve Jobs passed away...
I had no interest in Steve Jobs yesterday when I saw the news he had passed. Matter of fact, I said to myself when I saw it on my homepage, "Who is that?".
His quote above came to me in an email from Echo Bodine - the psychic/intuitive that I'm seeing this weekend. I actually smiled when I saw this quote because it is EXACTLY what I was saying in my post yesterday. I'm tired of wasting my time doing what others think I should - or not doing what others think I shouldn't. Because they think it's wrong, it's the devil's work, Satan's song, a gypsy craft or whatever. I can't continue to let those opinions drown out what I know, what I hear, and what I see (though I don't typically see - I more hear or feel). I have to follow my heart. I have to follow what I know I want to do and who I want to be. I wonder why that message came to me yesterday...and now I wonder what time Steve Jobs passed away...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Shitballs!
It just seemed like an appropriate title for everything that is going on in my life right now. I've been kinda quiet here, sharing mostly photos of the good times, places we've gone and things we've done. Not to impress or to show off but, for myself. This is where I document my life and the things in it. It's been awhile since I've done a 'what are we up to' post. And it's time.
Jacob is liking Kindergarten. Just this week he's allowed me to drop him at the door to walk in by himself. He let Dad do this last week. But today, he got upset and chased the car as I pulled away so I had to stop and go back. (Normally, I do wait for him to go in but, he was walking with a kid from day-care to the door and he was going in - then turned and ran back. They have a teacher or Aide out there that caught him plus I did see what happened and stopped.) Kindergarten (especially all day Kindergarten) is tough on little boys and they have to be so good for so long and we're struggling with being good at home. We've worked hard to get to bed by 8/8:30, which is tough when mom gets home at 6, when we have homework (a book sent home to read 3 nights a week) and getting more sleep is helping some with the attitude. He's had a hard time making decisions and sticking to them. "I don't want to play in the sand!" and when it's time to go, "But, I WANTED to PLAY in the sand!". He's picked up some odd jobs around the house, such as folding wash clothes, throwing the clothes into the washer or dryer, putting away the Tupperware, and last week he used his "big boy muscles" to help me bring in the groceries. He is doing well in school. He got 26/26 of his capital letter and lowercase letter recognition. And 22/26 on the sounders (missing I, E, U, and Y). He loves to play Alphabet Go Fish and I guess we need to play a few more games using the sounders rather than the letters! Jacob is very into animals right now sleeping with like 5 or 6 every night. Since the circus, tigers have been his favorite. His Sensory Processing Disorder seems to come and go but, has mostly shown in his moods. Quick to cry or get upset - or simply shut down. We've had a lot of changes this summer into fall but, all in all, he's a bright and beautiful boy who loves his police and firefighters. He's quick to smile and so easy to love!
Jeremy is still with the restaurant and facing his own challenges in an economy that has totally kicked our area in the ass. How do you get people into a restaurant to spend money that they don't want to spend? Think about your finances - you used to go for dinner, get an appetizer, a couple drinks, the entree and a dessert - even if to share. Now, you go for dinner, skip the appetizer, get one drink each and forget the dessert. Right? So what can a restaurant do for you to go back to they way it was? What makes you willing to spend a little more? Exactly! Sadly, his schedule, Jacob and my job don't allow him much free time for himself - yet he'd likely use it to catch up on his sleep.
His Cardinals head into game 4 of the playoffs tonight and we could have another series ahead of us. Baseball in October is the best!
Soon he'll start with storm windows, raking leaves, and getting the old house ready for winter.
As for Me, I of course spend the majority of my time running around as if my hair were on fire! I'm back to work full-time, gave up the dream of having my own soap making business and that's okay. I'll still make soap for our own use (I can make the scent I want, it lasts longer, and costs less) and of course, I will fill orders by request. I guess my heart just isn't into it as much. I'm still selling on eBay. I've been reading a lot of books both for myself and as part of Jacob's homework. I left another 'bookclub' this summer - I'm just not good at those things. I'm learning about following my heart, listening to my intuition and I'm taking as many courses in this area as I can. Matter of fact, I have a big seminar/workshop this weekend with Echo Bodine and I am very excited for this opportunity. I'm a little tired of hiding my interests/knowledge in the psychic/intuitive world. And now it's known - I'm studying/practicing to be a psychic/medium/intuitive. I've been reading/honing my craft for over a year now. It's something I have wanted to do for a long, long, time and the opportunity has presented itself and keeps presenting itself. It will take me a long time to get there but, following your heart is rarely a quick trip. And I no longer have piercing blackout headaches which is a bonus! I'm working toward enjoying myself more, my family more, my friends more, softening my heart, and learning to lower some of my expectations in people and to forgive easier. I will have 15 years in at my job this fall (November 17) and I am constantly reminded how blessed I am to have not only a job but, a job that has allowed me to work part-time when my family (and my sanity) needed me, to flip the switch back to full-time when I was ready, where I can leave early for day-care emergencies or appointments AND I am allowed to work from home if need be. 15 years - it's a long time and no, I don't plan to leave. I love it too much. I report to a new boss this summer after over 10 years with the other. Change, though different is always good.
And Kelsey, I couldn't forget my pain-in-the-ass-beautiful-brown-dog! She's about a year and a half. She's still quite a puppy. She's a 70 lb. shithead that thinks she's a 10 lb. cat and can lay up on the back of my couch! She likes to run away every chance she gets and we've spent many an afternoon chasing her through the neighborhood with a bag of pig ears. She loves to sit between me and the counter when I'm cooking hoping for something to fall - she knows how it works. And she keeps me company lying on the landing when I'm doing laundry with a big wet smooch when I come her way. We've battled a nasty case of flea allergy dermatitis this summer and watched as most of my beautiful chocolate lab lost most of her hair. We've since switched flea treatments and it's growing back. She's also on a regimen of fish oil (to help keep her joints and her coat healthy) and allergy pills (for the flea allergy). We're still working on 'get down' but, she's pretty good at staying on the front porch. Though there is nothing better than sharing your bed with a snoring brown dog or having one lie on your cold toes on a fall afternoon! For all the hair or lack thereof, the dead grass, the pills, the vet bill, and the bones that I step on all over the house, I can't imagine a day without her.
Whew! This is the time of year that I love. Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Jacob's birthday, Christmas and my paid holiday (another reason I love my job). It brings with it a whole new dimension of chaos but, it's so warm, and oddly, so calming for me. I love the wind down from summer to ease into winter and the things we enjoy in between. I guess everyone has their case of 'shitballs' every now and again and it's all a matter of what is coming on the other side (and I don't mean as in passing away to the other side) to greet you as to how you get through it. There's so much more to share and I'm looking forward to it.
Jacob is liking Kindergarten. Just this week he's allowed me to drop him at the door to walk in by himself. He let Dad do this last week. But today, he got upset and chased the car as I pulled away so I had to stop and go back. (Normally, I do wait for him to go in but, he was walking with a kid from day-care to the door and he was going in - then turned and ran back. They have a teacher or Aide out there that caught him plus I did see what happened and stopped.) Kindergarten (especially all day Kindergarten) is tough on little boys and they have to be so good for so long and we're struggling with being good at home. We've worked hard to get to bed by 8/8:30, which is tough when mom gets home at 6, when we have homework (a book sent home to read 3 nights a week) and getting more sleep is helping some with the attitude. He's had a hard time making decisions and sticking to them. "I don't want to play in the sand!" and when it's time to go, "But, I WANTED to PLAY in the sand!". He's picked up some odd jobs around the house, such as folding wash clothes, throwing the clothes into the washer or dryer, putting away the Tupperware, and last week he used his "big boy muscles" to help me bring in the groceries. He is doing well in school. He got 26/26 of his capital letter and lowercase letter recognition. And 22/26 on the sounders (missing I, E, U, and Y). He loves to play Alphabet Go Fish and I guess we need to play a few more games using the sounders rather than the letters! Jacob is very into animals right now sleeping with like 5 or 6 every night. Since the circus, tigers have been his favorite. His Sensory Processing Disorder seems to come and go but, has mostly shown in his moods. Quick to cry or get upset - or simply shut down. We've had a lot of changes this summer into fall but, all in all, he's a bright and beautiful boy who loves his police and firefighters. He's quick to smile and so easy to love!
Jeremy is still with the restaurant and facing his own challenges in an economy that has totally kicked our area in the ass. How do you get people into a restaurant to spend money that they don't want to spend? Think about your finances - you used to go for dinner, get an appetizer, a couple drinks, the entree and a dessert - even if to share. Now, you go for dinner, skip the appetizer, get one drink each and forget the dessert. Right? So what can a restaurant do for you to go back to they way it was? What makes you willing to spend a little more? Exactly! Sadly, his schedule, Jacob and my job don't allow him much free time for himself - yet he'd likely use it to catch up on his sleep.
His Cardinals head into game 4 of the playoffs tonight and we could have another series ahead of us. Baseball in October is the best!
Soon he'll start with storm windows, raking leaves, and getting the old house ready for winter.
As for Me, I of course spend the majority of my time running around as if my hair were on fire! I'm back to work full-time, gave up the dream of having my own soap making business and that's okay. I'll still make soap for our own use (I can make the scent I want, it lasts longer, and costs less) and of course, I will fill orders by request. I guess my heart just isn't into it as much. I'm still selling on eBay. I've been reading a lot of books both for myself and as part of Jacob's homework. I left another 'bookclub' this summer - I'm just not good at those things. I'm learning about following my heart, listening to my intuition and I'm taking as many courses in this area as I can. Matter of fact, I have a big seminar/workshop this weekend with Echo Bodine and I am very excited for this opportunity. I'm a little tired of hiding my interests/knowledge in the psychic/intuitive world. And now it's known - I'm studying/practicing to be a psychic/medium/intuitive. I've been reading/honing my craft for over a year now. It's something I have wanted to do for a long, long, time and the opportunity has presented itself and keeps presenting itself. It will take me a long time to get there but, following your heart is rarely a quick trip. And I no longer have piercing blackout headaches which is a bonus! I'm working toward enjoying myself more, my family more, my friends more, softening my heart, and learning to lower some of my expectations in people and to forgive easier. I will have 15 years in at my job this fall (November 17) and I am constantly reminded how blessed I am to have not only a job but, a job that has allowed me to work part-time when my family (and my sanity) needed me, to flip the switch back to full-time when I was ready, where I can leave early for day-care emergencies or appointments AND I am allowed to work from home if need be. 15 years - it's a long time and no, I don't plan to leave. I love it too much. I report to a new boss this summer after over 10 years with the other. Change, though different is always good.
And Kelsey, I couldn't forget my pain-in-the-ass-beautiful-brown-dog! She's about a year and a half. She's still quite a puppy. She's a 70 lb. shithead that thinks she's a 10 lb. cat and can lay up on the back of my couch! She likes to run away every chance she gets and we've spent many an afternoon chasing her through the neighborhood with a bag of pig ears. She loves to sit between me and the counter when I'm cooking hoping for something to fall - she knows how it works. And she keeps me company lying on the landing when I'm doing laundry with a big wet smooch when I come her way. We've battled a nasty case of flea allergy dermatitis this summer and watched as most of my beautiful chocolate lab lost most of her hair. We've since switched flea treatments and it's growing back. She's also on a regimen of fish oil (to help keep her joints and her coat healthy) and allergy pills (for the flea allergy). We're still working on 'get down' but, she's pretty good at staying on the front porch. Though there is nothing better than sharing your bed with a snoring brown dog or having one lie on your cold toes on a fall afternoon! For all the hair or lack thereof, the dead grass, the pills, the vet bill, and the bones that I step on all over the house, I can't imagine a day without her.
Whew! This is the time of year that I love. Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Jacob's birthday, Christmas and my paid holiday (another reason I love my job). It brings with it a whole new dimension of chaos but, it's so warm, and oddly, so calming for me. I love the wind down from summer to ease into winter and the things we enjoy in between. I guess everyone has their case of 'shitballs' every now and again and it's all a matter of what is coming on the other side (and I don't mean as in passing away to the other side) to greet you as to how you get through it. There's so much more to share and I'm looking forward to it.
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