It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: to shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Psalms 92:1-2 (KJV)
Normally, I do not like going to see Dr. Walker, my vet. This time though, I was down to just 7 lbs., 2 less than last time, so she said she wants me to eat more and try to gain some weight. She agreed with mom that she thinks I regurgitate my food because I am SO hungry, I eat it too fast. (I never had this problem when I was "Chunky Spunky.")
My mom tried slowing my eating too fast down by just giving me bits at a time, but that just made me eat faster because I wanted more quick! Since mom took the advice of Beth, Abby's friend, who works at the desk who told her to give me more at a time, I haven't thrown up since!
I switched from all dry food to all easy to digest wet food from the vet (EN). Mom was giving me just 3/4 of a can but found out that wasn't enough because if you take out the wetness, the amount of wet food is actually less than the same amount of dry food. Wait, it even gets better!
Now that mom has realized I actually just need more food and that I can keep it down if she gives me a bunch all at once instead of in dribbles stretched out, I am getting some new very tasty kind called Sheba that mom bought at Giant Eagle. So, not only do I get a whole can of the EN but also extra Sheba snacks! So far I had salmon, whitefish and tuna and savory chicken! Yum yum!
I have to go back just to get weighed on Saturday to make sure I am not losing anymore. Sure hope it's not a thyroid problem like my brother Manny has, but I don't think it is. Now I just have to make sure I do not get too fat again.
On Christmas morning before going to church, Gerard asked me to take a picture of him with his new toy that he got for his birthday: The Shark vacuum cleaner. I was very pleased with myself that I was able to put it together without any help and it worked!
Actually, it works really well! Our old Dirt Devil was useless, I was so frustrated with it after trying to vacuum the cat litter off the carpet that I decided it was time to get a new vacuum. We found a great deal at Sears on Black Friday--only paid $107 for the Stark which has super suction and actually cleans the carpet. I could see a big difference after using this one. It has adjustable suction and two switch positions: one for tile/wood and one for carpeting.
We are very pleased with this purchase and highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new vacuum cleaner. We also opened a couple presents before church after the vacuuming was done.
I really like the Christmas lights and decorations on Cleveland Public Square this year and thought I'd share some of them with you.
The lights on the trees were put up in the summer when the square first opened! They just weren't lit up until now. The big Christmas tree is on the far left lit up in gold.
Salvation through Jesus Christ is God's greatest gift to us!
I like the fancy stonework in the path.
The tunnel has lights and greenery on it, the picture doesn't do it justice. Some trees have colored lights.
Oops, forgot to take the skaters on the ice rink--maybe I'll add that later. They aren't there this early when these were taken.
Our church is having two identical Christmas Eve candlelight services, one at 4:00 and one at 5:30 then just one service on Sunday, Christmas day at 10:00 a.m. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Yesterday was such a good day, especially for a Monday when I had to work! First, my boss surprised me with a very generous monetary gift for my birthday and Christmas along with some homemade peppermint bark.
There were brownies, candy and donuts for anyone who wanted them, so naturally, I wanted them! I ate very unhealthy but it was very good!
Anyhow, then at lunch, I was reading down in our lobby as usual when in walks Slider, Ketchup, Mustard and Onion with the ACLS trophy the Indians won this year. I waved to them as they entered KeyBank and shortly after, a lady came out and said anyone could come in and get their picture taken with the trophy for $5. Normally, I only would have $3 on me but because I got the money from my boss that morning, I had enough so I quickly went in. I am a big fan of the Indians and thought it would be really cool to be in a shot with all those characters that are at the ballfield during games.
Here is the picture I got:
Indians ACLS trophy taken at KeyBank Dec. 19, 2016
The bus was even on time--it was a very good day!
P.S. The book I was reading was Seashell Season by Holly Chamberlin.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a ballet performance of the Nutcracker than one of my 6th grade girls from our Sunday School class was in. It was so much more enjoyable and entertaining than watching the Cleveland Browns lose once again.
The director did an amazing job with incorporating all the various ages and the performers all looked happy and seemed to be having fun. I've only seen the Nutcracker performed once before and was totally lost not even realizing there was a story involved until I read the back of my program after is was all over. This performance had a gentleman reading part of the story before the different scenes were performed which I appreciated and gave the dancers a little more time to change. I was impressed at how fast they changed costumes and how beautiful they were--there was only one I had a problem with!
The dancing was very impressive too, they put their legs into positions I can't even do standing still. Their flexibility just was amazing to me and they made it look easy and effortless! Of course, the music is beautiful and the hour and a half performance flew by for me. I was surprised at how fast the time went!
The auditorium was almost full and there was so much love and support in that room that is was touching. Flash photography and videos were banned during the performance, but afterwards, it was cool to see many of the parents rush up front to get pictures of the children who performed. It was also heartwarming so see so many men in jeans and flannel shirts there supporting their girls. I actually enjoyed this performance more than the professional one I saw. The younger girls who played the mice and angels were really funny and made me smile.
I always thought my worst nightmare would be to have a girl who liked ballet, but after getting to know Susanna, the girl in my class that I went to see perform, I realize it would not have been so bad after all. She is wonderful!
If you have never seen a ballet, I would recommend you go sometime and expand your horizons. It is truly a beautiful experience!
Thursday was a horrible bus day for me. With temperatures at 16 degrees, white out conditions and snow on the ground, I had to wait an hour for my morning bus. Then once on the bus, it took 20 minutes longer than usual!
As if that wasn't bad enough, coming home was almost as bad! I had to wait an hour for the bus AGAIN so got home 45 minutes later than usual.
But, I tried to stay positive and look on the bright side. There is always something to be thankful for in every situation. In this case, I was thankful for the following:
I had a really long, warm, L.L. Bean winter coat on with a hood that provided not only warmth, but a nice fur trim that kept my glasses from getting all wet.
I had a warm furry vest on under that coat.
I had great warm furry leg warmers to keep my legs warm.
I had good boots to keep my feet warm and my toes did not freeze.
I had gloves to protect my hands with deep pockets in the coat to keep them warm.
I had other people to wait with to talk to which made the wait more enjoyable.
I had a loving husband at home who took care of feeding our cats supper on time.
I got a lot of reading done on the bus ride.
Even though I got to work a half hour late, I did not have to make up the time or use PTO.
So, I was not in a terrible mood at work or when I got home. I am very blessed and always look for the good in every situation.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.(I Thessalonians 5:18)
Yesterday on our early dog walk in the dark around 5:40 a.m., my husband and I sort of lost each other! We just walk around a couple blocks but it was cold, dark and there were patches of ice in spots. That's why I was walking with my head down, to avoid these snowy, icy patches and I missed our street on the way back! Abby and my husband go slower, especially when it is cold, so I was ahead of them by more than I realized.
Apparently, my husband didn't see where I went to even though I wore my white fleece jacket with the bears on it. He got all the way home without me! I finally turned around to look for him and of course, by then didn't see him anywhere! We're both calling out "Where are you?" He thought I might have fallen somewhere and was worried, but then when I looked for him, I saw the corner houses on our street and realized what happened so backtracked and sure enough, there he was way down our street by our house! I shouted to him, "I'm coming"!
This was the first day of me being 63. I thought it was funny!
Finally the Cleveland Indians made it into the post-season and get to play the Cubs in the World Series! It is so exciting to watch this team with a good mix of guys. It reminds me of the 1995 team with walk-off wins, a lot of great defense, good pitching and good hitting. You just never know who will have the clutch hit.
I think Lindor is my favorite player because I love his fun attitude and outstanding plays. It's also fun to see him steal bases and is just an all-around good player who obviously loves the game. He reminds me of Omar Vizquel who also was my favorite player when he was with the 1995 team.
It's also nice that I get to wear Indians shirts to work on certain game days in the post season. The Cubs are good too and I would be pulling for them to win IF they were playing anyone other than the Indians.
Wait, we’ve been married 19 years? Wow, time flies but then when we think about it, a lot has happened through those years. This is the first year we are not together on our wedding anniversary and it seems odd and kind of sad. We exchanged cards this morning and Gerard got me a new Indians cap because mine was very faded and a fancy Indians t-shirt. Yes, I much prefer these to flowers which only last a week. After being married 19 years, he knows me well.
Oh, back to why we are not spending this day together. It’s quite simple actually, pets rule! I finally decided to get Manny his dental and we wanted Dr. Walker who was not available today, so we scheduled him tomorrow. Of course, Gerard could have dropped him off and picked him up without me, but I wanted to be there for him.
We will be together though to celebrate tomorrow. We plan to go to the zoo in the morning, have a little picnic lunch with McDonald’s, look through some old pictures to stroll down memory lane together and maybe play some tennis or Pickleball, watch a movie and of course enjoy time with our pets (even though Manny will be at the vet most of the day).
I posted not too long ago about a mysterious building project next to the tennis courts right in our neighborhood and now it is done. Parma replaced the basketball courts with two Pickleball courts. I think we were the first to play on them.
Pickleball is a recreational game for all ages and is kind of a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton. Game goes to 11 points but you have to win by 2 and you only score when you serve. You must serve underhand using a whiffle ball and what look like giant ping pong paddles. The court is smaller and there is a no-volley zone called the "kitchen" which is the green part on either side of the net. Players are not allowed in the kitchen unless the ball bounces in that area. In that case, they can go in to hit the ball but must get out right after they hit the ball. You serve to the opposite box as in tennis; however, you must let the ball bounce at least once on each side before you can hit it on the fly (volley it).
There is a possibility of Parma Heights Baptist Church offering Pickleball in their Sports Camp next summer. If so, I'll be coaching that! I'm much better at Pickleball than I am at basketball.
I always enjoy spending my vacation helping with Vacation Bible School at Parma Heights Baptist Church because it is so much fun, and so BIG, and so well organized! Once again, we had another fantastic week and kudos to our two summer interns, Ben and Camilla, who helped with so much to make it great for the children. Thanks to them (and the help of the youth group), the church hallways were transformed into what looked like a deep sea aquarium.
Not only did they head up planning all the decorations, but they also took on the job of scientists, conducting amazing experiments in our lab for grades 4-6. We had over 800 children attend through the week and over 180 workers each day. The children brought in $1,780 for the Chain of Love orphanage in Brazil and $1,134 worth of hygiene products for our youth to take with them on their missions trip next week to assist Kids.inc in Indianapolis.
I was especially blessed helping in the fourth grade group by being a small group leader of nine very energetic, enthusiastic and cooperative boys. In our small group time, we help the kids memorize the daily verses, review the Bible story and emphasize personal application. The verses were not the same ones we usually have that so many are already familiar with so I was very pleased that all the boys in my group made an effort to learn them each day. Even new ones who came on Tuesday, also said Monday's verse to help our team stay in first place.
Two highlights for me in our small group time was when one of the boys said he wanted to pray to receive Jesus as his Savior and I was able to pray with him one on one. It is not enough to just know that God loves us and Jesus died in our place to save us from the punishment we deserve for our sins. Each one must accept his gift of eternal life by asking forgiveness, and trusting in Jesus as his/her personal Savior, thanking him for dying for them and be willing to live for him by obeying his word with God's help.
The second highlight was when we applied Psalm 28:7 in our small group by asking the Lord to help us all memorize that verse which is:
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
When I first saw it, I thought the boys won't be able to do it and that's exactly how they felt when they saw it too! (I let them know I felt the same way.) It was unfamiliar to all of us, but the Lord answered our prayer and each one did learn it! After that, the boys were so encouraged and amazed they did it, they were ready to go all the way and learn the last two of the week as well. Some were not used to memorizing verses and were really surprised when they were able to do it!
I think what made this small group so special was the chemistry they had. All were included and as more came the second day, they were welcomed in with our special "green turtle chest bump" greeting that the boys came up with on their own. I encouraged this and they definitely wanted to help each other succeed in memorizing the verses. It was great to see them helping and encouraging each other.
The over 8,000 homemade cookies were a wonderful treat! It's nice having so many people in our church who actually like to bake and cook!
Praise be to God for a great week! It was a LOT easier than sports camp and much less draining! My husband enjoyed helping in the 4s and 5s group where they had around 100 kids, but said the songs got on his nerves after the second day. (He is sitting on the floor in front of the camera on the puppet pic in the video.)
We've had Spunky Doodle 12 years now and I am pleased to report that she is eating well again and is almost over her ear infection. She has a bit of arthritis and the vet said there is some medicine I could sprinkle on her food that would help with that; however, I wanted to wait for the ear infection to be gone first. I hesitate putting anything on her food in case she doesn't like it because then it may cause her to refuse to eat. Has anyone else tried doing this for their cat?
We brought Spunky in as a second cat when she was just a kitten. She was born in May actually to one of the strays that hung out at my dad's home. There were four in the litter but I was attracted to Spunky, not just because she was so cute but also very brave. I saw her trying to climb the tree in front of my dad's house and thought she was very brave and adventurous. I couldn't bear the thought of her having to live outdoors through a Cleveland winter so on July 17, 2004, I brought her home and took her to PetSmart for her shots.
rolling in the driveway weeds at my dad's house as a kitten
Stretching out on my desk in 2004
Spunky has brought laughter into our home ever since! Happy Gotcha Day, Spunky!
Next to our tennis courts used to be two very nice looking basketball courts. There was always a bunch of teens and even some young adults who played up there all the time. The tennis courts were not well maintained but sometimes my husband and I would play there anyway in spite of the weeds growing in the cracks.
the tennis courts
I was saddened to see the basketball hoops taken down, Apparently some of the neighbors complained about the noise and litter that often surrounded the court. Now we noticed it's been repainted so the court markings are gone and replaced with black poles of various sizes and four blue squares.
former basketball courts
We are trying to figure out what this is going to be. Any guesses? I would think they would have kept the nice basketball courts and either fix up the tennis courts instead or put this new thing whatever it's going to be on the tennis courts instead.
We have no idea what is coming here. I'm thinking maybe some sort of skateboard park perhaps but doubt if the neighbors would be happy with that.
There are a bunch of big, colorful snails in the Cleveland Public Library garden downtown that caught me by surprise when I went to read there on my break.
Library Garden Snails
This are all over the garden and even some are bigger than these! I have no idea why they are here, but that's not all. On the window sills of the library are some wolves (not pictured) and meerkats as well!
Meerkats on high window sills of library
Everyone at work who was out and saw these the first day they appeared came back buzzing about them. Some thought they were cute and others thought it was absolutely ridiculous to have these plastic animals all around. I only saw them at the library though.
Any thoughts? Personally, I thought it created kind of a fun, happy atmosphere as they looked down on me when I walked to and from work at lunch and on my breaks.
The new tiger exhibit at the Cleveland zoo just opened in early June and we have been there at least three times to see the tigers become more active and adjust to their new exhibit.
male tiger just outside his enclosure
The male tiger is still very cautious and has not ventured very far out of his enclosed area, but the female tiger seems to really like it.
The walkway for the tigers above the people
When we went on the 4th of July, it was a cool morning and we got there early to see the tiger walk around the whole exhibit including the bridge that enables them to walk above the people!
It was really fun watching her and following her along wherever she went. It was the first time I ever saw a tiger being so active. When we first got there, she was eating a big piece of meat on a log.
Did you ever see such a happy tiger?
She would stop and pose so the people could take her picture!
Other fun animals who were very active that day were the Grizzly bears wrestling with each other in the water. All 5 elephants were on the same side of the exhibit kind of close together and the male was having a great time playing in the mud hole. We spent three hours there and had a great time watching the animals.
We LOVE the zoo, how about you?
We also played a game of tennis, read on our porch, enjoyed our pets, watched a movie and some of the Indians game. Hope you enjoyed your holiday too!
Hard to believe so many people have no clue what we are celebrating on the 4th of July! I'm no history buff, but at least I knew more than these people. I thought I'd post this to help those who read my blog who may also not have a clue what we are celebrating.
Seven years ago we met a shepherd, Norwegian Elkhound mix dog named Gabby. This is the dog I discovered through Pet Finder and emailed Barb after Gerard said he thought he'd like this one. She was 5 years old. Here is the link where we found her: www.petfinder.com. It turns out Gabby only had that name about a week so we can rename her. We just dropped the "G" and named her Abby.
Abby looks happy to be with Karen
In preparation for Gabby's visit, I moved the cat food up to a table and a desk. Spunky Doodle and Manny aren't thrilled about this, but I noticed food was eaten during the day while we were at work. In the evening when I saw them looking where it used to be, I moved it down for them temporarily. I also applied Frontline to them to protect them from the fleas, ticks and whatever else it protects from that may come in on the dog. Spunky was pretty easy, but Manny took awhile because he kept moving away from me and rolling over on his back. I finally got it applied while he was eating.
Abby feels very comfortable with Gerard.
Gerard was so excited he waited outside for the dog to arrive and almost immediately took it for a walk to the corner and back. We are all smiles as you can see, except for Spunky and Manny. Spunky Doodle was pretty brave and stood her ground when I brought the dog into the dining room on the leash and then went to hide behind the gold chair and later under the bed. Manny; however, didn't waste any time going into hiding but after awhile, both cats came out and acted normal, just not around the dog yet.
The cats discuss the new member a few days later in this video:
Abby has had lots of experiences since she's been with us. We took for for training at PetSmart shortly after we got her (as soon as I could convince Gerard it was a good idea). She easily passed and became a Canine Good Citizen. During her training, she was attacked by two Rottweilers while on her evening walk and was in critical condition. With lots of prayer, God's mercy, our love and Abby's determination, she pulled through, making a full recovery and brought cheer to lots of people during her four years of nursing home visiting.
Abby is a great dog and we are so happy to have her! Even the cats have accepted her well and she never bothers them except if she barks loud, then they run.
I had a great start to my vacation today. The weather is sunny and 80 degrees, pretty blue sky with a nice breeze. After breakfast at Golden Coral (paid for with a gift card), we visited the Cleveland Zoo determined to get some pictures of the tigers in their new exhibit. The exhibit is 1 acre which is about 10 times bigger than what they had before and with so much more! They are slowly being introduced to it but at least we got to see both the male and female tigers in it. The female was walking around quite a bit when she was let out of the inside enclosure.
275 lb. female tiger saying hello to the visitors
She settled down in a shady spot under a big log. They also have what they call climbing posts that look like telephone poles without the wires. The volunteer told us that the tigers will eventually climb these poles to get some meat that will be placed on top for them as they get more comfortable in the exhibit.
There is also a long ramp they can walk up that crosses over where the people stand to watch through the glass. There are a couple pools of water, one on each side and lots of grass with some logs to crawl on and small bushes. It is so much nicer than what they had before and I'm sure the tigers will be happy to be able to stay outside at night as well.
Male 375 lb. tiger
We look forward to checking on them often to see them discover all the new things they can do. I would love to see them climb those poles! Down the road, the zoo is planning to get some tiger cubs, but not from these two who are in their teens. That will be something to see, but for now, we'll enjoy watching these two big cats!
After the zoo, we rested for a bit and then played some tennis and now I'm ready to do some reading on the porch while Gerard and Abby go for their walk. Loving being off work today!
I just finished reading Inside the O'Briens this week and although I generally did not enjoy this book, I did learn a lot about Huntington's Disease and how families are affected by it. It was thought provoking which inspired me to write this post.
When Joe, a Boston cop with a loving wife and four grown children, (some of whom still live at home), suffers from lack of balance, slurred speech, angry outbursts, random jumping and fidgeting and not even being aware he is doing it, he tries his best to keep his job and get a decent pension to provide for his wife after he is gone. Unfortunately, he has to quit early and will only get about 1/3 of his pension. He finds out from a lawyer that unless he divorces Rosie, she won't get anything because it will all go to pay for the assisted living place he most likely will end up in like his mother did.
I must say, I agree with Joe's thinking when he considered killing himself. Here is an excerpt from page 268 that really rings true to me (Yaz was Joe's little dog that died recently):
Joe thinks of Yaz. He lived a good, full life. And then, when his quality of life drained away, they didn't make him suffer. Yaz's end was peaceful and dignified, fast and painless. Five seconds after the vet's injection, he was gone.
It was the humane thing to do. Joe takes note of the word human in humane, and yet that kind of "human" compassion is reserved only for animals, not for people. There is no five-second injection option for Joe. Doctors aren't allowed to be humane with humans. Joe and everyone like him will be expected to suffer and suck it up, to endure zero quality of life while being a burden to everyone held dear until the bitter, gruesome end.
We all hope we never get to the place where we can't take care of ourselves, but many do. I just think it would be nice to have the option of a lethal injection to speed up the inevitable and spare all the pain and suffering.
In the book, Joe did not commit suicide. His daughter, Katie, changed his mind with the following words from page 273:
We don't know anyone else with HD. You're the only example we have. We're going to learn how to live and die with HD from you, Dad. . . . . We don't know what's right and wrong when it comes to HD. But whatever you do, that's the advice you're giving us.
Today Manny Boy is 11 as we celebrate Manny's Happy Gotcha Day! We got him from a friend who could no longer keep him when he was 3 (thanks, Kim). Here is a short video of when we first got him. It's hard to believe it's the same cat, but I just knew he'd come around. You really need to watch both videos to get see the transformation. He let me pet him real nice when I went to meet him in his home but his first mom giving him away and being relocated was quite hard on him. (Turn up your volume to hear Manny)
Our two cats would like to be pictured on the Alley Cat Allies 2017 calendar. Please let us know in the comments which picture of each cat you think we should submit.
Manny Boy:
#1
#2
#3
#4
Spunky Doodle:
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
Mr. Moe:
#10
#11
#12
#14
#13
Please vote for your top 3 in the comments. Thanks for your help!
1) A man in the Netherlands built this replica of Noah's Ark which was on display there for several years and actually plans to sail it around the world and use it to tell stories of God's love. I would love to go into it. (See video on previous post.)
2) Unfortunately our doctor passed away. We've had him so long, I forgot how I even found him in the first place. I liked him because he was funny and also, thanks to his quick action, got me to a surgeon who was able to remove my breast cancer back in 2009. It's not so easy finding a doctor but after several calls I finally got one!
3) When I went in our basement, I noticed a piece of the interlocking molding in the corner fell down. I tried to snap it back into place, so far, so good.
4) After trying to add Tracfone minutes using the phone several times without success (kept getting message that I should "try again later"), I went to the website and only needing the PIN for adding the minutes and the telephone number, had success after just one try!
5) I didn't know adult coloring existed until I saw this post on Facebook:
6) My bus is off schedule coming home - have to wait almost an hour for it going home. It's very frustrating! I wonder if I just miss one and if I left a few minutes earlier I'd make that. Bus driver said traffic is all backed up because a main street is down to just one lane. Who knows how long that will be?
7) I was surprised to hear on the news this morning that Lyft is planning to test drive the first driverless taxi within the year! Wow, this reminds me of a book I recently read about five teens being transported 30 years into the future in Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs.
I'd love to hear about things you learned this week and which of these are most interesting to you!
