Beware of gifts

*
Once upon a time there were 2 kids whose Daddy moved away. Daddy wanted to give his kids something special and fun so he gave them a frog hatchery kit when he visited one day. Mommy didn't think it was too dangerous, might even be interesting. So while Dad skedaddled to the other side of town, Mom mailed the coupon for the tadpoles.

When the tadpoles arrived the kids filled up the small plastic aquarium, treated the water, read all the instructions to make sure everything was just so - and then released the tadpoles from their airmail water pouch into their new home.

If Mom recalls, they were tiny little things, and the sea monkeys they came with (to feed them) were tinier even. But the kids watched them get bigger and more frog-like, or float up to the top and die or they found one poor soul flattened and dry on the floor where he had leaped to his death. They grew legs and their tales got shorter and shorter until they were gone. There were 4 limbs a piece, no tales left, when it was decided that Daddy should take a few of the froglettes to his house to live. The 2 left at Mommy's house were named Marge and Homer and mostly forgotten by the kids.

Daddy build an "ecosystem" for the frogs on his patio, inside a giant wooden half-barrel. Very picturesque but not designed to necessarily contain live hoppy frogs. One by one they went missing and Dad thew up his hands "Oh well. They must have wanted to be free!"

Mommy was not so smart. Her 2 frogs got bigger so she got them a 10 gallon aquarium and put filters and stones and some little caves in it. The frogs seemed to like their new home and only had a few escape attempts. One of them still has a mark on his (her?) belly from where he was found stuck to the floor under the hot water heater once. After that Mom rigged up a cover for the aquarium and there they stayed.

Year after year

after year

after year ...

And I bet Daddy doesn't know that Mommy still has the freaking frogs, 16 years later! Mommy stopped cleaning the filters very often, she only feeds the frogs maybe once a week. She uses plain old tap water when she adds or replaces water in the tank and does not go one inch out of her way to keep them alive.
BUT THEY LIVE!!!!




Moral of the story - beware of ex-husbands bearing gifts for the kids. Nobody expects a frog, much less 2 - to live to 16 AND BEYOND!!!
*

Maxine Monday

~ * ~




~ * ~

I was just a lurker but ...

Please forgive me for not knowing what I'm talking about. But I wanted to share a family with you that I have been reading about and frequently crying and laughing with from one post to the next.

The blog is Hope4Peyton, started when the Mayhew's daughter Peyton, had cancer. I did not know this family existed then. I'm sure Peyton's struggle was hard for the whole family but apparently it had a good outcome and Anissa (Peyton's Mom) decided to shut down Peyton's blog and move on. Recently the blog has been put to good use again by Pete, Peyton's Dad and Anissa's husband as well as father to Rachel and Nathanial. Right now he is more than a husband and a father, he is a partner, an advocate, a fighter, a believer and a cheerleader. He is doing everything possible to keep his family running while the shining star of it - Anissa - is away.

Anissa was only 35 years old on November 17th when she had a stroke. Her 2nd stroke for goodness sakes. Since then her husband, her kids, Anissa's determination and wicked sense of humor have helped keep them moving forward. And now it's almost time for this strong woman to come home.

I do not know this family. I have never even commented on the blog. I think I did see some pictures of Anissa somewhere - taken at BlogHer I'm pretty sure. I recognized her face but didn't know her name or her story. But coming across their story I was so touched, I added Hope4Peyton to my reader and it got to be the first blog I read if there was a post, even when I wasn't reading any other blogs at all. And now that Anissa is so close to coming home the bills are really mounting. I have added a badge to my sidebar if anyone would like to contribute and help the Mayhews take the best care of Anissa possible while she gets her strength back and goes through physical therapy and whatever other therapy someone goes through after a stroke.

And if you are unable to donate anything, this is a a family of great faith. Please remember them in your prayers. I think the worst is over now - but it's an uphill climb to get back to the top. I have no doubt they'll make the climb as a family and I suspect that Anissa will be right out front in no time. I hear she's pretty fierce!

Meet Anissa in her own words, here.

I don't need it.

*
Is there a reason Tiger Woods owes me an apology?

Tomorrow the golf star is supposed to be coming out publicly for the first time since he humiliated his wife, brought his sponsors to their knees financially, and single-handedly sent the sport of golf back to the retired-people sport it used to be. Why?

He totally owes an apology to his wife, his family, the women he was involved with, his sponsors, the golfers he played with, but does he really owe anyone else his apologies? Doesn't make sense to me.

I am aware that he was held up as this clean-cut all-American athlete who brought golf more attention and to a much wider audience than anyone else ever has. But apparently it was pretty well known he was a womanizer, I mean really - just look at the numbers - plenty of people knew.

So it comes out in all it's gory detail, with one woman after the next ready to get on TV and say she slept with Tiger Woods. Woo hoo! What a claim to fame! The media counted the women, speculated about the SUV and Tiger's wife chasing him with a golf club, and stood in a puddle of drool waiting for the next revelation.

I don't feel sorry for Tiger. I don't feel sorry for the women, except for his wife. I think it's a horrible tragedy for his children. People make their own beds and Tiger knew his reputation and knew he was a public figure. He has hurt all of the people closest to him. And you know what? It's not my business.

A public apology? That's meaningless. Don't need it, don't want it, don't care.
*

Maxine Monday

~ * ~




~ * ~

Happy Valentine's Day Ya'll!

So what has been going on around here lately? Besides the FBI wanting me for some unknown reason, there has been an old cat not willing to give up the ghost and an owner that feels he still has enough good days to not consider putting him to sleep. Yet. Don't freak Dani, you will know if that day comes. But oh my was Riley sick the other day. I came home from work and found puke and poop from one end of the house to the other. I literally had to clean over 15 separate spots where one thing or another was on the carpet. Unfortunately when Riley is sick, he heads for my bed. It must be a comfort thing - I'm his human or something - but if I find him sleeping on my bed up close to the pillows I know he is sick.

I had to clean up after him, floor, carpet, bedding, and even him. Gave him a bath which he didn't fight too much, directing most of the spray to cleaning his nasty butt fur. The best moment came when he escaped from the towel I was drying him with and when I finished cleaning up the bathroom I came out in the living room and found him sitting in front of the space heater with his leg in the air, ostensibly drying said nasty butt fur. Too funny. Wish I had gotten a picture but of course I didn't.

Beyond crisis' of that sort, mostly I have been playing with Paint Shop Pro designing all kinds of things, and playing with my blog template software. I have been on the internet in search of all things clipart - and have found digital scrapbook papers and elements are awesome for this. I get obsessed with things and find the search for 'parts' to be as interesting as the completed design. Which means I now have well over 5000 pieces of clipart, papers, and pictures. What I can possibly do with it all, I have no idea.

There are 3 diabetes books sitting on the floor next to the couch that I keep meaning to read. I started Diabetes for Dummies and learned some - even in the first 2 chapters. I don't bead as much anymore and I kept explaining that I just couldn't see! Didn't know if I just needed better lighting or magnification or what, but it made making jewelry very frustrating for me. Reading Diabetes for Dummies I discovered that it's a symptom of diabetes, the blurred vision. Doesn't mean I have glaucoma or that I'm losing my eyesight, but the lens of the eye tends to swell on and off which is why some days I feel I can see better than others. Well I'll be. I haven't read enough to know but I have a feeling that symptom will lesson when I have my glucose under control.

And speaking of glucose ... it's been much better lately. Of course I have been trying to eat better but I've also been trying to mix fiber in with all my meals if possible, as it helps release the glucose into your blood more slowly. I've been trying to stop freaking out about the stuff I can't eat, and trying to do more with what I can. But I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say I have my days where the whole thing pisses me off and I rebel and eat a box of mac 'n cheese by myself or something. Still, I am getting better at it. I still need to get that exercise things going - I did it a bit at first and then tapered off and stopped. As usual. But I do plan to try again.

On another note, my sleep has been good on Ambien, but with the addition of a diabetes med I just felt I was taking too much medication and wanted to stop SOMETHING. Besides, there was that shopping with no memory of the event thing that concerned me somewhat. Plus - in order to avoid being groggy the next day I was taking Ambien at 7:30 or 8:00 in the evening so by the time I went to bed at 10:30 or so - I was out like a light. But I felt I was missing too much of my evening somehow. SO . . when I was off work for a week I went off the Ambien. Getting to sleep the first few days was tough but it got easier and I've been off of it for 2 weeks now. But now I am back into the sleep habits I was not able to regulate before I went on it - I stay up till all hours and have a miserable time getting up for work in the mornings. Then on the weekend I sleep way too late and waste most of the day. Today I didn't get up until almost 2:30 in the afternoon. That is just ridiculous. But when I'm sleeping I can think of every reason in the world not to get up when my alarm goes off or something else wakes me up. So - I took an Ambien tonight. It's an artificial schedule but it does help me regulate my sleep habits.

Oh! My daughter came home for a few days last week which was nice. She and her fiancee' are planning on moving up to the Chicago area somewhere, as there really aren't any jobs or opportunities or pizza places for that matter, where they are living now. And Dani has decided she does not want to be a nurse after all and will probably pursue teaching. A degree in English will serve her well for that. And of course having Dan and Dani up here closer to me will be most welcome. Yay! Also of course, they can stay with me until they get settled although with Dan being allergic to cats it would be problematic. However they have stayed here the last couple times they came up and I have been keeping the room they sleep in closed up and I have an air cleaner in there - and have been keeping it a cat-free zone. Still, it's only a bedroom, the rest of the house well .. you can imagine.

Then of course the email I received from my mom the other day is worth noting. She said:

I was real careful but fell down twice today. I fell down twice yesterday, once with scissors in my hand. I am now thinking of putting myself in a home. At least there I would have 24 hr. care, what do you think?

Oh my. Actually I think she should have 24 hour care, she's had some really scary breathing (or not breathing) episodes that indicate she probably should be staying where there are nurses, not just her son. He was having her evaluated for what the next step should be, don't know if the results are back yet but I have a good idea of what the recommendation will be.

Sick cat, sick mom, sick me. I always said you know you're old when all you're doing is talking about your aches and pains and medications. I think I may qualify for that strictly speaking. But doggone it I'm not giving in to aging yet! Well, not completely. I mean - 50 is the new 40, right? Right? So 51, which is approaching rapidly, is only 41. And I can still be amazing at 41 - just have to keeping working to get there.
*

It would be SO cool if it were real!

I would love it if the FBI wanted to talk to me. But after watching and reading forensics and true crime stuff for years, I have a sneaky feeling they wouldn't be contacting me by email to tell me they need "an urgent proof" from me. What could it be about? My random adherence to recycling rules or to question me about why I spent 3 hours on my hands and knees scrubbing something out of the carpet and even more time washing bedding and towels till all hours on a work night? Suspicious behavior to anyone. Well, suspicious to anyone who doesn't own an old and sometimes incontinent CAT!!!! Ugh.



The FBI contacting me would be so much more exciting than the reality. Sigh-h-h.

Don't ya just love it ...

*
Don't you just love posts that start with an apology? Yeah well here's another one. I am still alive. I do still want to keep posting on my blog. But apparently I have a one track mind and once I get involved in something I cannot shift gears and get back to what I was originally doing.

My apology is not so much for not posting, it's for not reading your blogs. I have watched my reader climb up to almost 500 posts - hell - Stimey even has 9 - and I usually try not to miss any of hers because with 3 little boys, you never know what you might miss if you skip a day.

But once the days started adding up it was easier to immerse myself in the other stuff I have been doing and ignore the the rising numbers. Sigh-h-h. So my apology is, I am sorry that I have not been around to your blogs and I am also sorry that I am not going to get to them yet. Simply can't do it right now. But - I WANT to do it so I am going to make it a point to get back to reading this weekend. There is no way to read, much less comment on every post but I will concentrate on the most recent posts before I .. uh .. zero out my reader. I'm sorry! See me groveling?

Besides reading blogs this weekend I will also try to get a real post of mine up, that isn't an apology. It's not like it hasn't snowed here, or my cats haven't been cute and funny, or my adjusting to diabetes hasn't been worth talking about. So now I have to be like Nike and just do it. Really. I will.
*

Maxine Monday

~ * ~




~ * ~

A day of firsts!

*

*
Today was the first day in a week that I drove my car. First time I put jeans on, put makeup on, or did my hair. For the record, that does not mean I did not bathe. Just sayin'. It's the first day I made any purposeful movement before 11:00 am in a week.

I have come to the conclusion that if I did not work I would simply melt into and become part of - the couch. Seriously. I accomplished exactly nothing.

But I enjoyed the heck out of it!


Full disclosure - not my feet, not my living room. But doesn't it look cozy?

Maxine Monday

~ * ~





~ * ~