Halloween Cuteness Overload

Mom and I went to dinner at Josh and Cyrise's house this evening. Josh grilled chicken, and Cyrise made rice and green beans with bacon, and had apple dumplings and ice cream for dessert. Yum! Everything was so delicious.

Ron had to miss out because he has had some sort of stomach bug today and he was feeling rotten. He feels better now. Good thing, because he has to fly out of town tomorrow. :o(

After dinner I took pictures of Reece and Aubrey outside, before they went trick or treating. Reece was the cutest Superman ever, and Aubrey was the most enchanting little zebra. Camryn wore the little pumpkin outfit Aubrey wore last year and looked totally precious.




Eat your heart out, Clark Kent.




















Let me try out this X-ray vision thing.




















Z is for Zebra.




















With a cute mane and tail.




















Superman thought that Zebra was awfully cute, and needed a kiss.

















Meanwhile, baby Camryn is wondering what the heck she's doing in this fuzzy orange suit.















Snuggles for a little orange pumpkin.

I took a similar picture of Cyrise with Aubrey in the same costume last year. :o)

I miss my other four grands, and wonder how they dressed up for Halloween this year. I need pictures!

Happy All Saints and All Souls, y'all!

Beware Of Long-Leggedy Beasties!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Today is the eve of All Saint's Day (All Hallows, November 1st), the day the Church traditionally celebrates all of the Saints in Heaven, the Church Triumphant.

Sunday November 2nd is All Soul's Day, the day we pray for all of the souls in Purgatory, the Church Suffering, especially our loved ones.

Today, Hallowe'en, is unofficially the day we remember those souls in hell. It is understandable then that the symbolism is frightening and macabre, and perhaps helps us renew our determination to stay on the narrow path to Heaven rather than the wide and easy path to hell. I sure don't want to be one of those poor souls in this picture!


From ghoulies and ghosties

And long-leggedy beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!

Amen

Kate Is Home!

The vet called just before I left to go to Mom's and said I could pick her up this afternoon. Josh went with me to get Katy, and she was delighted to see us.

Both dogs are wild with joy to be together again. They are running and playing as if they were never sick a day in their lives. :o)

Katy drank a lot of water when she got home. I'm to feed her small meals every two hours for the next day or two. Sister is still getting small meals, too, and they will be on antibiotics for the next two weeks to make sure they don't get infections in their tummies.

God is good. :o)

On The Road To Recovery

The vet called this morning to tell me that Katy chewed through her IV line--twice! So they may send her home today if they can get her to drink.

I was worried that she would do that; she's my little chewer. She has gnawed on the door frame, the posts holding up the deck, my planter boxes, plants, even rocks!

This picture was taken on October 16, just before they got sick.

I'm glad that Katy's feeling better. She was too sick to gnaw when I took her in. But I hope they aren't sending her home too soon.

Sister is doing well. Her appetite is not back to normal yet, but she is eating and drinking with no problems. I've been feeding her small amounts of food a few times a day. She is playing and happy, but she does miss Katy.

I gave her a bath yesterday, and she sure smells better! She looks so pretty, all shiny and curly. I could tell that she felt better after her bath, too. She was full of energy and wanted to play.

I put her outside yesterday, and a few minutes later I heard her barking in an odd way. I looked out the window and saw that a brown plastic bag had blown into the yard. It would move when the wind blew, filling up with air. Sis didn't know what the heck it was. It would move and she would bark and back up. When I came outside she hurried to my side, wanting to show me. As I walked toward the bag she came along, but hesitantly. When I picked it up and showed her that it was just a plastic bag, she suddenly got brave and tried to snatch it from my hand. :o)

I'm sending up prayers of thanksgiving this morning that my puppies are recovering! Parvo kills a lot of young pups, and I am so grateful that they survived. Again, I thank you for your prayers!

Ghost

I watched Ghost on TV last night. The first time I ever saw the movie we lived in Japan and I was on a tour bus going home from some place. I fell asleep, and when I woke up the movie was on. Since then I've probably seen parts of it half a dozen times, but had never seen the beginning of the movie. So I snuggled up on the couch and watched the whole thing.

I'm so sorry Patrick Swayze died, but I'm glad that we can still enjoy his movies. His recent death made the movie even more poignant.

Ewwww

Can you guess what this is?

Sister's food dish was on the porch, just outside the kitchen door.

I opened the door to pick up her dish, and this was curled around it! (That's just a bit of it's tail end).


My hand was reaching for the dish when I spotted the snake and an involuntary bad word came out of my mouth.

He's about 2 feet long and skinny. In fact he was skinny enough to go behind the siding on the house. And no, we didn't catch him, so he's still out there somewhere. I think it's just a garter snake. (Please God, don't let it be a rattlesnake. Amen)

Penguin Bracelet Redux

I took Katy to the vet this morning. They are administering IV fluids, and gave her a shot for the nausea right away. I hope that she will recover enough to come home in a few days.

Sister is still under the weather, but much, much better than she was. She is eating a little, drinking water, and barking at people passing by, so I expect her to be back to normal by the weekend.

I re-did the ugly bracelet this afternoon, and like it better now. I think it looks better with the shorter charms. I left the earrings long and dangly, though.




Click on the pictures to see them bigger.

When It Rains, It Pours

So much for hoping that Katy has a mild case of Parvo. She is very sick tonight, and I'll take her to the vet for the IV fluids tomorrow morning. I've tried giving her water with the turkey baster, and we got her some Gatorade (for the electrolytes), but she can't keep anything down. I'm worried that she will get too dehydrated, so off to the vet again. :o( This stuff is a horrible, nasty illness. My poor babies.

Sister is better. She's still not eating much, but she does eat some, and will drink water on her own. She's also regaining her energy, and is more active. The vet said that in a couple of days she will be ravenous, and want to eat everything in sight. I hope he's right!

Do you ever think that bad things come in bunches? Seems like that's how it happens around here. Today on the way to Mom's, the transmission in my car stopped working. I had noticed that it was shifting funny, and told Ron a few weeks ago that something was wrong, but we didn't do anything about it. So today as I was driving along, the car engine would rev, but the gears were slipping. I knew I wasn't going to make it to Mom's, so turned around and was almost home--within a few blocks--when I had to stop at a stop sign on a hill. When I tried to go, the car just would not go, no matter which gear I put it in. So I had to call a tow truck. The car is sitting in the driveway now, useless piece of...junk.

Ron came home and took Mom's meds to her on the way back to work. He got a ride to work tomorrow, so I'll be able to keep the truck to take Kate to the vet and go to Mom's. Cars are such a pain in the you-know-what.

In spite of everything that is going on, I'm in good spirits. Reece is here tonight (he's with us every Tuesday night), and oh my, that little boy makes me happy. He's been as good as gold all evening.

At bedtime I was reading to him. One of the books we got from the library is Eating The Alphabet by Lois Ehlert. It's one of the books that relates to our lesson theme of being healthy.

Anyway, did you know that the word papaya is the funniest word in the world? Reece got so tickled when I read that word! We were making the sounds the letters make, and he likes the "p-p-p" sound of the letter P. But papaya had him absolutely cracking up! He kept repeating the word, then would erupt in laughter, and so would I. I bet no one has ever had so much fun reading that book as we did tonight.

I thought he would be too wound up after all the laughing to go to sleep, but he was asleep in a matter of minutes after the light went out. What a sweetie!

Please continue to pray for Sister and Katy, especially Katy. Thank you so much!

My Spouse

I needed something lighthearted this morning. Saw this meme at Therese's blog and it's just the thing.

♥ What are your middle names?
Kay and Drue.

♥ How long have you been together?
40+ years.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Five months.

♥ Who asked who out?
Ron asked me out.

♥ How old are each of you?
We are old farts.


♥ Whose siblings do/did you see the most?
Mine.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Three, two sons and a daughter.

♥ What about pets?
Right now we have two dogs and a cat.

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Being apart when Ron is traveling for his job.

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Different high schools, same college.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
Yes.

♥ Who is the smartest?
Ron.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
Me.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Probably Jim's.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
I do.

♥ Who does the cooking?
I do. He does the grilling, though.

♥ Who is more social?
Ron.

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Neither of us, we're both messy.

♥ Who is the more stubborn?
Me.

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Neither, but he steals the covers.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Ron.

♥Where was your first date?
Shakey's Pizza Parlor. It was cold, and we sat by the fireplace and talked for hours. When he took me home he charmed my family, had them laughing the whole time.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
I do.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
No, just now and then.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
Usually our kids and grandkids come to our house. Sometimes other relatives, too.

♥ Who is more jealous?
Neither, after 40 years we know each other too well to be jealous.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
Hmm. Six months?

♥ Who eats more?
Ron.

♥ Who does the laundry?
I do mine and the sheets, towels, etc., but Ron washes his own clothes. (He irons them, too, if they need it).

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Ron.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Usually Ron.

Let me know if you do this meme. I'd like to read your answers. :o)

They Call It Puppy Love.

It's been a roller coaster day of emotions. Y'all are probably sick of these puppy posts, but this has been my life the past few days.

I called the vet's office first thing this morning to tell them that Katy has parvo and I wanted to bring her in. Josh went with me, and carried Katy because it was pouring rain all day. When we walked in, everyone said, "Don't put her down!" They didn't want her to contaminate the floor where other dogs walk with her virus.

But when Dr. T saw Kate she was acting hyper and curious, and he doubted that she had parvo. He suspected I was just being an overly protective mom. I knew better because I know my puppies. Sure enough, when he did the test it showed she has parvo. Dr. T said it was 50/50 whether it was a just a mild case, or whether it was the beginning of a serious case like Sister's. I'm hoping that because of the booster shot she had last Thursday that it's a mild case.

She is still refusing to eat, and I'll have to take her back if she gets dehydrated so that they can give her IV fluids. But he gave her a shot to calm her tummy and some antibiotics, and let me bring her home.

While we were there, they asked me to see if I could get Sister to eat. She was still refusing food, and Dr. T said that when she started eating she could go home. Josh stayed with Katy while I went to the quarantine room. Sissy didn't act very happy to see me, but when I sat on the floor she came to me and put her head in my lap. I stayed with her for half and hour, loving on her and trying to get her to eat, but she just would not do it. The vet suggested I come back in the afternoon with some of her regular food.

I went back around 2 PM, and Sis was happier to see me that time. She finally ate four or five little pieces of her dog food. She doesn't look as if she lost any weight during her ordeal, even though she's not been eating. But she looks ragged and needs a bath. I won't bathe her, though, until she is totally recovered.

Dr. T told me that he was going to let her go home, and for me to come back at 5 to get her. So I came home and got ready for her, scrubbing down the patio with bleach water and making another round of the yard to make sure all poop was picked up and bleach water poured on the poop spots.

I went back for her at 5, taking a list of questions for Dr. T. He was very sweet about sitting down with me to answer my questions. Then I went and got Sister from the quarantine room and brought her home. She was so happy to be with me, and when we got home she could hardly wait to get inside the house.

I wish I had a video tape of the reunion of Sister and Katy. Kate was in the crate, and Sister went up to her and they touched noses. I opened the crate to let Kate out, and Sister went in! I knew Sis still had a lot of fluid to get rid of, so I took them outside. It was just heart warming to see them together. They touched noses, licked each other faces, smelled every inch of one another and have stuck to each other like glue all evening.

So, my girls are back together again and my heart feels much lighter. They both drank some water, and Sister has eaten a little bit, but Katy is still refusing food and has vomited a couple of times. I'm giving them their antibiotics and hope that tomorrow things will look even brighter.

Dr. T says that they will probably be immune to parvo after this is over. I'll still need to keep a close eye on them. Katy could become dehydrated, and Sister could relapse, but I'm doing everything I can to see that that doesn't happen, including giving them water with a turkey baster. Tomorrow I'm going to mix a little boiled chicken in with their food to see if that will tempt them to eat.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for them. I know there are a lot more important things to pray about than the health of two little dogs, but I appreciate your prayers so much. These two little dogs mean so much to me, and this scare has made me vow to love them more and take better care of them than ever.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

October 26, 2009

Outside my window...
rain. It's darkish, gray skies, green grass and trees, 61°. It fits my mood.

I am thinking...
about my puppies.

I am thankful for...
my sweet family.

I am wearing...
black yoga pants, black smock top.

I am remembering...
I'm very much in the present today.

I am going...
to the vet's and to Mom's.

I am reading...
still reading Father Brown. I have a Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas, Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and Mary MacCarthy's The Crafter's Pattern Sourcebook on my night table. I've started the Ramsey book, but put it aside for Father Brown.

I am hoping...
that my puppies will get well and healthy again.

On my mind...
Sister and Katy. Katy stopped eating yesterday and I'm taking her to the vet at 10:30. I'm sure she also has parvovirus. She is acting exactly like Sister did when she got it. I called the vet's office this morning to make the appointment, and the receptionist told me that Sister is still not eating, but that she seems "happier," so they think she is getting better. I want to see her for myself. I am heartsick and feel like I've let my puppies down by not taking care of them well enough to keep them healthy.

From the learning rooms...
we focused on the dentist last week, so will talk about the doctor more this week. We've also been working on letter sounds, but Reece will say, out of the blue, "B..b..b...T! Monkey!" or something like that. I don't think he quite gets the concept yet. :o)

Noticing that...
Ron forgot to put the trash cart on the curb, so I need to run and do that, and put the recycle bin out, too.

Pondering these words...
"It's always something." Roseanne Rosannadanna

From the kitchen...
Buttermilk waffles from the freezer for breakfast. Chicken thighs thawing for dinner. Not sure what I'll do with them--maybe teriyaki chicken.

Around the house...
it seems dreary. This afternoon I'll light some candles and bake something.

One of my favorite things...
thunder.

From my picture album...
The ugly bracelet, pinned to the back of a pillow for the pic. I used two of the charms to make a pair of earrings, too, and will probably leave them alone, but the bracelet is definitely getting a makeover. I want the charms to be about the length of the two round beads on the ends of the bracelet, so I'll just add the penguins by themselves mixed in with some beaded charms. Haven't had time to work on it yet, though. Click on the picture to see it larger.

Stop by Peggy's site to read the daybooks of other bloggers, or to become a daybooker yourself.

Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The last Sunday in October is the Feast Day of Christ the King. Viva Christo Rey!

From our Latin Mass today. The Epistle was Colossians 1.12-20 and the Gospel was John 18.33-37. All the parts of the Mass celebrated the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Introit: Apoc. 5.23; 1.26
The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour; to Him be glory and empire for ever and ever. PS. Give to the King, O God, Thy justice, and to the King's Son Thy judgment. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever.

Collect:
Almighty everlasting God, who in Thy beloved Son, King of the whole world, hast willed to restore all things anew; grant in Thy mercy that all the families of nations, rent asunder by the wound of sin, may be subjected to His most gentle rule. Who with Thee and Thy Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Gradual: Ps. 71.8, 11
He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. And all kings shall adore Him, all nations shall serve Him.

Alleluia: Dan. 7.14
Alleluia, alleluia. His power shall be an everlasting power, which shall not be taken away; and His kingdom a kingdom that shall not decay. Alleluia.

Preface of Christ The King:
It is truly meet and just, right and availing unto salvation that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty and everlasting God. Who with the oil of gladness hast anointed Thine only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as eternal High priest and universal King; that offering Himself on the altar of the Cross as an immaculate host and peace-offering, He might complete the mysteries of human redemption; and all creation being made subject to His dominion, He might deliver into the hands of Thine infinite Majesty a kingdom eternal and universal, a kingdome of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, and kingdom of justice, love and peace. And therefore with the angels and archangels, with the thrones and dominions, and with all the heavenly hosts, we sing a hymn to Thy glory...

Communion: Ps. 28.10, 11
The Lord shall sit a King for ever: the Lord shall bless His people in peace.

Postcommunion:
Having received the food of immortality, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we who glory in our service under the standard of Christ the King, may be able to reign with Him forever in His heavenly abode. Who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, forever and ever. Amen

How wonderful for us that Our Lord Jesus Christ is King of the Universe. Alleluia!

Saturday Summary

Reece and Aubrey stayed overnight Friday night. They are so sweet and funny; they can always make me laugh. Mom enjoyed seeing them Saturday morning. Aubrey is a little chatterbox, and throws in an understandable word every now and then. :o)

The rest of the day was quiet. I guess I'll feel down until Sister comes home. She is still not eating. I asked the vet how long she could survive without eating, and he said that dogs can live a week if they are on fluids, cats only a couple of days. I'm terribly worried about Sis. Katy is still healthy, but extremely needy with her sister away. She is used to having a constant companion; they cuddle, groom one another, wrestle and sleep together. I'm sure Kate misses the physical affection, although we have been giving her a lot of attention.

I finished the bracelet, but don't like it. The charms are too long. So it will be taken apart and redone.

I've been reading G. K. Chesterton's The Complete Father Brown. Having always loved mysteries, it's hard to believe I've never read these. Chesterton's descriptions are wonderful, and Father Brown is endearing, kind of like Peter Falk's Columbo character.

Penguin Therapy

Trying to keep my mind occupied, so I'm working on a bracelet for the Catholic board where I'm a member. One of the ladies had a bunch of these cute penguin charms, and had the idea to have a craft contest. She sent charms to anyone who wanted them, and I decided to make a penguin charm bracelet with my dozen. It will be donated to the board and auctioned off to raise money for the board upkeep.

I haven't crafted in a long time, and I'm really enjoying it. I'm working at my desk since my craft table is too messy too use. That's just pitiful. :o\ The penguins aren't very big, so I'm adding them to little beaded charms I'm making. Then I'll make a few more bead charms, attach them to the bracelet, and voila, all done.

I'll post a picture when it's finished.

Update On Sissy

The vet called me this morning to say that Sister is holding her own, was being sweet and friendly, but sleeping a lot. She's still on IV fluids and major antibiotics. He is hopeful that she may begin to accept food tomorrow, and if she does she will be on the road to recovery.

Katy is so sad that her playmate is not here. I've been trying to spend extra time with her, but I know she misses Sister.

Thank you for your prayers. I know they are helping.

Prayers For Sister

My heart is heavy tonight. I had to leave Sister at the vet's this afternoon. She has refused to eat since yesterday morning, and was very lethargic and sick. I thought maybe she had eaten something toxic, but it turns out she has parvovirus.

The vet was surprised because he has been taking care of the puppies since I first got them, and they are both up-to-date with all of their vaccinations, including the one for parvo. He said that some dogs are just immune to them, or the vaccine could have been faulty.

In any case, he started Sister on an IV for fluids, although she wasn't very dehydrated, and will give her antibiotics and whatever she needs to make her well again. He said that parvo is an awful, dangerous disease, but gave her an 80% chance of overcoming it. That leaves a 20% chance that she won't, though, and that scares me.

Parvo is very contagious, so of course I am worried about Katy getting it, too. So far she is fine, eating well and full of energy. The vet had me take her in for a booster shot, just in case. I called Kelly so that she could have her dogs checked, too. Her vet also gave them boosters, and did the test to make sure they are parvo-free. They are fine, thank goodness.

I've disinfected the kennel, the floor, their toys and every spot in the yard where Sister pooped. I even cleaned my garden clogs and flipflops with a bleach solution. The puppies spend most of their time outside when the weather is nice, and are confined to the kitchen area which is tiled when they are inside. I've often wanted to let them roam the house freely, but didn't because of Maggie Cat. She's a grouchy cat with sharp claws. Now I'm glad I didn't let them go everywhere.

Katy hardly knows what to do with herself without her sister and constant companion. She has been looking for Sister, and barking her little "where are you" bark. They love to play hide and seek, and I always know when they are doing that because they have a different bark for each other than they do for strangers. Kate whined and howled when I put her in her kennel for the night. It doesn't feel right that Sissy is not here. I want to whine and howl, too. :o(

Won't you please send up a little prayer for Sister, and for Katy, too? Thank you!

Heavenly Father,
Please help us in our time of need,
You have made us stewards of Sister.
If it is Your will, please restore her
to health and strength.
I pray too for other animals in need.
May they be treated with the care and respect
deserving of all Your creation.
Blessed are You Lord God,
and holy is Your name for ever and ever.
Amen

Good St. Francis, you loved all of God's creatures.
To you they were your brothers and sisters.
Help us to follow your example
of treating every living thing with kindness.
St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals,
watch over my pets, Sister and Katy,
and keep my companions safe and healthy.
Amen.

Carving Jack

I bought a pumpkin and some mums for the front porch a couple of weeks ago. We decided that tonight was the night to carve the pumpkin into a jack o'lantern.

Reece was extremely interested in the whole process.










Reece chose the face from a Halloween cookie and showed it to Papa. Papa drew the face on the pumpkin and carved it.











I wonder what is inside a pumpkin?
















Checking out the face.















Checking out the candle inside Jack.















Feeding Jack the smallest ghostie.













The scary version.

Reece loves it!

Reece and the Jack O'Lantern Cookies

Reece and I baked some Pillsbury Halloween cookies tonight. I took them out of the package and he put them on the cookie sheets. Quick and easy, and he had fun.

After they were baked, he loved looking at the different faces on them and imitating their expressions.




I told him to look scary, but I think he thought I meant "look scared." :o)













His favorite cookie face had what he called a sad expression. He used it later on the jack o'lantern he and Papa carved. He showed Papa the cookie, and Papa put the same face on the pumpkin.











One jack o'lantern cookie definitely had a lop-sided smile. :O)













He cracks himself up. He cracks me up, too.