Doggie Preschool



Bandit

Fran and I have done something this last week neither one of us ever dreamed we would do. We adopted ANOTHER dog.

Our little Maggie was also unexpected, but after three years we have gotten used to the temper tantrums, the sad looks that make us feel so guilty (planned on her part) etc.
We went to a flea market the other day and saw the most woebegone dog I have ever seen. He looked like a sheltie, had long fur that just glistened and great big brown eyes. The sign said FREE. We talked and talked and told the man we might be back but we doubted it.
However, we did go back into town and picked him up. He was scared to death. I don't blame him. He felt all of the proverbial orphan.
Fran took him outside and he marked his places over and over.
Well, Maggie's worst nightmare had just begun.
She barked and snapped at him like I had never seen her do before. He, of course, wanted all of her bones and toys even though we had gotten him his own.
And......the race was on!!!
Most people can't or won't believe this, but we got another dog because we were bored with our hum drum life. lol


Maggie

After just a few days we have developed a schedule of Doggie Preschool. The part of the school day they like best is Recess. They even know the word "out" that means recess. They both race to the door at the same time. The "Kids" huff and puff as do I to keep with them.  Fran takes one door and I take another.

Now we have another problem, smaller than the first, but Maggie has developed a poor self esteem. She is not standing up for herself, so we have to be the disciplinarians to the new big brother.



Oh, Joy, to the life of being new doggie parents!



The Chicken Caper

About thirty some years ago my sister-in-law  and I loaded up a bushel or two of apples and took them to Sioux City, Iowa to my mother's house. Why? You guessed it. For an extra pair of hands, of course. Also for some expert advice.

My mom made pies that looked nicer than those you would win in a blue ribbon contest. She did so effortlessly. When the pies were done, they were not baked, but made of raw dough and piled high with raw apples.
My father made shelves of wood for us to put the pies on in the backseat. He was always so creative that way.
All went well until I got home.
We lived on an acerage with cats, dogs, chickens, oops chickens did I say?  Yup the chickens were so spoiled they followed us every where like a dog.
I didn't pay attention to them when I drove into the driveway. They did as they always did; ran to the car 100mph.
I opened up the back door of the car and they swarmed in to attack the pies. You never heard such screaming and squawking in your life. I was so angry and so were they. I was not about to let them have the pies we had  worked so hard to make.
I salvaged the majority of the pies. In fact all, but one. We had that one for supper that night.
I felt like the chickens had this all planned ahead of time, just waiting to attack when I got home it was so perfectly executed!

Remote OCS

Fran missed the news this morning. Our house is like a mental health facility. He is "surfing" and muttering and mumbling about no news...."I can't find it anywhere!" type stuff.
He is going to have callouses on his thumbs. He is going up and down so fast there is no way he can read what the movie is all about.
I don't help matters any by saying,"I have no idea why you want to watch the news, it is the same old junk they have every day; politics and politics."
He says, "but I want to watch the weather."
I say, "but it is all over with, and you know it didn't rain or blow us away."
Oh, If I could drive I would go shopping the rest of the day. Nascar starts in three hours and it is way to hot for even a short walk.
Oh, well, I have a new cookbook that my daughter sent me, so I will read new recipies.
Wish me luck with the "surf and turf" hubby and his disgruntled attitude. Oh, listen I hear the cowboys and Indians on in the background!  Nope, that is gone too now an old old movie. We will see how long that one lasts!

The Weekly Reader Is No Longer

I saw on the news and read on the computer news something that made me feel so old; not that my friends and relatives have just turned eighty. No, that is nothing. The Weekly Reader is no longer being published. I couldn't believe my ears.
To me the Weekly Reader was to my "library" as flour and sugar is to my cupboards now.
The Weekly Reader made me feel so grownup. It was my very own newspaper. I think it was only four pages maybe more. That was a very long time ago.
How many of you remember reading the Weekly Reader?
I just looked it up on the computer. It is now printed for all different grades. The picture you see at the top is for Pre-K. That makes me chuckle. When I was in school, you were either in or you were out. Oh, I forgot we didn't know how to read either. However, we had to tie our shoes (no velcro) and we had to say our ABC's.
Sigh, I know that things change, but I had a youngin tell me today that he understood that OLDER people had trouble with change. Ahem, yup we do, just don't tell me!

Not A Breeze!

Our summer has been so hot! That is all folks talk about no matter where I go. I just love it when people (even my doctor) says, "hot enough for ya?"  No I would just love it to be another twenty degrees hotter. Sometimes I just wonder......
We were told to quit using water to water our lawn, bushes, etc. We could water our garden a little bit, but Fran has done a lot of pulling out plants that continue to wilt because of heat, anyway. The water that he uses has chlorine in it. The garden plants just don't do as well with that as the heavenly showers do.
This terrible heat reminds me of when I was just a little little girl. We had a screen door that faced the south east side of our house. Mom put us on quilts and of course, I complained 'cause "it was too hot, Mama".
There was not a hint of a breeze. My mom didn't get a fan until she was expecting my brother. That was a small table top fan. She always told me  that that fan was a "Godsend." We are so terribly
 spoiled , aren't we?
She would tell me stories when I grew up about the Dirty Thirties. The Dirty Thirties lasted for the better part of a decade.
Because of the drought and wind and poorly insulated houses, she would take wet dishtowels and put over the windows and screens to keep that fine dirt out. We now have airconditioners and machines to clean our air. Hmm.
I guess I will just quit my complaining about something I can't control. Nah, I just can't do it!

 

I Think That Was A Maybe

I had my eyes tested today. I had not had them tested for six years. Needless to say, I got a lecture from the doctor. Well....if I could see okay why spend the money?
Well, today I decided that I was not able to see okay any more. I have the most interesting  problem with my vision. If I look at a word, it actually slides to the left and then returns. During the test I told the doctor, "oh look, the A is dancing. It has different lengths of legs. He just said, "oh, is that right?"  I just know he was smiling.
Then, he showed me the results of one of the tests that they gave me twice. One was very very long and one was half the length. I was to click a mouse when I saw a wavy box. When he showed me the results, he alluded to the fact that I clicked when I didn't see one and didn't click when I did. I kind of fibbed, is what I did. I told the girl, "I think that was a maybe." She just chuckled. The test showed the doctor that I might have a blockage. If in fact I do, then it could be serious. What is serious?  Don't ya just love it?