Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Shacha*


Two weeks ago we had some snow.
And it was kind of cold for a day or two.
Yesterday it hit 60 degrees here in Iowa.
In January, no less.
Weird.


Unfortunately, it wasn't the right kind of snow for a snowman.
But it was the perfect kind for making a snow Vulcan.


I've loved Star Trek ever since I started watching the reruns on our black and white TV after school when I was in fourth grade.  That, by the way, was a looong time ago.
My older sister and I watched those reruns for years.
She was quite taken with Captain Kirk and was from time to time moved to kiss the TV screen.


I didn't truly appreciate the captain until I was older, and by then, my sister had figured out how to disconnect the TV.  A great weapon to use against me when I wanted to watch Star Trek and she wanted to torment me.
(It's possible she has a different version of this story.)

My kids can't bring themselves to watch the original Star Trek - it moves too slowly and the special effects are too hokey.  My daughters have been enjoying Voyager and we've watched The Next Generation together. 

I can't say that I have a favorite captain.
And frankly, I've always been quite fond of Vulcans.

*"Hello" in Vulcan

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Unsupervised

This is what I came downstairs to find the other day.  Apparently, no one else remembered to keep an eye on the babies.

Gus figured out how to open the cupboard door in the front room.

Floyd

and Henry


got in on the action, too.


Fortunately, this was cheap, store bought yarn and we got to the scene of the crime before Elmer discovered what was going on or we could have had a real disaster.  Elmer has a thing for "twing" and would have downed a hunk of this in the blink of an eye.
Don't ask me how I know this.




Gus was pleased as punch with his prize - it was hard to take it away from him.
Everyone who was supposed to be watching the baby got a good talking to from yours truly.  After all folks, this kind of lax supervision leads to tragedies.
Ahem.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Handmade Holidays Part 2 (Belated)


I have a thing for snowmen.
Sarah painted this adorable snow family for me - I love them!

After a winter virtually sans snow, we may finally get a dusting this evening... but not enough for snowmen.


Melissa crocheted and felted this incredible basket for me - it's huge!  She spun the yarn, designed the basket, crocheted and felted the whole thing - all without me having a clue what she was up to.  It was a great surprise.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get a picture that does it justice.


We also haven't been able to figure out how to get good photos of the jewelry Sarah makes.  Here are some of the earrings she gave me for Christmas:





Aren't they beautiful?
And then there are these guys...



Sarah whipped up these cute, primitive, scruffy owls - they now sit on my window ledge, ever alert for squirrels and robins.
Last, but not least, Melissa crocheted these gauntlets for Sarah...



and for Michael.

I love being surrounded by my girls' creativity.  They are always working on something - spinning, sewing, drawing, even sometimes baking.  
They are truly an inspiration.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Old Man

Wally and Henry
This is Wally, our really old dog.
He's either 12 or 13, we aren't really sure.
We know we adopted him on Dec. 31 from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, but no one can remember if it was in 1999 or 2000.
It's hard to believe Wally has been part of our lives for so long.  My youngest daughter, almost 15, doesn't remember life without Wally.  She and I used to sit in our big rocker/recliner and read after the "big kids" went to school - and Wally was always draped across our laps.
He's always been a goofy dog.  When he was a puppy, he loved to steal the kids' toys - Legos, stuffed animals, what have you - and dash away with them.  He loved those games of chase.
He first injured his shoulder by climbing up the steps to the slide and sliding down, over and over again.  That shoulder injury has stayed with him, often requiring medication for pain and inflammation.  I think, however, Wally would say it was worth it.
In the early days of his puppyhood, my husband would walk him up to 5 miles a day, and I still thought I'd go insane trying to handle his boundless energy.  I finally had to tie his leash to my belt in order to house train him!  He was exhausting.
These days, Wally's just pretty much exhausted.  Like most old men, he takes a fair amount of medication.  A couple of weeks ago we discovered he and my mom both take Tramadol, the generic version, though I imagine they're made in slightly different facilities.


Wally has difficulty breathing, so his beloved walks have been shortened to a slow-go around the block once a day, if the weather isn't too hot or humid or too cold.  Last winter we bought him a jacket for when it dips below freezing.
His medications make him hungrier than this hungriest of beasts has ever been, so he gets a can of salt-free green beans three times a day to help fill him up.  He remains a master thief, ever on the lookout for a stray box of cereal or loaf of bread not properly secured.  Just last week he ate a whole stick of butter left on the counter to warm, wrapper and all, of course.  And yesterday he grabbed my son's piece of pizza in the blink of an eye.
His medications also make him extra grumpy.  A gentle nudge or accidental bump can cause a major growling reaction.  He's now too old to board at the kennel.  Too much stress.
This silly old dog wants nothing to do with our puppy.  We've had Gus for nearly a year now and Wally has only just begun to sniff at him, disdainfully, when he comes home from daycare.  Gus, of course, is overjoyed at this hint of recognition. 
Cats have always kind of creeped Wally out.  If a cat was asleep on his bed, Wally would refuse to lie there.  But lately, he's developed a liking for one of our cats;  one and a half year old Floyd.  He loves to play with Floyd, dancing around him and doing, um, somewhat indelicate things.  Floyd doesn't seem to mind.
Our newest baby, Henry, may be finding a place in Wally's heart as well.  Though Henry often jumps without looking, startling Wally out of a restless sleep, they did sleep together the other day on the same piece of furniture.  A major concession on Wally's part, though it is possible he just was too tired and sore to move.

Wally's hind legs are quite arthritic and we've noticed he can be somewhat unsteady at times.  He rarely jumps up on the bed with me anymore, instead curling up on his extra-cushy dog bed in front of the radiator.
Despite it all, his favorite time of the day is still "mail" time.  We've had lots of mail carriers over the years, and more than one of them seems to have taken delivering our mail without alerting Wally as a challenge.  We've noticed our current mail carrier creep up the steps to our porch, tiptoe to the mail slot, and try to slide the mail in as quietly as possible.  Every now and then he succeeds.  But most of the time his ascent to the porch is met with Cujo-like Wally jumping at the front window and barking wildly.
We know we're likely on borrowed time with Wally.  Despite his flaws, of which there are quite a few, I'd have to give him the title of "Best Dog Ever" for no one has loved my children with such intensity, entertained my family with such alacrity, nor been such a troublesome sweetheart as he.
I cherish each and every day we have with him.
Wally will always hold a special place in my heart.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Dark Days, Yes Indeed

 
So, I can honestly say I'm not at all sorry to bid 2011 farewell. 
This year has not been kind to myself and my family - at all.
January found myself and three of my children diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type, a genetic deformity in collagen formation.  While this diagnosis explains so much, my years of pain and fatigue, my son's gastrointestinal issues and upper back pain, pain and fatigue my daughters suffer, foot and ankle issues we all have, etc., it takes a bit of getting used to "having" a genetic disease.
In 2011 we saw a geneticist, podiatrist, orthopedist, physical therapist and neurologist.  On tap for 2012 are rheumatology appointments, more physical therapy, massage therapy, etc.
I am tired of doctors, tired of hurting, tired of being tired, and worried about my children.
As if this wasn't enough, my family has a long-term history of anxiety disorders and depression.  Apparently determined not to be left out, these decided to rear their ugly heads again this year with a vengeance.  There is nothing quite so terrible as watching one's child being swallowed by the black hole of major depression, except perhaps watching another child fighting extreme and unrepentant anxiety.  Wait, wait - maybe it's watching another child succumb to both at the same time!
Helpless?
Oh yeah.
I feel helpless.
Overwhelmed?
You bet.
Psychiatrists, therapists, hypnosis, medication, more medication, different medication, trips to specialists... and still they suffer.
In the midst of all this, life goes on.
My own depressive tendencies have fortunately stayed in hiding, leaving a nice big vacancy for anxiety to move in.  
But I'm doing okay.  
Not paralyzed, just tired.
Really, really tired.
So I've decided I need to keep outside responsibilities to a minimum, which includes the Dark Days Eat Local Challenge.  What should just be fun has instead become a chore - and an anxiety-producing chore at that.
We will still eat mostly local a good share of the time - gosh, it really is so easy to do once you find your sources.  But I'm no longer officially participating in the challenge.  Instead, I'll occasionally post photos of our wintertime local meals, such as the one you see here.
We had taco salads and everything - including the chips (!) - was local, except for the beans.  
I tend to find solace in cooking, and since we're also trying to stick to a pretty strict budget, it's fortunate that I do.
So, here's to 2012
It's got to better than 2011.
Doesn't it?