I Want This Spread, Mom!

We have a polar bear bedspread that my dad gave us for Christmas one year that we always use during the winter months.  Unfortunately, our Roxy has developed a habit of jumping on our bed several times a day and ripping it up.  I am not a sewer, but really like this bedspread so tried mending it.  I finally got all the tears sewed up and now see she just made another one!  UGH.  Apparently, she must figure if it gets too bad I'll let her have it for her bed.  I already gave her my old coat to make it softer and more comfy for her, but I think she wants this bedspread.

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I Am Eating Veggies Again!

I like vegetables, but don't like many raw.  For years I avoided getting them because canned vegetables, although good, were so high in salt.  The canned peas in the picture have 300 mg of salt!  My new find, frozen Bird's Eye bags have zero salt!  That's right, none!  And, they taste very good!  I can put the whole bag in the microwave for 4.5 minutes for the corn and peas and 6 min. for the green beans.  Wait 1 minute, then easily tear open and dump them into a bowl.  Each bag has about four servings.  

I am so excited I found something healthy to eat that is easy to fix and that I like eating!  

Since I saw a doctor specializing in kidney disfunction and my health scan last November indicated I was pre-diabetic, I am trying to eat healthier and stay away from pastas, rice, salt and bakery.  I was eating these things every day so now I only have them maybe once a week or less.  I want to avoid Diabetes!  

Here is a list of other changes to my diet that I have made over the years:

When working:                                    Since retired:

had a donut every Friday . . . . . . . . . . Dec. of 2019, had only about 5 donuts

2 big slices of pizza 3 days a week . . . Individual Lean Cusine Spinach frozen pizza less than once a week

                                                                Added an apple every day (kidney advice)

                                                                Added blueberries on my cereal (kidney advice)

                                                                Added pineapple almost every day (kidney advice)

                                                                Cut out Calcium vitamin (kidney Dr.'s advice)

                                                                Cut down to 1 Vitamin D3 a day instead of 2 (kidney Dr.'s advice)

                                                                Cut down on chocolate 

                                                                Replaced protein bars with granola bars (diabetic nutritionist)

                                                                Eating mostly fish (salmon, cod, some tuna), chicken, turkey

                                        Usually only drink Joint Juice and water

Do you follow your doctor's advice?  I try!  

 

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Spunky Doodle Crosses the Rainbow Bridge at Age 17

The hardest thing about pet ownership is watching your beloved pet deteriorate to the point when it's time to let them go and have them put down.  Spunky Doodle was born feral and I took her in as a kitten.  She lived with us for 17 years and 2 months.  Although she was never a lap cat, she was very playful and would sleep next to me in my bed every night for quite a long stretch.  

She threw up a lot during a long stretch and had to only eat special Royal Canine food for renal support, but still was active and acted normal.  We enjoyed her playfulness with our other cats and I loved playing all sorts of different games with her. 
She was quite the entertainer and made me laugh a lot over the years.  I never once regretted bringing her home.  

Over the past year she developed a tumor which we had tested and was told it was not cancerous.  However, it kept growing bigger and bigger.  At first, I couldn't even see it and just was able to feel a slight bump on her right side, but then I saw it.  Her jumping up on things came to an end and so did her sleeping with me.  I lifted her onto her cat tree, carried her up to the den so she didn't have to climb the stairs.  The vet gave her a steroid which helped with her appetite, her eating so she didn't throw up so much and it seemed she had more energy.  She actually did pretty good for about two months until the last couple weeks when I noticed she was walking around less and less, having a hard time getting in and out of her litter box.  Sometimes, she'd even step in her waste and the litter would get caught in between her toes--yuck!  I decided it was time to let her go.  She was not well and not enjoying her days.  

It helps knowing I did the right thing for her, but I still miss her and am heartbroken.  The last trip to the vet for her was Tuesday and I just carried her in the pink cat bed instead of putting her into a carrier.  

This is the shirt I got from Spunky Doodle on Sweetest Day this year.

You can view videos of Spunky (as well as my other cats) on my YouTube Channel here.

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My Dog Must Be a Magician!

Look, no tags mom!  It's a mystery!  This morning when we were putting her leash on, my husband noticed her tags were missing.  Yet, the ring they hung on was still closed tight!  Can't figure out how they came off or where they are.  It's so frustrating.  This is about the fourth time they fell off.  I looked all over the house and retraced our last walk of the day yesterday. but couldn't find them.  

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Bad Dog!

Biggest Bruise I ever had--thanks, Roxy!

Had an adventurous walk Saturday morning with our dog--went all the way to Brookpark, then over to W. 54th and home. Roxy rolled on some weeds that were just sprayed with weed killer on Brookpark, then pulled me over face first when she ran after doing a roll on some wet grass and had her leash between her legs. I let up on the leash a bit because I didn't want Roxy getting hurt, but then I got hurt instead (At least she did stop after I fell down)! Fortunately, just scraped my left knee and bruised my right upper leg because I had keys in my pocket that I fell hard on--stupid keys! Mostly I fell on the grass which was good! She is very strong and I hadn't braced myself enough to stay up.

A lady driving by stopped to make sure I was all right. My husband told her I needed a ride home but she was on her way to work. Another guy stopped too and was going to call an ambulance but I was able to get up on my own and could walk so told him I didn't need one.

I was able to walk the rest of the way home in pain (about 40 min.). The whole walk took 2 hrs. and 15 min. We washed off Roxy when we got home and I put Bactine and ice on my wounds. My knee wasn't hurting at all when I got home, but now it is a little. My upper leg hurt more but feels okay when I rub it. Praise God didn't break anything!!!! Went to Urgent Care in afternoon to make sure because had big dark bruise by 4:00. Now Gerard knows how I feel when he falls. Don't think we'll be doing this walk again!

Sorry mom, didn't mean to hurt you!

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