Crocheting in Georgia

We're still here...

2012-01-29T12:45:00.001-05:00

My Weezie at the lake yesterday

Weezie looked so pretty after her brushing. Weezie does not love the camera like Gizzy did and in order for her to look at me, I have to make shrill and unusual sounds.

See? I used to do that to Gizzy when I wanted him to tilt his head, but he was ALWAYS looking at me, especially when I had the camera. He was such a ham!

Gizzy loved being brushed with his pink brush, especially under his chinny-chin-chin!

When provoked with a squeaky toy, Weezie can be cute and coy, but it takes a lot of coaxing to get her to come out of her reserved shell.

Weezie often looks so sad and deep in tought. She is coming around in appearance, but not yet too much emotionally. She's not an affectionate dog, but I know she acknowledges me as her mommy, because when someone else takes her leash (like my neighbor) she will not budge and go with her, but stay by my side. I suppose it has to do with her having had three other homes before me.

Weezie sitting on the table where Gizzy used to sit and Romeow looking out of his carrier. He likes watching the ducks when I feed them and they get really close to him. Sometimes I stick a duck feather in there for him to smell and play with. He really is a sweet cat when he's not all charged up.

My Gizzy last year at around this time.

When I walk around the lake I constantly hear that song in my head: "I keep seeing you in all the old familiar places..." and tears start flowong...and then I feel bad for Weezie and Romeow because I'm bringing sadness into their lives and that's not fair, but I can't stop grieving the loss off my boy. He was a VIP to me, a very important Peke!

Yesterday is the first time I actually was able to sit at the place where Gizzy and I always sat by the lake to do our bonding and communing with nature. I brushed and combed Weezie's fur like I did Gizzy's and she enjoyed it tremendously. She laid down and closed her eyes to soak up the sunshine while I brushed one side and then the other. It was an exceptionally nice day yesterday and it looks the same today. It's been a mild winter and I'm dreading it ending.

Weezie is not an affectionate dog, and neither was Gizzy, so I'm used to not being showered with kisses, but it would be nice to have someone show me that they actually liked me once in a while. Weezie is a sweet dog. She loves everyone, especially children. She's calm and mellow and endures all kinds of crap from my kitten Romeow who is getting on both of our nerves lately. He needs to get neutered next month and I'm hoping that will calm him down some. He's 17 weeks old now and getting bigger and stronger by the minute. Weezie and Romeow still play together, but not as much, because she's not comfortable with him anymore like she was when he was little. He gets very hurtful and mean when he plays. Romeow bites a lot and that's the biggest thing that bothers me about him, the biting!

Romeow will soon need a bigger carrier - he's growing so quickly.

He's skating on thin ice and I'm toying with the idea of giving him back to my manager who gave him to me. She would take him back to her house in the country where he would live with his other 3 siblings and his mother. At least he'd have space to run and get regular meals, but I won't do that till he's neutered and then only if I can't take it anymore, because Weezie comes first. I worry about her eyes constantly, because he's always swatting at her. She lays on the chair sleeping and he ambushes her by reaches up from any corner, swatting up towards her eyes and that just does not sit well with me. I can't keep him in the big dog kennel all day, and when he's out, I can't do anything at all, because I have to watch him like a hawk with a squirt bottle in one hand and a fly swatter in the other. Maybe the neuter will calm him down. He's adorable when he's sweet, but those sweet moments are far and few in between since he's gotten older and bolder. Our apartment is very small - it's like living in a large room - and he needs space to run and work out his energy. I already have some calming spray called Comfort Zone with Feliway to help sedate him, but I'm not sure it is working.

On the other hand, on the rare occasions when he's calm and sweet he sits on me and looks at me with love in his eyes, I just melt. He's so much fun to pet when he purrs and loves on me. He shows me he loves me and the thought of me giving him up just because he's a rowdy young'n makes me feel bad. I really believe and hope that he will outgrow this hurtful phase and become a very loving, mellow cat. My only concern ins Weezie's eyes and that's what really upsets me. If it were just him and I, I could live with it better, but Weezie does not deserve to have her eyes scratched out.

I take him on our walks with us, but of course, he's inside his carrier, because we have too many cat-hating dogs running lose and he'd have his neck broken in an instant if he were only on a harness and a leash. He needs some protection. I once had one of the big spotted hunting dogs (who lives by the lake) run up to me with his teeth showing. He looked like he meant business, because he smelled a cat and his fur was raised on his back. Thank God his owner was pulling out of the driveway and when I screamed bloody murder, he put on his breaks, got out of his truck and got his dog back. He apologized and reprimanded his dog and later - after I was out of sight - I heard him giving his dog a whipping (that's how men train their dogs around here - but better him getting a whipping than Romeow or Weezie being mauled in front of me) but so far, he's never done it again. Whenever the dog sees me, he must remember because he stops and waits to see which direction I'm going and then he slowly goes the other way. I just feel safer with Romeow in an enclosed cage rather than on a leash. There is no leash law for dogs in this city and the majority of people hunt and fish, so there is a lot of big dogs who are trained killers. That's how I keep losing our stray cats. Since I've lived here, we lost four or five cats who got their necks broken by dogs.

Speaking of stray/feral cats. I still feed and trap them for spay and neuter day once a month. I got one of the youngest ones last week. He was one unhappy, hissing and spitting little kitty cat, but I'm glad he got done.

He was about Romeow's age and size and also orange, except with white paws and chest. He has two more siblings, one tri colored and the other black with a white face and I think the cutest. I wish I had a tranquilizer gun to sedate the mother cat and get her spayed, because she's pregnant around the clock and it's getting too much for me to keep up with feeding them all by myself. Besides, with me feeding them regularly, she does not teach the kittens how to hunt, but only to beg from the humans and shows them the way to the cat feeding station. Then when I'm dead and gone, they will all starve because they never learned to forage for food...and yes, cats do starve in the wild. My late Middi was skin and bones when I found her here...she would not have lived much longer if I had not took her in and nursed her back to health - and even she ended up getting her neck broken by a dog. She was an outside cat who felt trapped in here and Gizzy hated cats, so cried and cried to be let out to the point it was driving me nuts, so I let her and she only had a couple of days of freedom before the dogs got her. I have a small apartment with very limited space. It's only 800 sqft and the bedroom is off limits because it's full of my yarn and crafts stuff, so imagine being locked up in a big room when you are a cat wanting to run. It's not fair. It will drive them mad too!

Now I have four more of the stray;/feral cats to trap (I didn't catch one last month because it was raining) unless the mother cat (who is impossible to trap) brings me 3 more, but I can barely keep up feeding them anymore and in the summer will have to cut down to once a day instead of twice. I have to wean them off gradually because it's not fair to feed them regularly and then quit cold turkey. Besides, in the summer, I'm probably out of this apartment because the owner of these buildings has started the rebuilding process...so far apartments 1 through 18 have to be empty by the 15th of April and next month is another meeting on the 22nd so I will find out when I have to be gone because I'm in number 22...I will most likely live in another unit on the other end of the complex because management has stopped renting so that there are some empty units for people who have no place to go. Then I'll live in that temporary place for 2 or 3 months and move back here.

My car quit running and the mechanic said he will look at it tomorrow to see what's wrong. Two different people have looked under the hood and said it's probably the coil because it's not firing, not even with a jump from a battery cable and the battery is new and so are the wires because I've had a tune up a few months ago and have not driven it very much.

Next month I have several doctor's appointments, one in particular I'm not looking forward to and that is with my GI to discuss my Hep C treatment, a new treatment that was approved for 2012 and is supposed to be better and more effective than the old. I have the most popular strain of Hep C and the most difficult to treat and this one is supposed to be working better, but still, I have to give myself daily injections (which I HATE) and it will still make me puking sick and depressed and anemic (because it affects the blood) and who wants to move in the middle of that? So, unless my liver is totally shot I'm going to wait till after the move is done! I will discuss my liver chemical profile with my GI next month to see how it compares to last year's and then make my decision - after all a doctor can only recommend and not force! I am known to not take my doctor's advice - if I did, I'd be taken a bunch of pills and inhalers that all have side effects and would have stressed my liver even more. I'm just not a big believer of suffering just to postpone the inevitable for a few months or a couple of years. In my case, I really have not much to live for other than the animals. Romeow can go back to my apartment manager (or my daughter in CA said she would take him) and I have a friend in Michigan who would probably take Weezie. So,what else is there? I go through days where I really want to be with Gizzy because I miss him so much - still - every day I cry for him. I'm pathetic (I know!) but I can't help it! It just sounds like such a busy and strenuous year ahead with the packing and moving - I'm tired just thinking about it, who needs a new and improved Hep C treatment to add to that stress?

In retrospect, Romeow has given me lots of laughs with his antics and here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:

Romeow celebrates Chinese New year: by eating Longevity Noodles (aka Ramen) and really seemed to enjoy not only eating them, but mostly playing with them. (and YES, that is my Christmas tree still up and I don't care - I like the lights at night!)

Romeow and his kitty grass: More than eating it, he loves to dig in the dirt and get it all over the floor

When I bring in my houseplants on cold nights, I have to watch him not only so he won't eat the leaves, but make sure he does not dig out all the dirt...he just loves to jump right into the plants and start digging.

Romeo at play:

Romeow chewing on Weezie's doggy bone

Romeow attacking Weezie

"I'm faaaaaalling"

I gave him a stuffed kitty cat to wrestle with and chew on instead of us - it works only some times.

When he was smaller, he played better on his own, but just a couple of weeks later, and he started to attack me or Weezie for his entertainment.

I have so many cute photos of Romeow, too many to post here, but if you want to go to my facebook site and click here on my photos, you can see them all, if you want. I don't think you need a facebook account to just look!

Facebook Doris' Photo Albums (just click and chose which one you want to see)

I know Romeo loves his Nana Weezie because every chance he gets, he lies down beside her, and Weezie lets him as long as he's calm and quiet, but as of late, she's been hiding from him, not wanting to have anything to do with him because he's too rough.

Attacking Weezie's tail

Weezie's saying "Stop that!"

Gizzy's spot by the lake

An "Awwww" Moment

I have named her Saint Weezie because the most she'll ever do to Romeow when he annoys her is growl or snap towards him, but never bite, and amazingly he backs off when she does that...but all to often I hear her yelp out in pain when he swats or bites her and darts off...

A friend of mine asked me if I did not anticipate that this would happen before I took him in? In all honesty, I did not know what to expect. All I saw is a little helpless 8 week old kitten out on the streets. (At the time the manager still lived here on premises and since she is allergic to cats and can't have them in the house, she put him outside.) I have not had a kitten for decades and Gizzy hated cats. I only adopted adult cats. They both kept their distance. I did not know how Weezie would react and in the beginning, when he was still very young, she loved playing with him, but now, she can't do it anymore. I already had her at the Vet's once for her red eye (which turned out to be not a scratch) but it makes me worry about her eyes...and even if I had to end up giving him back, he would not be any worse off than he would have been before. I only had him for two months and he'd still be with his mother and siblings running free in the country with people to feed them.

I found this new program online called Imikimi and been making all sorts of pretty pictures. They are on facebook, but I want to share some with you. With your indulgence, they are mostly of my precious boy, Gizzy, whom I miss every day. I promise to keep my next post light hearted and less serious, but I've not written for a while and maybe some of you may be interested in reading about my unimportant little life.

I'm giving you the link to all of the pictures I made on facebook, but if you don't want to go there, here are a few I find especially precious:

Imikimi Photos

(I still look for his flyaway ears in the clouds)

Gizzy was indeed my little honey bee - sweet with a bit of a sting!

I found this video and it made me smile:

Till next time!

What has the new year in store for you?

2012-01-01T12:09:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year 2012!

Do you have any plans, goals or (God forbid!) resolutions for the year 2012? I'd like to hear about it.

I"m starting out my year with a bang and am giving Weezie "the works" by taking her to the Vet on the 3rd for blood work (including a thyroid check), heart worm test, then a dental (and probably some extractions) and a chest x-ray to see about her heart and a picture of her throat while she's sedated from the dental...she's probably never had a dental and I know her teeth are bothering her. She can't chew hard food which is why she was underweight when I got her. She's gained over two pounds since she's been living with me (10/15/11) and now she's probably at her normal weight at 12.4 lbs. She's a bit bigger than Gizzy and has a different body structure and she's just as sweet as can be. Bless her for having so much patience with her pesky Romeow cat!

After that, I have some medical needs of my own, i.e. eye doctor, dentist - and that's a biggie. I've not been to the dentist for years and will probably need a bunch, but my biggest obstacle will be two things 1) packing and moving into another unit, because our apartments are being refurbished from the ground up and we'll have to relocate for two to three months into anther unit or another location.

2) My next biggest challenge will be undergoing the new Hep C treatment that was approved for 2012 and is supposed to be more effective than the old one but since it still causes severe anemia, depression and change in appetite and vomiting, I will have to wait till I can pack before starting those injections that I have to give myself (...and I hate, hate, hate needles) ... so that will be something I'll need courage to work myself up to...and will probably try to post pone. I have another appointment with me GI at which time I'll try to negotiate stalling...(can you blame me?)

And, if by the end of the year I have any strength and money left, then maybe - I can actually plan on flying to Germany. I've not seen my family in Germany since 2004 and my dad turned 84 in Decmeber and my mom turned 85 in December. Both are in good health and spirits, but at that age one just never knows...

One good thing, though, when I go through that miserable, God-forsaken Hep C treatment, I will probably lose a lot of weight, so that I can fit into one of those dinky, tiny airplane seats again for when I fly to Germany...and if not Germany, I could maybe fly at least to California (which is probably equally as far in distance) to see my daughter, Christie, whom I've not seen since I moved to Georgia seven or eight years ago. See how quickly time flies? One minute you just arrived and are uncertain of how long you can stand it, next thing you turn around to find yourself planted here for nearly a decade.

Your turn! What is on your agenda for 2012?

Here's a little Romeow video I took a couple of days ago:

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T09:46:00.002-05:00

A beautiful little clip to put things back into perspective - it's a wonderful world if we only stop and look, listen and hear!

Bless you all, my dear friends, and Happy New Year from me, Weezie and the Romeow (whose growing as a weed)

They play every morning

Romeow always ambushes his poor Nana Weezie

His newest hiding place

As if I didn't have enough stuff in my desk drawer...

Weezie looks punished modeling one of my crocheted doggy coats

Nana Weezie and her pesky Romeow

Romeow wearing a doggy coat his Aunti Sandi gave him because her little Shi-Tzu, Sophie, outgrew it...it's still kind of big on him, but he didn't keep it on very long. He looks cute in pink even though he's a boy!

He's growing like a weed. He'll be 13 weeks in just a couple of days.

Last, but not least a couple pictures of my boy Gizzy, whom I miss every single day:

(Gizzy loved walking around the lake leisurely and stopping to look along the way)

(Gizzy is standing on our table where we stopped to bond with each other and nature)

(Gizzy bottom left, visiting with friends around the lake)

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering" (a quote from Winnie the Pooh)... that's what Gizzy taught me when we were by the lake together! He really soaked up life and cherished being outside!

I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year, love and joy to you and your furbies!

Prosit Neujahr!!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and apologize for not blogging. My heart is not into many things these days. I'm surprised I got my Christmas tree up this year, but I have not sent any cards, nor done much to celebrate. I love Christmas, but I suppose I miss Gizzy more right now.

This is my Christmas tree. Romeow learned "NO" with the help of a water spray bottle.

If it weren't for Weezie and Romow, I'd probably sleep through Christmas and hibernate for the winter.

Romeo makes me laugh with his crazy kitten antics, even though he's taken to pouncing and biting, but I'm hoping he'll outgrow that soon...he's now almost 12 weeks old and is growing very quickly.

I hope to be able to resume my blog some time next year and catch up with everyone. Meantime, here are a few funny photos so you can see what poor Weezie (and I) have to endure, but at least she has thick fur:

Ride 'em, cowboy!

Oh, really?

Weezie, beware of the headless kitten from out of space...

Mauling Nana Weezie!

Little monkey kitty reaching for trouble...

Weezie's got him on his back!

Hanging on to the suspended red lobster toy

Pouncing the tail

Poor Nana Weezie is exhausted!

And here's a You Tube video of them both playing (I sound stupid, just turn off the volume!)

Weezie and Romeow playing

2011-12-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

Happy 84th Birthday, Papa!

2011-12-12T16:12:00.001-05:00

My dad during an outing in the Frankonian Alps in September of this year. Not bad for a guy his age! I'm very blessed to have such a healthy dad and he sounds wonderful over the phone, not at all his age. Here's a photo of his Birthday Torte that his wife baked for him:

When I called they were having a Birthday party with coffe, cake and playing cards. It's a long standing family tradition to play cards with my dad on his Birthday. Happy 84th and many, many more!

All I want for Christmas...

2011-12-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

I miss you so much, Gizzy!

Romeow is 9 weeks old

2011-12-06T00:17:00.000-05:00

Hope you enjoyed this little video of my kitty boy playing!

Meet Romeow

2011-11-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

I think I found something for Weezie to do...apparently she loves kittens.

The manager said it's a boy and that's why I call him Romeow!

Enjoy the videos. If you can't play them on blogger, you can use these links:

Weezie's kitten and

Weezie is kitty sitting

Ashes to ashes!

2011-11-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

I'm glad now Gizzy's here with me instead of in the ground:

Today I was awakened by the sound of Gizzy's voice...he had this special yawn/whine when he wanted me to wake up to go outside...well, that's exactly what I heard with such loudness and clarity, that for a second I thought it was really him. When my eyes popped open, I saw Weezie soundly sleeping on Gizzy's Orthopedic mattress... and I remembered that today was the day I had to pick up Gizzy's cremains from the Vet.

When I returned from picking up Gizzy's urn, I found a package on my front porch that a Facebook friend sent me to help console me with some German goodies from Aldi's.

Best of all was the card that she made for me with Gizzy faces all over...inside and out!

I realized that in a way, Gizzy is taking care of his mommy indirectly because the gift was sent because of his passing.

Thank you, Elaine, and thank you Gizzy. I do not feel that I am worthy, but I accept with gratitude and humility for if it weren't for my boy, I would not be eating rum cake and cookies right now.

I'd rather have Gizzy back instead of the gifts, but since that's not possible, I am so thankful for the blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T16:33:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for many things in my life, but today, I am celebrating my memories of my Gizzy and I am thankful to have had 11 wonderful years with him. I will be even more thankful, when remembering our time together won't hurt so much.

I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. May you be surrounded by loved ones, no matter what shape or size...live in the moment and soak up being together for life is short and often cruel.

I know it's difficult to do sometimes, but make yourself be still and sit, listen, hear and allow yourself to just be...that's what Gizzy taught me!

I was truly blessed!

Our last Christmas

2011-11-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

I never intended to share this video when I took it because I sound so stupid, but now I'm glad I have it to share with you to bring a smile to your face. I love to remember our tug-o-war games that he loved to play and I always let him win!

For those of you that can't watch it, here is the link for you to click on:

Gizzy playing tug-o-war

Enjoy!

Thank you!

2011-11-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone for your condolences and kind words. It will take some time to recuperate for it was a quite sudden loss. By the time Gizzy was diagnosed with kidney failure on Nov. 4th, just 3 days after his 14th Birthday, he went downhill really quickly.... in a way it's good he didn't linger for too long, but it all seems like a nightmare to me. I am very comforted by having Weezie and I'm amazed at all the kindness and support of my friends in cyberland. You are so caring and kind. God bless you all for being so sweet to me.

Someone on Facebook made a couple of Gizzy graphics that I wanted to share with you:

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." (Author Unknown)

Gizzy is gone!

2011-11-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

It still feels unreal to me and the house is so empty (even with Weezie here) yet the silence seems so overwhelmingly loud, screaming at me - where is my boy?

The photo is of Gizzy sleeping his last night with me last night and he let me know in no uncertain terms that he was too tired to go on. I had the Vet check him over and he agreed as did a couple of my friends who helped me cope this morning. I know that I did the right thing and prolonging his life would have been cruel. This boy was a good dog and he deserved to leave with some dignity. He was very proud and wanted to be clean and handsome - even to the very end. Gizzy, you have left a hole in my heart the size of a crater and I will never ever forget my big little boy with the fly-away ears. Thank you for giving me such wonderful times and please, wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge! I love you and miss you so much!

Gizzy not doing so good

2011-11-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

(Gizzy and Weezie yesterday morning)

I've not been online very much, except to obtain some advice and information on kidney failure in dogs. I spoke with the Vet yesterday and he says I'm doing all I can do for him. I have been pureeing Gizzy's food and feeding him in a dropper for almost two weeks. He hates it, but I do it anyway, even though I know he doesn't like me for it. He loves being clean, so I clean him up and brush him when we sit outside by the lake and tell him how handsome he looks. He is a very proud boy and will be to the end.

(Gizzy yesterday morning)

He loves just sitting by the lake and watch - so I made him a little head rest from the towel because he's so tired that he has trouble holding up his head.

This morning, he was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, wanting to go outside when it was still dark, so I took them both outside and had my coffee on the back porch. But now, at 1 pm, he's tired and not eating or drinking his water. I gave him some pureed sweet potato (to help him go potty) and he vomited it all up, so I gave him a little Pepto Bismol, but I know that the end is near.

(Gizzy last night after a drink of water)

(He still looks cute, but I know he feels bad)

I won't let him suffer much longer because it's not fair to him. I will wait a day or two in case he makes a recovery, but if by the week's end he's not any better and continues to refuse food/water and vomiting, then I know I will have to help him along.

(Gizzy this morning)

It's incredible for me to realize how sick he is when he still looks so good, but it happens with people just the same. They can look healthy all the way to the end and many people (or animals) don't look sick when they indeed are very sick.

I've been in a perpetual state of heart ache and crying off and on like a psycho....I know I gave him a good life, but I wanted him to live longer, but I realize, no matter how long a pet or loved one lives, saying good-bye is just as difficult and I would be just as upset if he were 20 instead of 14.

I'm sorry, this is sad news, but I thought that in all fairness, Gizzy's blogging buddies should know what's going on with him. I've lost animals before, but I'm especially attached to this little guy for so many reasons and I am breaking out in rashes all over my body - probably from stress and anguish. Please, pray for my boy and for me so that I know when it's time for him to go...I do not want him to be in pain.

Gizzy's blood test results

2011-11-03T18:36:00.004-04:00

What a day we have had. Without going into too much detail, I'm wiped out...physically and emotionally. Between my noisy neighbor not letting me sleep last night, having night mares and Gizzy having the smelly sqirts on top of everything else that's wrong with him, I got hardly any sleep last night. I had to get up at 5:30 am to be at the Vet's at 7:30 am for Gizzy's X-ray and blood work. I took Weezie for company, only she needed another immunization and her anal glands extracted (which she didn't enjoy.) While Gizzy waited in his holding cell, I drove to McDonald's for coffee and a breakfast muffin, then stopped at the city park with Weezie to walk around since we had so much time to kill and it was too far for me to drive home and back again - what a depressing place that park was (after seeing all that pretty nature right here.) It didn't help me walking Weezie without Gizzy, giving me a taste of what life will be like when he's gone...I wondered if I'll ever be able to feel that big love for another dog that I have for my little boy. He's been my constant companion for 11 years. He moved from CA to GA with me and has been there for me like no other. I will miss him deeply.

After the Vet did Gizzy's chest x-ray, he showed me how much his heart has increased in size since February which is why he's wheezing and coughing...he told me to call him back in the evening for the blood test results.

We didn't get back home till 1 pm and then had to wait for the test results. The Vet called me an hour ago informing me that Gizzy has kidney disease. His kidney functions are 2 1/2 times higher than they should be, which explains him drinking so much water. He decided to not change Gizzy's heart medication, but instead concentrate on the kidneys for now. He is putting him on K/D Science Diet (food for kidney failure) and a supplement called Epakitin, a powder I mix in with his food. I'll have to pick that up tomorrow morning at his Nashville clinic, which is just 22 miles from here, not 47.

Of course, the Vet didn't tell me how much time we have left, but he did say that Gizzy is 14 and there's just so much we can expect. I hope that the special food and medication will help him feel better and that we can enjoy each other for as long as we are given. My life will be empty without him, that's for sure, no matter how many other pets I get. He is and always will be my special boy and of course, there will never, ever be another Gizzy with the fly-away ears!

Gizzy Update

2011-11-01T17:45:00.001-04:00

Instead of going to the Vet in the morning, we went in the afternoon. In the morning, we visited a friend and her two dogs, so Gizzy and Weezie did some exploring and investigating in her yard - how fun! No leashes!

Yes, he CAN walk!

While Weezie is looking at the little fishies in the Koi Pond, Gizzy's strolling along the fence sniffing out Luke, the big, friendly yellow lab next door!

I had to photograph this beautiful Passion flower growing on the vine covering the chain link fence.

They've still not actually touched, but at least manage to get close to each other without grumbling.

After that, we all shared a snack and later, I stopped at Roquemore Park on the way home, only Gizzy wasn't much in the mood for walking...but Weezie was all charged up!

(Weezie off and running over the bridge)

Gizzy sitting near his favorite rock, the Rocky's Bridge boulder

He didn't want to walk, but he didn't want to go home either!

In the afternoon, we went to the Vet who checked his temp and listened to his heart and gave him a Vitamin B12 injection and some canned food that is supposed to be appealing to the sick doggies in the hospital...along with a tongue suppressor so I can smear it on the roof of his mouth LOL! He also watched him walk around the examination room and found nothing wrong with him and we came to the conclusion that he might be a bit on the spoiled side and trying to play on my sympathies for having a Weezie!

I'm going back to his other office in Tifton where he has an X-ray machine, so we can take another picture of Gizzy's chest to see his heart. Dr. Branch will also do some blood work to rule out a few things since Gizzy has been thirsty for the past 4-5 days and can't seem to get enough water. He's also coughing more and all that is probably linked to his congestive heart failure, so the Vet will probably add some Lasix to his prescription of Vasotec. But - for now, he's going to live and I'm on my way out to give them their evening walk/ride and feed the kitty-cats!

I'll let you know what happens on Thursday after I find out the test results. Thanks everyone for caring about my boy. I know I've been a flake lately, but it's not Gizzy's fault that he has a dead-beat mom!

Happy 14th Birthday, Gizzy!

2011-11-01T07:35:00.000-04:00

Momma's Birthday boy!

I'm getting ready to take him to the Vet now because he's been acting listless and strange for the past four days ... he refuses to eat and doesn't want to walk and his heart feels like it's beating faster.

He's scheduled for another chest X-ray on Thursday, but I do not want to wait for his examination, so we are going right now. I will keep you informed.

Hope you all had a good Halloween last night! Ours was quiet!

Happy almost Halloween!

2011-10-29T01:41:00.003-04:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

I was just goofing around on JibJab and I used photos of me, my friends Sandi and Terri and of course, Gizzy and Weezie! I think it's funny! Get your candy ready!

p.s. in case you don't recognize me, I'm Count Dracula LOL

Spay/Neuter Clinic tomorrow

2011-10-24T20:48:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's time again for our monthly spay/neuter clinic. I got a better trap delivered today and within a couple of hours of putting the trap out there, I found two cats inside this time. That makes up for the time when I didn't capture any.

These two are not happy, but are at least not screaming like the orange one last month, maybe because they are trapped together - father (right) and son.

We call him Daddy Leggs because he's a rough and tough Tom Cat who is responsible for all the kittens around here. The young black one trapped with him is his son (or daughter) and I call him Blackie.

Papa Leggs, the guardian of his flock.

I call him/her Blackie - I really like this kittie cat. He's a little monkey, always wrapping his tail around things.

And now, off into the shower with Weezie. She's got yeast on her skin and I have to bathe her with this special shampoo every other day for three weeks, plus she gets a pill every day for three weeks, and after that she needs to be bathed with this shampoo at least once a week to control the yeast problem, which is a side effect of allergies. Never a dull moment!

Gizzy is trying...

2011-10-24T00:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was another beautiful day by the lake, so we stopped and lingered a while before going back home. I sat on a bench with Weezie on my left and Gizzy on my right and we watched the ducks and Canada Goose.

When I got up, there was this empty space on the bench, so guess who walked over to whom?

Gizzy waddling over to see Weezie

Your feet smell funny

Are you gonna live with us forever?

I guess it's ok if you do!

Yep, it was a beautiful day!

Autumn Way Down South

2011-10-19T23:24:00.002-04:00

When I was walking back home from our daily morning walk, I took this photo with my little Fujifilm Finepix. It's a little shed that is not a red barn and the tree's leaves matched perfectly!

I added a border to match in Picnik and tonight, a FB friend edited my photo in Photoshop and this is what it looks like...very vibrant!

I think it's beautiful, but not the true color - but she reminded me that nobody needs to know - just like dying your hair, it's nobody's business but your own! Enjoy!

Quick update on Gizzy and Weezie: We are still experiencing some growing pains, had another fight that I broke up (even though people say I should not) ... but all in all, it's going ok, considering my Gizzy was an only child for all these years. He's doing well and I'm proud of him for not being worse! Weezie's a sweetheart and enjoys walking, chasing squirrels and kitty cats and riding in the car with the windows down!

Below are some random photos:

From left to right: Tuffy and Sophie (our walking buddies) Weezie and Gizzy

Babushka Weezie

For comparison: Babushka Gizzy (taken about 8 months ago)

Weezie standing in the front and her friends behind: Sophie (looking sideways) and Tuffinator and Gizzy sitting down on the pine straw!

Gizzy and Tuffy (my friend's dog)

Bye for now...have a wonderful week!

Weezie is home

2011-10-14T17:58:00.002-04:00

(Gizzy's giving her the look)

I've been a bad, bad blogger (hangs her head in shame) but in my defense, I have been a very busy doggy mom for the past week...I picked up Weezie in Valdosta because that's where she was delivered to me all the way from Mississippi. She's an adorable girl and so sweet and easy going, except for the itchies. Poor thing was scratching, chewing and gnawing on herself so that I could not get any rest and was so upset because all I could imagine is a huge Vet bill for ongoing skin problems. But with some adjustments (more walks) some Benadryl and Genesis Topical Spray, I am finally able to sleep through the night and things are slowly falling into place. The Vet said she's about 8 years old and in general good health. There's a few things she still needs, but I have to do that slowly in increments and work it in with the rest of my responsibilities to Gizzy and myself.

(At Banks Lake on the way home from picking her up for the first time - she needed to get out after that long ride in the car from Mississippi to Georgia)

The main thing is, that she's safe, at her forever home and Gizzy and her seem to be, well, not really bonding, but tolerating each other. I'm thankful for small favors and the fact that there were just two small fights and some growling, but all in all, considering she just moved in with us last Saturday, things are going ok. Time, patience and love will take care of things.

(Weezie Mae meeting new friends at Lake Irma)

Weezie loves to walk, walk walk...chase squirrels and eat. She looks bigger than Gizzy because she has longer legs and a longer body, but at the Vet's she weighed only 4 oz more than him. She was 10.6 lbs and he was 10.2 lbs...he's short and stout and she's long and lean!

Weezie LOVES chasing squirrels ....

That's her squirrel she chased up the tree...

Gizzy loves to ride, stroll and torment the duckies, kitties and whatever else is vulnerable to his intimidation tactics. Weezie can hold her own with him. In fact, the last fight they had, she just kind of straddled him with her long legs while he struggled on his back, unable to get up and she just stood there looking, like "what'cha gonna do, big guy?" I had to laugh, only when I picked Gizzy up, his little heart was beating so fast, that I got scared because he does have congestive heart failure and is on heart medication. Tthankfully that only happened once. They just sort of pass each other like two ships in the night and avoid eye contact LOL, but I'm sure that will change in time.

(Weezie and friends at Lake Irma)

I'll post more photos later and I promise to write more often, but I just wanted to thank you for inquiring and asking about us. You are so kind! I'll respond to each and everyone of you real soon!

(Weezie loves her auntie Arlene who is giving her a belly rub - ahhhh)

(Gizzy and Weezie on our morning walk)

Gizzy (l) and Weezie (r) sitting together, but not actually touching.

Between the two of them, they have four dog beds. They take turns sleeping in them all. I think it's their way of learning about one another without actually having to touch!

NOTE to Sandie: I'm on it! I'll send you the tracking number when it goes in the mail tomorrow, but no later than Monday!

Weezie doesn't actually play with toys - that's something Gizzy will have to work on, but she enjoys watching us.

Now I must go for our second walk around the lake...and feeding the kitty cats!

Today is the day!

2011-10-08T06:15:00.000-04:00

I'm nervous and excited - Gizzy and I will have another family member by tonight - pictures to follow....

Weezie update

2011-10-03T13:00:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to thank you for all your kind comments and let you know, I've not forgotten - just been a bit preoccupied with my life...looks like Weezie's coming home this Saturday!

I'm going to the doctor now and then to the post office, but here are some photos I took of Gizzy earlier...he's so darn cute, I can't stand it:

Talking to his auntie Sandi who gave him that soft, blue blankie to share with his sister Weezie on chilly mornings - it's been nice and cool lately, but it won't last - I've seen the forecast.

Enjoying the sunshine after a good brushing.

Practicing strong-hold preparedness for when he plays tug-o-war with his sister Weezie.

Looking picturesque on his windowsill built for two (courtesy of his uncle Bobby-Jack!)

Major snooz session possibly dreaming of his sister Weezie...

Sister Weezie:

I'm off into the shower and then to the doctor's and errand running...see you'll later! Have a great Monday everyone!

In the nick of time

2011-09-29T18:28:00.004-04:00

Today, Sandi and I saved a life in the nick of time. This little pup was scheduled to be euthanized today!

(being in Sandi's arms and in the sunshine is making her smile)

Today, Sandi and I were walking around the lake with our dogs, as usual, when a city truck stopped next to us. The guys inside told us about a small, white dog being in the pound and scheduled to be euthanized today. They thought one of us might want it because we have small dogs.

Sure enough, after driving to the pound and talking to the Animal Control guy, he was going to destroy her today because he's had her for 18 days and they normally don't keep them that long. It took some doing (long story) but we eventually were allowed to bail her out (we split the impound fee) and now she's a happy pup:

"free at last!"

being bombarded by our dogs

Gizzy growled at her at first, but eventually got over it.

"I'm a happy dog!"

(If I wouldn't have already made arrangements to get Weezie, I would have kept her.)

That's all behind you now, little one...bye-bye to the bad place!

We took her to the Vet's since we had to take our own pets anyway. The Vet said she looked like a Wire Hair Terrier. He guessed her at about four-months old and said she'd probably grow to be about 15 lbs or so. He too was glad we rescued her.

little rescue baby sitting in the back seat in the carrier

Gizzy in the front, on the floor between my legs

Sophie on her mama's lap

Then, we took her to Lynn Kent's house, the lady that runs LAPS (the animal rescue group who pays for my feral cats being spayed/neutered at the rate of one per month) and it turns out that she recently rescued her sister because she had one that looked exactly like her. It came from the same place and the Animal Control guy said that someone turned in several puppies like that previously. She's going to get her spayed and vaccinated and adopt her out because she's already received a call earlier about someone wanting a little dog. Since she didn't have any, we think that this little girl will not be homeless for very long.

My heart breaks for the ones we could not help, but one has to rejoice in small victories!

Lynn Kent will speak with the person who is in charge of our town's small animal shed (ahem) shelter and make arrangements to go and rescue dogs out of there instead of having them put down unless it's an owner reclaim (which there hardly ever is.) I feel sad for the ones that we could not rescue, but I feel good about this little one and hopefully the changes in policies.

We're all tired and Gizzy has been sleeping since we got home.

Spay and Neuter Day and a pending Adoption

2011-09-28T17:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I dropped off the one feral cat I caught and another feral cat my friend caught at her house since we had two spots reserved for us. This was a free service provided by an animal group called LAPS (Lanier Animal Partnership & Support.)

Young male in small cage

This is a big boy of Janice's group whom she calls Loverboy and I refer to as Catzilla. As you can see by his open wound, he recently got in a fight over mating rights (hence Loverboy!)

These dogs are all rescue dogs who are now getting spayed/neutered.

The van is being loaded with cats and dogs for the trip to the Vet's in Forida. Bigger cities are closer in Florida than here in GA because we're just 30 miles from the FL border and closer to where the Vet is that is working with this group.

Bigger dogs in kennels in the back and cats in their cages in the front.

There were two Siamese kittens in that carrier

Rebecca, who didn't want her photo taken, carrying one of the cats.

My friend, Janice, holding the instructions for the spay/neuter program. This is held every last Tuesday of the month and we have a standing reservation to bring in one of our stray/feral cats till they're all done. It sounds easier than it is, because there is no guarantee that the strays will go in the cages...so, we just have to hope and pray! I'm grateful that there is this program available in Lakeland, and I wanted to share the good news because it's important to read something positive about animals than always abandonment, pain and suffering, agreed?

I picked up the strays at 6:30 pm yesterday afternoon and I released the orange boy back into the woods with his relatives who are next. It may be difficult for me to get them because they all witnessed the trapping ordeal of their brother with big eyes filled with shock and terror! Maybe they have a short memory!

All in all, there were about 14 animals spayed/neutered yesterday, about half dogs and the other half cats... and that's a good thing!

I am making some little fundraiser items for our upcoming pet costume contest on October 29th in the park. Here I crocheted cat faces around an old cd to use them as coasters or hot pads. They can also be used as wall decorations or ornaments.

And now for the biggest news of my day: This is not quite finalized, but I'm working on finding a volunteer pet transport to help me get this little girl home to me and Gizzy for we are adopting her.

Meet Weezie. She's a 7-year old spayed Pekingese. She's a rescue dog. She was found when she was about one year old in Biloxi, MS, wandering around outside during Katrina. Then she lived with an elderly lady who ended up in a nursing home a couple of years ago. Weezie has been living with her foster mom for the past two years. They would never think of puting her in an animal shelter, but the financial burden with four other pets and three children is becoming too great. I can totally understand that. I've been communicating with Weezie's owner extensively and she wants no adoption fee, just reassurance that she will go into a good home. I guess she could contact you guys, because you all know how I dote on my boy. Doesn't she sort of look like him? When Gizzy was younger, he looked even more like her.

(Gizzy's photo below)

Doesn't he look like Weezie's older brother? Gizzy and Weezie - I can't wait!

Froggy Swap Package

2011-09-27T10:01:00.006-04:00

I participated in a frog swap that was hosted by Valery of "Yarnigras Swapper Spot" and I received the package from my swap partner yesterday. I just wanted to share all the wonderful, handmade items it contained. I can't get over the creativity and talent wrapped in one box that Gizzy had to help me unpack, of course!

I'm smitten with the felted crocheting frog who has beads attached to her yarn spelling "rip-it"...how clever ist that? She's going to be my constant crochet partner reminding me with her big, toothy smile that when at first you don't succeed, just rip-it and try again!

I can't get over the detail and workmanship Sherry put into making those two, decorated match box ornaments. They're simply adorable and they each have a little surprise hidden inside. Here's the frog prince with his loot::

and here is the little frog witch matchbox ornament:

(I love the little sticker that says "Ghoul's Best Friend)

I also got three little draw string pouches made from very cute frog pattern material and a really pretty blue lining to match. Here's a photo of two of them.

I love the pattern and you can tell that they're very well made.

And if that wasn't enough, I also got these adorable gift tags with froggy sayings on them:

It's difficult to read what it says on the photo here, so I'm going to tell you the clever little inscriptions:

Toad-ally happy for you, You make my heart leap, Sorry I frog-got and You're un-frog-gettable! Aren't those clever?

Here's a photo of the items I sent to my froggy swap partner, Sherry, who also has a shop on Etsy called "A Pinch of This - a Dash of That" (in case anyone is interested in her work.)

I'm glad Sherry liked the gifts I sent her. She said that she wore my crocheted frog hat all day on Saturday when she got the package.

I think I'm off to do some crocheting now with my new froggy crochet partner - I just love her!

p.s. the cats are loaded and off to Florida to the Vet for their spay/neuter ordeal. I took photos and will post about it tomorrow after I take more pictures at 6:30 pm when we have to go and pick them up.

This is for you, my dear, faithful, patient and forgiving blogging friends:

Have a wonderful day!

Trapped and unhappy

2011-09-26T09:31:00.004-04:00

I set the traps this morning and got one right off the bat. It's one of the younger, orange ones and he's one unhappy kitty-cat....I have to be careful how I handle the cage because he's all over it. I put a pillow case over the trap so he at least stopped crying and seems more calm now. I have to keep him all day until I drop him off tomorrow morning at 7 am for the spay/neuter clinic. (The animal organization who sponsors these low cost spay/neuter clinics pays for the spay or neuter of one feral cat per month. The reason I got two spots this time is because I didn't trap one last month and they had the room to squeeze me in.) IF I do n ot catch another by the end of the day, I will see if my friend wants to include one of her 20 odd strays that she feeds at her house. Many of "hers" are quite tame and can be put in a carrier easily, so I hope she's home for me to get one of hers so that we can use the two spaces that they reserved for me.

I don't know what gender this cat is, but I'm glad I got at least one...thus far!

I'm thankful that most of my neighbors sleep in, so that I can do this with minimal interference because everyone would want me to take this cat to the pound or dump him someplace out in the woods "since I've already trapped him" .... people don't understand that cats have no chance in this state. They're even harder to place than dogs. At least people can "use" dogs but cats are like squirrels and some people use them for pit bull bait (just like little stray dogs) - why do you think we have hardly any dogs in our local shelter and why you have to have an appointment to come in and see it... think about it...or not!

Anyway, this cat will be spayed/neutered tomorrow morning and then I'll pick him up in the afternoon and release him back here. He's in the house with me now and quiet as a mouse. Guess the pillow case calmed him down. Poor thing! It's so dramatic for him (or her.)

I still have one trap sitting outside, but it's an old rust bucket and the food has already been eaten out of it. When I tested it, it only snapped closed if pressure is applied just so on a specific location of the lever....I will continue to put food in it throughout the day and hopefully I won't trap an opossum

Happy Monday everyone!.

Small daily adventures

2011-09-23T19:39:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago, I saw my very first live snake whilst walking around the lake.

I was spying on this Great Blue Heron as he was fishing for his breakfast when I encountered this oak snake that I was later told is harmless.

I was hiding behind a tree in order to get closer to the bird and that's when I noticed the snake in the grass (no pun intended.)

(my friend Sandi looking at the snake)

I always keep my distance with wild (and unfamiliar) animals...unless they're incredibly cute like this little green tree frog that was clinging to my Ginger Lily out on the front porch this afternoon.

After the first flash of my camera, he quickly retreated inside the leaves and was sleepily peeking up at me. You can't tell from looking at it here, but this little fella was only about an inch or so big.... clearly a baby!

I wanted to reach for him and hold him, but I knew it would only scare him away.

My Ginger Lily is blooming again (for the third or second time this year) and the fragrant blossoms have a scent similar to Gardenias.

I cut one blossom off today (for the first time) and put it in a vase inside my apartment. It's sitting on my computer desk so that I can enjoy its aroma whilst typing.

Today, the little kindergartners had their annual autumn walk around the lake, so Gizzy and I stayed and watched all the little ones walk by, carrying their plastic baggies full of collectibles, i.e. leaves, sticks, etc.

One of my friend's grand daughter and her mommy were there too. Haley is such an adorable little four-year old girl.

She kind of reminds me of a young Drew Barrymore....look at that adorable cookie dough commercial:

Here's another precious face belonging to one of Haley's little friends:

I enjoyed watching the little ones march by waving hello to me and Gizzy. "Hello, doggy!" they would say and I just answered back in Gizzy's behalf.

My neighbor Terri came walking to the lake with Patches and Gizzy had to sniff hello.

Patches is a young Jack Russell Terrier mix that belongs to another elderly neighbor.

Here's Gizzy and his friends Tuffy and Sophie, the two Shih-Tzus that belong to my friend Sandi.

Our morning walks are leisurely and unhurried. We love to let the dogs explore and get their fill while we look at everything and often stop and rest for a while to soak up nature and offer the dogs some refreshments (i.e. water, snacks) Not a high-energy type of activity, but most enjoyable and a great way for us to start the day. Oftentimes that's the only socializing we do with other people as I and Sandi pretty much stay to ourselves for the rest of the day.

Yesterday I spied a White Egret perched in one of the swamp cypress trees and I actually managed to get a close up. They normally fly away just before I get a chance to come any closer.

The trees used to be full of those white, majestic looking birds, but now I only see one or two flying around. It really is an impressive sight to see a tree full of those big, white birds ... as if it snowed Egrets.

The cats are getting fat and sassy, seeking me out if I'm running a wee bit late for their morning and evening feedings. I have two spaces reserved for our upcoming spay/neuter day next Tuesday. I have two traps and hope and pray that I get at least one.

Here are a few random photos of our "resident" strays:

Here's Papa Leggs, a handsome and fearless warrior tomcat responsible for all the kittens around here. I'm afraid he's too smart than to be trapped by me.

I love to watch the young ones run. They're such goof balls. I can't help but smile watching them in action.

They all run when they see me at feeding times and almost fall all over themselves. I so wish I could pet them and despite myself, I end up loving them as if they were my own.

I think he's so handsome, but he's seen some very bloodied battles - poor thing!

I have a soft spot for this little black one. He (or she) has a habit of wrapping his (or her) tail around things like a little monkey.

I miss you Mr. Bloomers, my blue prince!

He loved doing the roly-poly. He felt like spun silk and was so special to me.

Lastly, a couple more pictures of my silly boy around the house:

I call this his "gator impression"

Here's your cigar (ahem) Pup-Peroni, Gizzy!

I want to wish you all a most wonderful First Day of Autumn.... a day I've been yearning for all summer long. Here's a little poem that I read on my friend Ginny's blog of Let Your Light Shine I want to pass it on simply because I enjoy the poetry of Dr. Seuss:

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn!
How did it get so late so soon?
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Happy weekend - happy Autumn!

Hello dear friends

2011-09-16T06:04:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I appreciate all your kind comments about Mr. Bloomers. I miss him every morning when I open the door and he's not there to greet me... also, I've been kind of down and out, feeling kind of blah and semi-depressed - I think I need a vacation or at least a change of scenery. When I get that way, I usually draw into myself till it's over, so please don't think I've deserted you because I haven't. I know I'll be back to "normal" soon - also, I've been having blogger problems lately. It's too frustrating for me to deal with that computer issue right now, so I'm just letting it go till I feel energetic enough to deal with it. Also, my car's been needing one expensive thing after the other and every month I think I can take a ride to the beach or up north and then I have to come up with a few hundred dollars for the car, but hey, at least I have a car. Autumn starts next week and I'm hoping to take a ride to the beach next month to enjoy a little outing somewhere else. I'll probably take my friend and neighbor Terri along. I also have had some manager/tenant issues - not big, but just irritating - and I just have been keeping to myself.

Gizzy is doing well, but he's getting on in years and sleeps a lot, but we walk every morning and when I miss a walk for some reason, we go at night. It's nice in the mornings, but still too warm at night and pretty hot during the day...we both can't wait for it to cool down. Blessings to you and I'll be around soon to visit!

Have a good day and we'll be back soon!

R.I.P Sweet Prince

2011-09-05T07:58:00.003-04:00

I'm very sad and discouraged for my world feels a little more empty and lonely. Turns out the video I showed you was our last Sunday Morning Stroll together.

I had not seen Mr. Bloomers (aka, The Blue Prince) for a couple of days. You have to understand that he thought he was my cat for he came to my front porch every night and every morning to get his meals and often came inside and even slept in the bedroom during cold nights in the winter. He was part of my life.

When I didn't see him for two days I knew he was seriously injured or dead because he visited me like clockwork. I found him in the bushes yesterday morning and I suspect that the free-roaming hunting dogs have been at it again - like last year when they came through here killing several of our community cats - and now Mr. B is one of them. I tried making him a housecat, but he would not have anything to do with that, especially with Gizzy in here who hates cats.One time, when I lured him in with food, he jumped through the screen window and popped the screen right out. He felt trapped indoors and was simply not happy being inside. I know when you love strays, there's always a good chance you will get your heart broken more than once because strays simply don't live that long, especially not here where dogs roam free, especially dogs who are trained hunting dogs who work in teams. My friend Bobby-Jack came and took Mr. B. to bury him for me. I am not a happy camper today...I suspect there may be some more cats missing since I only saw the three young ones at feeding time ...

When I told my neighbor Terri about Mr. Bloomers, she told another neighbor (that's how it goes around here) and that woman who is a known cat hater, said really loudly, so that I could hear it "I've been praying about those cats - and that's God's way of taking care of things!" Those are the kind of "Christian" people I live with - she's not the only one. My next door neighbor hates cats and dogs too and there is no reason for it. Mr. Bloomers was smart and he never, ever came to their apartments...he only came to mine briefly and he was out of sight all day because he was afraid of people and very shy. Can you believe that woman said that? Wonder what God she was praying to because my God loves his creations and he would never answer a prayer like that! Apparently she also possesses no compassion, because when you know someone lost a pet or something they loved, you don't tell them that you prayed about it being gone? I'm really ticked off at that woman now! I know two wrongs don't make a right, but sometimes it sure would be nice to get some "instant gratification" (if you know what I mean!)

National Honey Board Recipes

2011-09-04T17:49:00.001-04:00

The National Honey Board’s
Most Loved Recipes

Well, folks, our favorite month is upon us – a month to enjoy and appreciate one of life’s simplest pleasures – honey. That’s right! September is National Honey Month and we want to celebrate by sharing with you some of our favorite honey recipes.

Not only is honey diverse in its use – energy booster, skin moisturizer, cough suppressant – but it’s also diverse in its culinary applications. This one, simple ingredient can be used in a multitude of ways, and the recipes below showcase a few that make honey so unique.

Take a moment this September to savor the “sweetest” ingredient of all and to appreciate the humble honey bees that make it all possible.

Harvest Pumpkin Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

Start your day off right with these delicious muffins sweetened with honey. Honey acts as a humectantand retains moisture in baked goods, which results in an incredibly soft, moist muffin. And because of its antimicrobial properties, honey gives baked goods a slightly longer shelf life. Who knew one ingredient had so much functionality?

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup honey

1 egg

1 cup solid pack pumpkin

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light; beat in honey, egg and pumpkin. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just blended; stir in walnuts. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined 2-1/2 inch muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Honey-Curry Vegetable Dip
(makes 6 servings)

This dip pairs perfectly with fresh, crisp vegetables or even sliced sausage and other grilled meats. Honey acts as an emulsifier in dips and sauces, binding ingredients together to make for a smoother texture and more blended flavor.

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Assorted fresh vegetables (celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli)

Combine mayonnaise, honey, curry and vinegar; mix well. Refrigerate about 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Serve with vegetables.

Chicken Fajita Grill with Avocados
(makes 4 servings)

No matter the weather, this recipe is worth a try! Honey is used as a marinade and basting sauce, giving the chicken moisture and unbeatable flavor. As a bonus, the recipe for Honey Corn Cakes is included and is the perfect accompaniment to this smoky fajita grill.

1 to 2 lemons
1/4 cup honeySweet and spicy is the name of the game! Honey sweetness is the perfect balance to a firecracker dish. Here, honey is used as a saucy glaze to impart the most robust flavor while keeping the shrimp moist and tender.
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup snow peas, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 cups cooked white rice, optional
In small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, orange peel and red pepper flakes until thoroughly mixed and cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bell pepper and snow peas; stir-fry 1 minute until crisp-tender. Add shrimp and green onions; stir-fry until shrimp just turns pink, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved soy sauce mixture; cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Serve over cooked rice, if desired.

Asparagus with Honey Garlic Sauce
(makes 4 servings)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 avocados
12 honey corn cakes, recipe follows
cilantro, optional
sliced red pepper, optional
citrus slices, optional

Grate lemon to get 2 teaspoons peel. Squeeze to get 2 Tablespoons juice. Mix lemon peel and juice with honey, cumin, salt and cayenne. Place chicken breasts in bowl. Pour mixture over chicken, turning breasts to coat; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. Place chicken over medium-hot coals or under broiler on foil-lined pan. Cook 5 to 8 minutes on each side, basting with marinade, or until cooked but not dry. Halve, seed and skin avocados. Slice lengthwise. Slice chicken breasts crosswise and serve with avocado slices and honey corn cakes. Garnish with cilantro, sliced red bell pepper and citrus slices if desired.

Firecracker Shrimp
(makes 4 servings)

Each of the flavors in this dish are bold and distinct, but when combined they create a harmony of taste – and honey plays a predominant role. Honey’s naturally occurring organic acids enhance and balance the flavors of other ingredients.

1 lb. fresh asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup dark ale or dark beer

1/3 cup honey

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add asparagus to boiling, salted water (about 1-inch) and cook, covered, about 2 minutes or until barely tender. Drain. Combine mustard, ale, honey, garlic, thyme and salt; mix well. Pour over cooked asparagus.

Honey Macaroon Dessert Pizza
(makes 6 servings)

This is a terrific dessert to make with your kids – easy (and fun!) to make, loaded with fresh fruit and kissed with honey’s sweetness. To see a video demonstration of this recipe, visit our YouTube Channel here!

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup honey

1 tube (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza dough

1/2 Tablespoon butter, softened

1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly packed

1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Whipped cream, for garnish

Fresh fruit, such as berries, for garnish

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Whisk together cream and honey. Reduce over medium low heat by about 1/3, until mixture thickens and develops a light caramel color. Reserve. Shape pizza dough according to package directions. Spread butter over pizza shell. Sprinkle with coconut and almonds. Drizzle with reserved cup honey mixture; spread gently with a rubber spatula shell. Bake at 450° F until crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature. Cut into 6 wedges. Garnish with whipped cream, fruit, and mint sprigs.

Smoked Honey Ice Cream
(makes 1-1/2 to 2 cups)

If you want to make a fancy, melt-in-your-mouth (literally) dessert for your friends, this is the recipe for you. The smoked honey gives this sweetener an even deeper flavor profile while also giving the ice cream a smoother mouthfeel. Ice creams using honey generally have a lower freezing temperature, which results in an ice cream free of grainy ice crystals.

5 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split
1/3 cup smoked honey, or to taste*

To prepare ice cream base, beat eggs and sugar together in a bowl; reserve. Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan; scrape vanilla seeds into mixture, then add whole vanilla bean. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Temper egg mixture with a little of the hot liquid. Slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Cool. Remove vanilla bean. Pour ice cream base into ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. Add smoked honey after the mixture begins to thicken. Notes: Yield will depend upon the amount of air a particular ice cream maker incorporates into the ice cream. *Smoke honey over pecan chips at a low temperature for about 1-1/2 hours.

Honey Iced Tea
(makes 10 servings)

There’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of iced tea, especially when it’s sweetened with honey! Because honey is 17% water, it dissolves quickly and easily in most beverages. Plus, since honey isslightly sweeter than granulated sugar, you can use less honey to achieve the same level of sweetness.

1 quart boiling water
12 tea bags
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup honey
1 quart cold water
Mint sprigs, if desired

Add tea bags to boiling water and allow to steep 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine. Add cold water and refrigerate. Pour over ice cubes in tall glasses. Garnish with mint if desired.
If you need any clarifications on the above recipes, just go to National Honey Board online and verify that I have copies this correctly for you. Enjoy!

Sunday morning stroll

2011-08-28T13:06:00.001-04:00

I hope you enjoyed this video I made this morning and pray that everyone is safe in light of the hurricane and the bad weather. Blessings for a wonderful day!

Toad in basket

2011-08-27T23:16:00.003-04:00

As I opened my front door at 11 pm to look for Mr. Bloomers, I find Mr. Toad sitting in the cat's basket while Mr. B is under the chair looking inconvenienced.

.... the nerve!

This toad who lives under the slab of cement near the bushes by my front porch is so sassy...he loves to sit outside his hole in the ground when I water the plants. He just sits there blinking into the stream of water and enjoys getting wet.

I've also seen him several times sitting smack dab in the middle of the cat food bowl (with kibbles in them) and now, he's taking over Mr. Bloomers' basket... what's next? If he knocks on my front door, he's getting a big, fat kiss and then I'll know for sure... or get a wart!

Cat Spay and Neuter Day

2011-08-23T14:07:00.003-04:00

was very disappointing for me.

Today was the day when I was going to take one of our feral "community cats" to have them spayed or neutered since the city absorbs the cost for one stray animal per month. I put out the trap last night, placed a can of cat food in there, but this morning, the food had been eaten and the trap remained open...meaning I got nothing, zilch, zip, nada, zero...and I'm very disappointed because now I have to wait another month to try again to capture one. I wonder if the trap is faulty or if the animal in there was extra light - or maybe it was a mouse or rat that ate the food...oh, well...I will just have to wait and try it again next month. I was so looking forward to getting this spay/neuter thing started.

I'm going to make the rounds now and visit some of you because I've been facebooking instead of blogging. I like playing one of the games on there called 'Gardens of Time' that I find very addicting.. Shame on me! I hope to get over it pretty soon because this is not how I want to spend my days permanently - glued to the computer screen. I need to get out of this rut that I'm in. I know it's not healthy.

Gizzy had a shower with me this morning and now he's resting in his pink bed all clean and content in the cool air conditioning. It was kind of hot by the time we got out, so we didn't walk very much. I don't like to see him pant, but tomorrow is another day for getting up early and walking around the lake.

Bye for now - see you on your blogs!

August morning walk

2011-08-18T16:06:00.006-04:00

I want to share some photos of our early morning walk around the lake. It's been quite pleasant out in the mornings for the past two days and I actually wanted to stop, linger and photograph instead of huffing and puffing towards home. They're all from Lake Irma yesterday.

If you click to enlarge this picture, you might see a Great Blue Heron sitting near the peninsula.

Here it is a little closer (cropped):

Gizzy having a drink and enjoying the view.

That little dot in the preceding photo is an alligator, yes we have a 4' Alligator in the lake and we're all worried about our ducks and the goose. The city said they'll remove him as soon as they find someone who is certified to do that job. Alligators are endangered and it's against the law to kill them here, even though many people do. My friend, Sandy Olsen, who runs the Banks Lake Outpost informed me that any gator 4 feet or more is considered a nuisance animal and will be removed and destroyed or donated to a gator farm for food - yes, gator tails are very popular here. I've never had one and am not the least bit interested.

Here's a bit closer of the little alligator:

I don't want him eating our ducks, yet the thought of him being killed makes me sad.

Look, I photographed the moon in the water...it was about 7:30 am and the moon was still out. You need to look hard - it's very faint, but it's located in the center of the photo where the weeds form a V-shape.

The Great Egret stalking his breakfast. I love to watch him hunt.

Here I played around with the effects a little bit...

I always enjoyed that palm tree - it stands out because it's the only one around the lake of its kind! I think it's a Sago Palm.

Looking up through the fronds of the palm into the blue sky, reminds me of a vacation I once took in Key West, Florida!

This is how to get around the lake Gizzy-style!

The Water Hyacinth are invasive plants to this region, but they sure look and smell nice.

I love the way the morning light casts interesting shadows on things.

An abandoned barn near my apartment (special effects with Picasa.)

Crepe Myrtles in pink and white

(with a honey bee on the blossoms in the center)

I hope you enjoyed the photos and have a wonderful weekend everyone!

A new pen pal and an old cookbook

2011-08-15T23:25:00.014-04:00

I recently joined a secret pen pal exchange at Parsley's of Seasons Of My Mind and received my first correspondence today.

It was a most lovely letter written in a note card from a fellow animal lover who lives in Scotland. Thank you so much!

I've been thinking of Christmas lately which always brings me back to my German roots, the German Christmas cookies, Stollen, Strudel and of course, German accordion Christmas music... so I dug up my most angent possession (besides my body) namely a German cookbook that was given to me by my Great Aunt Anni (my grandpa's sister) called "Boehmische Kueche" meaning Bohemian Kitchen. I am from Bavaria, Germany and if you want to learn how Boehmen (or Bohemia) relates to Bavaria, just click here.

Here's the book by Ilse Froidl that's about 40 years old by now.

My great aunt Anni gave it to me as a wedding gift with this inscription:

I really loved that woman and I have many wonderful memories of our times spent together. She was a seamstress and from the left over materials, she sewed dresses for my dolls. I'm pretty sure that I had the best dressed dollies in town!

This cookbook is written in German (of course) and the recipes are in metric measurements. Some of the ingredients mentioned in it are probably hard to come by, if at all...but it's very thorough in explaining the various cuts of meat (types of fish) and covers everything from cooking and baking to canning and juicing, including how to preserve raw eggs and make alcoholic beverages like eggnog, which is entirely different than the American version.

There's only a few black and white photos in there, but most of it is writing and explanation. I'm going to invest in a kitchen scale that also has the metric system and as soon as it starts cooling down a bit, I'll be cooking some of those old German recipes again.

This book contains 1000 old-fashioned and newly tried recipes. I used it a lot when I was married and believe it or not, I even made my own doughnuts. They were great!

If anyone's interested in obtaining an unusual recipe for your next party, let me know and I'll be happy to share some with you from this book and translate and convert the recipes for you.

I think I will do an occasional DID YOU KNOW section about Germany for those of you with German heritage or inquiring minds. By explaining and researching for my blog, I will refresh my memory as well.

So, I'll start my first DID YOU KNOW ... that Germany is comprised of 16 states and each has its own flag (Coat of Arms.) Also, the various cities have their own Coat of Arms as well.

Germany is a federation made up of 16 federal states, each of which has independent if constrained state authority

This is the Flag for Bayern (Bavaria.) One of the oldest states of Europe, it was established as a duchy in the mid first millennium. In the 17th century, the Duke of Bavaria became a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 to 1918, and Bavaria has since been a free state (republic). Modern Bavaria also includes parts of the historical regions of Franconia and Swabia

This is the Wappen (Coat of Arms) for Nuremberg, a city located in Bavaria. I served my three-year apprenticeship there in a law firm before coming to the United States in 1971.

The Coat of Arms have changed somewhat over the years, depending on who was the Ruler at the time, but this is the current one.

Every state in Germany has its own traditions, foods, costumes and dialects which makes traveling through Germany quite interesting. When visiting my aunt in Berlin, it took me nearly the whole two weeks to become comfortable with the Berliner dialect. They speak very fast and have different words entirely for some common German words. We spoke High German around our house, in school and at work, but my cousin and her mother speak more in the Franconian (or Bavarian) dialect that I also know, having been raised there. I generally use it only in fun with other fellow Germans, but never in a professional setting because, to be honest, that dialect just sounds too funny (to me) than to be taken seriously. I've heard people talk professionally with that Nuremberger /Franconian dialect and I couldn't help but smile (albeit inside) the whole time.

If you have any questions I will try to answer them or find the correct answer for you, which should be easy since my whole family (except my daughter) lives over there.

Houseplants that purify your air!

2011-08-13T17:53:00.062-04:00

Study of the fallen leaf, a photo by Crocheting_in_Georgia on Flickr.

This is the Rubber Plant one year ago (July 2010) - and this is the Rubber Plant now!

...and now one with Gizzy!

I'm proud to say that this plant doubled in height and filled out nicely with healthy, shiny leaves. I transplanted it into a bigger pot and it seems to have enjoyed its new environment. Today, I took some milk and used cotton balls to clean off the leaves making them nice and shiny, but now I can see that I missed a few on the bottom (ooops!) I got that plant when it was small from a neighbor who had it sitting out back all spindly and forlorn. When I spotted it, I told her that I've always wanted a Rubber Plant (hint-hint) so she gave it to me. I'm glad it likes it here.

Did you know that you can purify your air in your home and office naturally with certain houseplants? This is especially useful for asthma sufferers. Well, the Rubber Plant is one of them. The Peace Lily and Boston Fern also belong to that group of air purifying plants. I also have those as well. I don't have a lot of light in here, so I put them out on my front porch periodically to let them get their fill of sunshine. They seem to be doing well, but in the winter, I will keep them inside.

My Peace Lily has all but died one winter when I failed to put her inside, but there was one little green sprout remaining in the center, so I transplanted it and fertilized it and it came back bigger than before. This summer it bloomed continually.

This Boston Fern is my newest addition. I received it from another neighbor recently who didn't want to bother with it anymore and I'm so glad to have it. (I see where she has cut some of the top fronds, something I will not be doing.)

(This fern is almost too big for my small apartments, but I love it!)

Here's that website for you to read about the other air purifying plants you can get to help you breathe better.

Web Ecoist - Going Beyond Green

Before I leave, Gizzy wanted to give a smiling Daisy to all of his fans because he just loves the ladies ;-)

All the best Wishes for a happy and blessed weekend!

Special Delivery!

2011-08-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!!!

Look what the UPS man brought mommy and me today! See? It's a big 16-lb bag of cat food for the stray kitties outside...it came from PetSmart!

Not that I was soliciting, but in response to my earlier post about our stray community cats, I received a couple of donations for cat food. This is our first shipment and we (Gizzy and I) want to thank our two benefactors (you know who you are) for being so generous.

Starting on the 23rd of this months, I'll be trapping a cat (or try to anyway) to take it to be spayed or castrated for free, a program afforded by our county's animal group called LAPS, which stands for Lanier Animal Partnership and Support.

Also, I rejoined CHAT - Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment which is a very small, yet aggressive animal rights group taking a strong stand on abolishing pit bull fighting which is alive and well in our town along with cock fighting. So, if you don't hear from me for a long time without explanation, I may have been arrested protesting for animal rights somewhere or another LOL - just kidding - I have to be home to take care of Gizzy!

Again, thanks for the kitty chow, my friends and God bless each and every one who loves, respects and cares for our animals.

About my arm: The blood work was botched and I didn't get the acid reading on my blood to indicate Gout or Arthritis and I'm not going back to the PA because I'm fed up with them. I'm finding another doctor to go to! Meanwhile, I'm trying to control the slightly swollen, itchy splotches with Hydrocortisone cream, Benedryl and Motrin...if it gets worse, I'm gong to see a doctor, a new one! I can't seem to find a good doctor here - it's very frustrating! I should have let the Vet treat me. He had Gizzy's blood test results back the very next day and he was so nice.

Example of a well trained dog (ahem) human!

2011-08-10T09:33:00.004-04:00

Not only does Gizzy not come when called, he also talks back and actually expects me to go over there and pick him up (the nerve!) ... but here I go...waddling over there to pick him up...Cuteness: 1/Reason: 0

Hope you're having a more agreeable day ;-)

Update on Gizzy!

2011-08-08T13:02:00.001-04:00

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments and concern for my boy. The Vet called me on Friday afternoon informing me that his thyroid levels are very low and he's going to put him on a supplement. So now I'm giving Gizzy a Synthroid twice a day and he'll get another blood test in 60 days to see how the medicine is working for him.

The Vet said the hair loss may be from the thyroid problem or it may be an allergy, but we are going to take this one step at a time and are treating what we know is wrong. Gizzy is doing fine and sleeps a lot under the circumstances. In the summer he always sleeps a lot because there is nothing to do. We can only go outside for a couple of hours in the mornings and then we're pretty much locked up in here.

I was thinking of getting him a little friend to play with, but it's a decision I have to take very seriously for a number of reasons, so I'm not going to rush into this. It's just something in the back of my mind.

I apoligize for not having visited and/or commented much lately, but I have to confess I've been on FB and every time I go there, I get sucked into it for a few hours, so it's best for me to just not turn on the computer when I'm on a schedule. Besides, I think I'm starting to get into trouble over there and have to cool it a bit LOL

Have a lovely day everyone and a great week ahead. I'll be visiting all you guys very soon. Today and tomorrow are serious crochet days since I was unable to do much due to my impaired wrist and forearm that seems to be doing better...still no news about my blood work yet, but I will keep you informed.

Before I go, I wanted to share one thing that I saw on Facebook that really touched me because it also applies to my blogging friends, who have been so faithful, forgiving and nonjudgmental towards me:

"Someone asked us how we can love friends who we've never seen! We said... We have never seen God, but we feel Him! We love Him, and He is in our heart! That's why we love you! To our friends on Facebook and Blogger, who we do not know in person, but we love dearly in our hearts!"

I love you, guys! (and Gizzy does too) woof-woof!

Tasty Recipes from the National Honey Board

2011-08-07T04:28:00.001-04:00

Schoolhouse Favorites

(presented by the National Honey Board August, 2011

It's that time of year again! Stuff those backpacks with books, binders, paper and pencils and get ready for another jam-packed school year. We hear all of the groans and whines coming from the kids as the first day of school approaches ever so quickly. But that’s not all we hear – parents are chiming in right along with them!

With the natural foods movement growing stronger every day, what wholesome, natural snacks and lunches can you pack for your kids that you feel good about and that they will actually eat? We’ve got the perfect score on this suggestion: honey. As a natural energy booster, honey can provide the necessary boost to keep kids energy levels up throughout the day (even in the most boring classes). From breakfast to lunch to snacks, honey can make any school day sweeter!

Honey Berry Waffle Sandwich
(makes 4 servings)

1-1/2 cups fresh berries, divided *

1 Tablespoon butter

1/3 cup honey

8 frozen waffles, toasted

Purée 1/2 cup berries in a blender or food processor; set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add honey and bring to a boil; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, then add berry purée. Continue to simmer 2 to 3 minutes more until syrup thickens slightly. Set honey syrup aside and keep warm. For each serving, place 2 waffles on plate. Top one waffle with 1/4 cup fresh berries. Drizzle with 1/4 of syrup and top sandwich with remaining waffle. *Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries work well.

Honey Turkey Rollers
(makes 6 servings)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder, optional
6 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1-1/2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded
12 thin slices turkey

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add honey, mustard and onion powder; mix well. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey cream cheese mixture out to the edge of each tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese, leaving about 1 inch around the edge. Place 2 slices of turkey on each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes, then slice each tortilla log into eight 1-inch rounds and serve.

Honey Sesame Chicken Nuggets
(makes 6 servings)

1/3 plus 1/2 cups honey, divided
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup rice vinegar, divided
1 Tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
1 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into nuggets
3/4 cup dried apricots, finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup sesame seeds

Honey Granola Squares
(makes 9 servings)

3 cups low-fat granola
3/4 cup dried fruit (apples, apricots, cherries, cranberries or pears), finely chopped
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, mix together granola and dried fruit. In a small saucepan, heat honey, oil and vanilla over medium heat, stirring until honey is dissolved. Pour honey mixture over granola and mix until thoroughly coated. Pour egg whites over granola mixture; mix well. Pack mixture firmly into an 8-inch square nonstick baking pan. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes or until deep golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; cool completely before cutting into squares, approximately 2-1/2-inches each

Surviving the Vet (a post by Gizzy)

2011-08-04T18:56:00.004-04:00

Hewooo fellow doggy fwiends, it's me da Gizzy!

Mommy took me to da Vet's today because I needed a few things, but especially because my right ear is turning black and losing its hair and we just can't have that!

See?

It doesn't hurt or itch, but mommy doesn't like it and if I could see it, I wouldn't either ;-)

I met some nice doggy fwiends in da waiting room. There was a kitty cat in the carrier, but she was veeewy quiet.

Mommy calls the next picture "The Evaluation" (whateva dat means!)

When it was my turn, mommy cawied me in and I was put on da scale. I weigh 10.3 pounds today.

Then we waited a little longer in another woom until they took me away again...

This time to trim my nails and to take some blood because Dr. Hobby wants to test my thyroids.

After we got my Heartgard and Comfortis, mommy gave them almost all of her money and told me she didn't really need another dog because I can keep her broke all by myself ;-)

We said bye-bye to da only doggy left waiting and I was out the door - zippity-doodah, double-quick!!!

So now we're waiting for the blood test results and hope da doctor can figure out what's wrong with my ear.

Mommy bought me some consolation pressies, some Pup-Peronis, one of my favorite snack goodies and a stuffed toy...a black and white kitty cat, see?

I can't wait till I feel more energetic so mommy and I can play tug-o-war with her! Me loves to chase da kitty cats!

Mmmm...something smells good! Mommy's cooking me a little cube steak and peas and no, I'm not spoiled at all, just loved!

P.S. Mama told me to tell you she also got some blood drawn yesterday to check for arthritis and see what's going on with her left wrist and forearm. (The PA didn't think it was carpal tunnel syndrome like mommy suspected.) Mom's on Keflex (antibiotic), Predniosone (steroid) and Mobic (anti-inflammatory) pills to see if it helps. Meanwhile, she's also waiting to hear back about her blood work like me.

Looks like mommy and I do everything together - even the ouchies!

August stroll

2011-08-02T12:12:00.011-04:00

Hello, it's me again with photos from my early morning walk with Gizzy at Lake Irma. Didn't I say that I would not allow heat and humidity to ruin my summer this year? Well, I meant it! I'm going out very early every morning, towel in hand, to enjoy my walk with the boy, gnats and all.

I love walking with my head up in the clouds - sometimes you get amazing views that way...

Close up of bee approaching the Crepe Myrtle

Gizzy pulling towards the ducks and the Canada Goose.

Here's another ducky by the side of the road

Here comes the big white Bulldog named Buddy, walking his daddy

See Gizzy? That's a big, big doggy!

I'm enjoying the blooming Crepe Myrtles while Gizzy investigates

I don't know the name of this flower, but I just call it Summer Amaryllis because it looks just like one to me.

I simply adore its pale pink color

I love that image of the goose in the weeds with the reflection of the trees in the water.

If you look close, you can see the Great White Egret on the peninsula.

The Anhinga is an excellent fisherman, but very elusive, so observing him catch a fish is an extra treat for me.

I spy a pretty blue dragonfly as we walk over the bridge

And a tiny green lizard

(see just his little head poking out?)

Last year I brought home some seeds from a vine growing by the lake because I loved its little red blossoms - I don't know what it is, but now it's climbing all over everything out front by my apartment. I'm sure soon the gardeners will rip it out, but for now I enjoy seeing it climb up and all around my bedroom window. It's very delicate and cheerful looking.

The Ginger lily is also blooming near my front porch and its scent is intoxicating. I can't resist taking a big whiff every time I walk past it.

I also wanted to share some good news about the stray cats. I learned that the city spays or neuters one feral cat per household once a month for FREE. They'll provide the trap and also include a rabies vaccine, so I put my name down for getting the trap delivered so that I can start getting those eight cats spayed and neutered starting on the 23rd of this month.

Also, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow for my sore/stiff (left) wrist and forearm. I have no idea what it is, but I think it needs to be x-rayed. Whatever it is, I hope it's not serious enough to interfere with my crocheting. It doesn't hurt, but it feels stiff and sore and swollen, like maybe a sprain.

Lastly, here is a picture of the big, beautiful fern one of my neighbors gave me. She didn't want to bother with it anymore and I think it likes it out on my front porch with the rest of my plants ;-)

To good not to share!

2011-07-31T16:32:00.004-04:00

AMEN! I believe!!!

This made me cry! I love it. Hope that you will enjoy it also! For best effect, please be sure and watch it FULL SCREEN!

Pancakes from scratch and fresh pair compote

2011-07-30T12:37:00.003-04:00

This morning I made myself a treat. I found this fluffy pancakes recipe on Allrecipes.com and instead of using syrup, I topped them with some pear stew that I made last night. This was very delicious as I'm not fond of overly sweet things, especially not in the morning.

I wish I would have kept a couple more of those big pickle jars, but I guess I'll have to use other containers. I just love glass for keeping fruit in it.

The pears are ripening as I type, so the rest of the day will be spent juicing, and stewing the rest of them that I have on the counters. Whatever is not usable goes to the bunnies outside and then that will be the last of it. There are still some pears on the tree, but they are too high up and unless I can get someone to climb up a ladder, they birds and insects will have a party with those.

This little tree has outdone itself this year and produced the biggest harvest I've ever seen since living here - besides that, they were juicier and tastier than any previous years. Thank you, little tree and thank you God for letting me enjoy this gift.

Gizzy's been sleeping a lot as he always does in the summer while we're pretty much locked up inside. Early morning and late in the evenings are the only times we venture outside - even though at night the mosquitoes really chew me up, but it could be worse, so I don't dwell on it.

We get up very early almost every day to meet up with friends down by the little lake. That's always fun!

(Gizzy front and center)

(Gizzy barking at everyone)

At home, we have play times when we can't get out

There is always room for treats which makes my boy very happy too!

All's not lost, not even in the heat of summer - life goes on and it is what you make it. Love you guys! Off to do more juicing and paring of the pears! I found a good recipe for pear bread, so I'll be baking some of that next week.

I have a question to all my fellow bloggers who are also on Facebook:

Do you find Facebook quicker and easier to use than blogging? I find it easier to interact with people by having everything on the same site by not having to leave and go back and forth all the time...plus, the Notes feature acts like a blog where you can post similarly to blogger (more or less!) And sometimes you get a chance to chat with each other and I find that extra special. I also enjoy the You Tube channel because it's so easy to put a video clip on FB and let people see some movies you made that adds an additional dimension to long-distance friendships.

Just curious to see what your opinion is on Facebook vs. Blogger!

Pear Pie

2011-07-26T10:55:00.006-04:00

I baked just two pies yesterday (I wanted to bake four), so I'll bake the other two today. As most of you know, I have been blessed with an abundance of pears this year and am finding different ways to cook and preserve them.

Here are the pies going into the oven:

(You can find the recipe here on Cooks.com)

And here is the pie going into the tummies:

(Yes...doggies like'ems the pears too!)

...except Gizzy, he doesn't like much! Sometimes I think he barely likes me;-)

Sandi, I and our dogs had a little breakfast with Pear Streusel Pie and coffee at the lake this morning. Gizzy was whining the whole time because he wasn't allowed on the table for once, since we had it set with table cloth and food for a change.

After we were done eating and everything was put away, I put him up on the picnic table and then he was satisfied, look! Isn't he just rotten? (I wonder how that happened?) In the buggy behind him is his pal Tuffy (r) and the young Miss Sophie (who LOVED the pie!)

Thanks for all your kind comments yesterday. I appreciate your tolerating my venting post - I try not to do that very often, but I have a soft spot for trees and flowers. I will stop by and see you little by little in between baking the other two pies.

Enjoy your day everyone!

Whatever!

2011-07-25T11:38:00.009-04:00

I've opened a new Etsy shop to match the name of my blog. This is what I have in it so far:

I will add more items as soon as I get them all photographed. These hearts are specially priced. I reduced them from $12 to $8 and if any of my blogging friends want one (or more) I will give you another 10% off. I'm trying to make room for more.

Anyway, I have somewhat of disturbing news this morning. I noticed that someone has butchered/vandalized the white Crepe Myrtle outside my apartment. I know it had to have happened in the wee hours between midnight and 6 am because Bobby-Jack didn't leave my apartment till midnight. I had a 3" nail in my tire so it was flat and he came by after his long day's work to plug it for me. I have an educated guess (and a pretty accurate gut feeling about who did it) but no proof! Of course, the party in question denies it and the manager tells me to just let it go - so I have to.

It irritates me though, as I had just told that fellow neighbor to leave the Crepe Myrtle alone because it was in full bloom and the bees are on it. Sure enough, he did it just to be spiteful.

Look at all those blossoms laying in a trash heap of other tree clippings. That guy has no clue as to when is the proper time to trim and he's always up around 5 am to do his cutting jobs and then, denies it, because nobody can proove it.

The Crepe Myrtle still has blossoms, but a lot less and it's thinned out on the bottom so that the little bird's nest inside is exposed...I hope there are no eggs in it - and there are torn and cut branches sticking out every which way. Poor thing!

To top it all off - and to make a poignant passive-aggressive statement, that person decapitated one of my sunflowers.

Nobody can convince me that this broke off naturally - my sunflowers do not break at all - they may bend, but don't break with an even cut like that. I found the flower head stuck in the bushes below.

Sunflwer before:

This was a perfectly healthy sunflower standing upright only yesterday. What kind of sick person has to do that to make themselves feel big and important? Well, it's the same kind of psycho that torments kittens and kicks dogs!

I'm upset over the plants, but more disturbed over knowing that someone dislikes me that much to harm what I love. I don't want to live where my neighbors are capable of being that vindictive. I have no enemies that I know of. I don't socialize much with my neighbors. The few friends I have do not live here. I'm very disappointed.

I'm so looking forward to Blue Ridge and even though I know people will be pretty much the same no matter where I live, at least Gizzy and I will be able to spend more time outside and enjoy nature so that I won't have to dwell on every little plant that's outside my apartment - heck, I'll probably won't even have to plant anything and let the landscapers do it all (except for a few potted plants on my patio.) Yes, I think the signs are all pointing North. What do you think?

And now I'm going to work on all those pears! They're just the right consistency now after sitting for a week. I'm baking four deep dish pies (one to keep, three to give away: Sandi, Bobby-Jack and Arlene) So, I'll put on some music and be thankful for all the free pears. I will share the pie photos with you later...

I'm off to pare some pears ;-)

Wishing you peace, love and good health!

2011-07-24T11:31:00.004-04:00

I found this information through a FB friend and it is too good not to share:

You can learn more at Earthfire Institute and enjoy the beauty and wonder of natural healing.

Also, I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks and gratitude in behalf of my stray cats that I feed every day. I wrote about our community cats in a previous blog post called My very small and simple life.

Since then I received a $20 check and a $50 Gift Certificate for PetSmart to buy cat food with from two dear friends and fellow bloggers. I'm astounded, shocked and extremely thankful for these gifts. I don't want to mention names in case these two benefactors want to remain unanimous, but you know who you are...you are nothing short of Angels!

~Magickal Graphics~

I just wanted to thank you again in behalf of the cats and myself - God bless you! Your gift is a big help and a small miracle. Good things do happen and kind people do exist.

We call him Leggs - he's eating at the cat feeding station where I feed our community cats every morning and night. I'm starting to make mental plans as to what to do about shelter for the winter months. I'm thinking of asking my friend, Bobby-Jack, to make some wooden boxes and nail them up high into the trees so the dogs can't get to them. I'll put some old clothes and stuff in there for when it gets freezing cold....and hope and pray that nobody will tear them down or the owner of the woods won't mind...I will take the boxes down when the weather gets warm again...I still have a little time to finalize my plans.

Wishing you a peaceful, pain free, happy Sunday!

Bee-autiful!

2011-07-21T13:38:00.001-04:00

These photos are from earlier this morning when we walked around Lake Irma

I think Gizzy looks cute no matter what, but I miss his long hair. I'm letting it grow back out, especially if we're going to move up north!

I like the look of this vine climbing up a pine tree.

It's loaded with pretty, pink blossoms that the bees seem to like.

I managed to snap a bee in flight and here's the close up to see it better

The next photo shows two bees enjoying the blossoms

When we got back, I took some photos of my incredible sunflowers. One's almost as tall as the roof and the other one keeps producing buds and has flowers growing every which way - the bees are loving it!

Each blossom had a bee or two on it, so I felt compelled to take some close ups:

Around the bend is the white crepe myrtle that is blooming for the second time this year.

When I got closer, I could hear the bees' buzzing and saw them flitting from blossom to blosssom

It was impossible for me to snap a photo of an individual bee, so here's the video I took for you instead:

Lastly, here is my one and only lemon from the little lemon bush I transplanted from it's pot into the ground

With great delight I discovered another blossom so I'll probably get at least one more - don't lemon blossoms smell divine?

When I finally turn around to go inside, I see my Gizzy boy patiently watching and waiting for me

"Gizzy, you are just the bestest flower in the garden! Mommy loves you!"