Take a look...

I have a friend....a blog friend....a good friend......we have been friends almost from the beginning of my posting. We found each other through, Rob. Rob was the first person other than Gina to ever leave a comment on one of my posts....and then Martyn found me.

Martyn lives in the UK. He is an artist, writer, teacher and the good friend. All of his work is wonderful, but I usually like his simple, straight forward drawings and meme's. He has posted Little Fictions. It is fun to cruise around his blog, look at his work and read his posts....this one is exactly what I like; a black and white sketch with an exchange of letters that are open, friendly, intimate and telling....all with just a few words.

Rather than leave comments for me, click the link, visit Martyn and see if you like his work. It is the kind of blog site that refreshes, takes you out of the every day hum drum and worry and before you know it, you are a follower.

A day in the life of a......

....hospice dog. Sweet Penelope.....sad, sweet Penelope. The light is going out in her eyes. She has so few days left to enjoy going outside and damn if it didn't snow six inches overnight. It is wet, slippery snow and we have to hold on to her so she doesn't fall. Not fun for her at all.

She likes to eat thanks to the Prednisone...regardless of the reason, breakfast and dinner are the high spots of her day! She can't put weight on her right front leg at all....mainly because the tumor is so large and has pulled her leg up and there is no shoulder movement at all.

I did the black squiggly line thing around the area of tumor. Osteosarcoma in canines does not "jump the joint." If there is cancer in one part of the leg, it does not spread to the rest of the leg....it will metastasize to another body organ. There is a long hard line of something moving up and away from her shoulder. Rib? Lung? Neck cancer? Time will tell. She is not in much pain. We take care of that fast. She is on 90 mg of codeine.....yes, she sleeps a lot but still enjoys time with Steve and that is what matters now. I have told Steve he will be the determiner of when it is time to put her to sleep. She spends pretty much all of her time with him; he takes her out to potty, she naps almost exclusively in his office and where ever Steve is there is Penelope.

She can only lay on her left side and I bet that is annoying. If I had to lay on one side only I would be beyond irritable.

I was unfaithful.

Safeway is either out of Cherry Cordials or they never had them. Either way, when I went to pick up my prescriptions last Tuesday, no Cherry Cordials to replace the two bags I'd managed to eat in a week. While frantically searching for the Cordials I happened to notice these; Hershey's Bliss with raspberry melt away centers. I bought two 8 oz. bags. They cost as much as the 18 oz. Cordials....but are 10 oz. less. I got gypped.

Because I wasn't sure how they would taste, I decided to share them with Steve. He was waiting in the car for me. I showed him one of the bags and sadly we both liked them. He did a good job of matching me bliss for bliss as we drove home.

Today we had to get out of this absolutely sad house so we drove to Coeur d Alene and went to Big Lots. Guess what they had......18 oz. bags of Cherry Cordials for 3 bucks a bag. I bought 4 bags. Steve doesn't particularly like them....good.

He wants THAT bed.....2 cats 3 beds...listen for my snort!!!

Boost Mobile TV Commercial - Hysterical!

...OK, so my sense of humor is a bit odd.

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz......

I've got nothing......really nothing.

I have been busy doing the following:

Spencer got his first Webkinz...Larry the Lizard. I have been playing games so Spencer would have a few bucks to buy "stuff" for Larry...I hear he already went on a vacation.

I am on a mission to annoy the crap out of Capital One Bank USA, the cheeze bags. I have a credit card with Capital One (please, please sue me Cap One for using your real name). It is my card, Steve is not a signatory on the account. It is....excuse me, was....my little card with a 9.9% rate and I used it for my purchases. It has never been charged to the limit...not even close. I have never been late on a payment, I always pay at a minimum $250.00 payment/month. I am/was a perfect, loyal customer....but wait; that was then and this is now. I received a notice saying basically....your 5 years as a customer isn't long enough according to: new rule/edict # 27591785947027478435, AND, we don't want to give anyone that has been loyal, paid on time and always paid a lot more than the minimum payment the 9.9% rate anymore...add a 3 to that last rule for new rule. Why....well, DUH....they don't make any money off of me. I have not lost a job, defaulted on my home and am not using their crappy card at the new rate of 17.9% because I am stuck.

So, if you get one of these notices from Capital One, look for the part that tells you which regulatory body is over credit cards....The Keeper of the Currency in a Locked Black Box....or something like that.....and fire off a really pissy letter and watch the fireworks happen. They open an investigation, shoot off letters to Cap One, I send off a ton of proof that Cap One is nasty, predatory and lying....and bingo Cap One pedals backwards. Guess what.....I am canceling the card on MY terms, not accepting their terms which say we are sorry and everything will go back to the way it was, they can't charge me the higher rate, I can pay off my measly balance at 9.9%, I have another really nice bank card that is at the same rate that is just mine and am currently in possession of FOUR as in 4 bait notices trying to get me to sign up for a new Cap One card and those are going to be sent to the Keeper per their request and I hope Cap One at least gets sent to the corner for a day.

I have been so busy that I have not downloaded stuff from Myron, my camera. I will.

Steve and I had new photos taken for our passports that expire next month. I need a face lift at a minimum....Steve needs to get new glasses.

Penelope is slowly failing. She is on 75mg. of Codeine a day. She is restless, has difficulty getting around and her vision is failing. The tumor is located on her right shoulder bone and is the size of half a cantaloupe. She still loves to go outside and lay anywhere there isn't snow. She can get into the car with steps Steve made for her and can tolerate a 15 minute ride and she eats like a piggy probably because of the Prednisone. Steve made a tear-jerker comment and I had to go into the bathroom and bawl.....She isn't a perfect dog, but I love her more than I know how to tell you.

Fuzzy is doing fairly well. He has lost weight, but is perky and can still usually be found being a lounge leezard in Steve's office on the heated bed. He has developed this paranoid thing...when he goes in or out of the office he looks right and left several times and then jumps over the threshold of the room. It is funny to watch him. He comes out every night to watch TV and sits on my lap and gives me kisses.

I will attempt to muster up some energy so I can download the photos and a video I took of Guido and Meemster.

He eventually shook his hand.....

There he is....look in the upper left hand corner.....I doodled black circles around his face....MY GRANDSON sharing oxygen with the President of the United States!!!! This photo was actually in my local paper, on Yahoo and I bet it is in your paper too!

Was Christopher excited? Yup. Was he inspired? You betcha! Will this be a pivotal moment in his life? Eventually I think it will. Did Christopher call his Gigi before and after this great opportunity and experience? He did.

Guess who is going where.......

My pro active, vegetarian, green, save the planet and people, wonderful, intelligent and handsome grandson Christopher is gonna rub elbows with his old bud The Prez, Barack Obama.......pretty cool I think!!!

Hum, do tattoos count as "saving art" when it is only one sleeve? I bet Christopher didn't think I knew that term! Have a wonderful experience my sweet grandson...and save that ticket stub. Someday it might put my great grandchild through college.

It's always somethin"

So....yesterday Steve had the TV on some weird channel. I told him about a post sling had recently done on the history channel. Steve says: This is not the History channel, rosemary, it's the UFO channel (there is NO UFO channel because I looked).

I started listening to what was being reported on this weird channel and sure enough it was about aliens, crop circles, UFO sightings, places like Stonehenge and a place called Pico Pica (that is really a hot sauce but I can't remember the name of the place).

I watched the show for a while inserting a few chuckles which irritated Steve....he was giving me some pretty dirty looks....and finally I asked/said: You don't really believe this stuff do you? And he said: As a matter of fact I do! and he went on at length explaining why he believed in UFOs, aliens, crop circles and Pico Pica and how I needed to be more scientifically open minded! This from the man that laughed when I wondered out loud what would happen to my memories and feelings when I died.

Just goes to prove, no matter how long you live with someone you never really know them totally.

Personally I think this would make a nice rug pattern for the bedroom.
This guy? It has to be a guy because no woman would go out looking like that.

Secrets revealed

Several facts about rosemary...some of these are not secrets.

Numero uno: Steve spoils me...I am a spoiled brat. There are moments every day when I wonder why he loves me. He did know right from the start that I was moody, whiny, crabby and plain old bitchy. He saw and found something in me I can't seem to see or find...anyway, he loves me and that is all that matters.

Due: Steve often buys me large gifts.....large as in costing more than we can really afford. Example: Louie. Second example: My anniversary ring. When he does this big purchasing the deal is: The gift is for the year, every single event we might celebrate; birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's day etc. Louie covered Christmas '07 and all of 2008. The anniversary ring covered 3 years. Steve bought it for our 10th anniversary but the ring had 12 stones. So it covered anniversaries 10, 11 and 12. Steve allows me to choose these gifts and a lot of the time I buy/order them myself. I ordered this secret myself after Steve kissed me and said "Honey, why don't you order the secret?" This arrangement works out well for both of us.

Three: For my entire life...yes, all 64 1/2 years of it......I have loved books and music. My mother gave me the opportunity to nurture that love....I spent more hours in the Library growing up than I did at home much to my mother's pleasure. I continued to use the Library until that time when I was working like a fiend, raising three kids, didn't have time to go to the Library......and had enough money to buy books. I am a book purchaser elitist. I traditionally only buy hardback fiction books...oh, of course I have bought paperbacks and non-fiction but only if I managed to miss buying a hardback and it was no longer available in that format. Book stores stay open late...and of course there is now online shopping, my BFF.

And that brings me to my secret....a secret that is not without drama of course. The first secret arrived last week. The secret was opened, plugged in to charge and I was beyond excited to use this secret. By now you should all know what the secret is....after reading the previous paragraph.......but I will keep up the illusion of telling my secret.

So, after unplugging the secret to make a long story short because I can go on and on the damn thing didn't seem to want to work. I immediately emailed my friend and support family here.

Emails flew over the Internet, questions were asked and the situation became more puzzling. I finally emailed the supplier directly after my friends came to a conclusion and sure enough the secret had experienced a stroke and had left sided paralysis. This was all my fault. I caused the stroke by choosing free shipping that involved 10 scans and handling. The secret is tender, young and new....not use to scans, big hands and getting thrown into a bin....so, all my fault.

Two guys later, Carlos and Steven, the decision was made to return the secret and a new one would be sent overnight. This was last Thursday but delivery overnight in Sandpoint meant Monday not Friday. Well, fooled me because the secret2 arrived right on time Friday.

This time I only opened the secret. I did charge it but did not turn it on. I printed out the manual from my computer and started studying as if I had a final on Monday and was cramming. The secret was packed up in its cute black box with letters all over it and accompanied me to the Library Board meeting Monday night. The secret....which by now was appropriately named Candy.....was turned on, all of its features were available for use, was registered and ready for me to enjoy.

The following are understatements:
1. I am so excited about Candy I can hardly contain myself.
2. Candy is worth twice the purchase price.
3. My secret friends were beyond supportive and helpful and didn't complain once about how annoying I was.
4. Steve is the best husband a woman could have, loves me for sure and wants me to be happy and at the moment I am that.

Here is the secret: Tada, drum roll and clang those cymbals:

May I present Candy, my Kindle2!!!!!




This is the most amazing device I have ever had.....surpasses my laptop and even my hand held can opener. It can do tons of stuff beyond having the capability of electronically providing books. It is sold by Amazon.com, is the second generation of Kindle and I love her. My friend Madeline gave me tons of information and her husband Jimmy actually works on the Kindle project...see....told you they were invaluable! I "bought" two books but am saving that reading pleasure until I finish reading the manual which is the most fascinating non-fiction I have ever read!!!!

Does this mean I no longer want a new handbag? Uh, no. Did I forget to mention in paragraph 2 that I am also selfish, want what I want and am determined to get it? So, the handbag will eventually arrive, perhaps a tote to carry Candy as well and that will count for all of 2010....but, I'm flexible.....I wouldn't turn down a handbag in 2009.

See this adorable little boy....

...this is Tyler. He is a much loved son, brother, nephew, cousin and best of all my grandson. He is a California boy through and through. He lives a stone's throw from the beach and surfs, loves to snowboard, play football and just be an All American boy. But, wait a minute.....he isn't this little boy anymore.....he is officially a man. Tyler is 18.

He loves his mom and brother.....

Just look at that handsome face!

I can't even begin to tell you how proud his dad is of him.

Here he is at the prom.....pretty cool looking isn't he?


He will always be his mother's baby.....but he is getting ready to take on the world, figure out his future and make that first big step into adulthood. I am so proud of Tyler's accomplishments. Happy Birthday sweet Tyler.

oooooooo.....lookie here....

....I am such a copycatter....check out here and here to see who I copycatted because I'm like that......(did you all see my secret post? I have a secret, neener, but I'm not telling 'til next week sometime.)

shhhh.....

I have a secret....it's my secret and only three people know....and only one of those 3 is a blogger.....humm, is it still a secret? Wait, Steve knows too. Anyway....next week I'll tell my secret because I trust you. Don't try to trick me into telling....because I won't..... until next week when I won't look like a total dork......just 1/2 a dork.

I got by with a little help from my......

.....Emma Lee.

Painting of upstairs living room finished: check

Room put back together: check

One bag of Hershey's Cherry Cordials gone: check

Pan of Pillsbury Cinnabons gone: check

Every bone and muscle in my body hurts: check

Didn't fall off of the 6 or 8 foot ladders: check

Color of living room looks great: check

Making cupcakes today: yup


Here is my little helper, Emma Lee. See the ceiling fan pulls? See the fan going round and round....probably not. Anyway, Emma was determined, absolutely determined to get to those pulls and ride on the fan. It took a lot of effort for her to climb up the 8 foot ladder....and a lot more effort for me to climb up there, pry her claws off the top and haul her down. After trying again immediately after I got her down....she was banished to the snorage room for the rest of the painting. I was merciful and let her out in the evening.




Exhibits A: new, clean, not mustard colored walls.


Exhibits B: nasty, old mustard color....blaghhh.




The living room is mostly put back together. Everything that could go wrong with putting stuff back into the room did.......stripped screw heads, missing the stud to put up the heavy stuff, picture holder falling off, breaking screws with Steve's drill, having holes showing requiring Spackle and re-painting small spots...you name it, it went wrong. Took me from 10 AM until after 2 Pm to get it together.


The heavy work done, time for a nap.....Emma the Ladder Queen and Mimi Louise the Director of Operations.