Nice, quiet day!

We got up early to try to get to church on time. But, we didn't see the horses in the front pasture and we needed to check on them. Last night when we went to feed them (feeding the horses was always a chore that Rod and Charlie did...so I've taken over for Charlie for awhile to help distract Rod) we couldn't find them. Rod started looking around and discovered that they had gotten into one of the extra stalls where we keep their sweet feed! Rod thinks he forgot to latch the 1/2 door. They pushed it open, came into the stall and TOOK THE LID OFF OF THE CONTAINER!! They managed to eat at least 1/3 of a 40 gallon container! Anyway, Rod couldn't find them last night and assumed they were in the back pasture sleeping of their grain binge! But, when we didn't see them this morning, we wanted to make sure they were ok. So, before we headed off to church we stopped over at the barn to look for them. They were both there, standing in the back with their butts to the wind, looking a little tired. I have a feeling they might have had a late night, maybe with stomach aches!!

Anyway, we headed off to church (now our usual 10 minutes late!). After church we met up with Nick at the Village Inn for some brunch. Nick came over to the house after brunch and took a much-needed nap while Rod worked on some little projects around the house. I spent a good part of the day trying to finish up my latest book, Alex Kava's "One False Move."

Rod cooked some salmon and rice for dinner, we watched some football and called it a day.

Not too exciting, but also a very pleasant day.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Winter Wonderland!

I thought you might like to see what a "mild" ice storm looks like in Omaha! This is one of the lilac bushes in our front yard.



I also wanted to share a special gift that I received from a special friend. Yesterday afternoon the doorbell rang and at my door was a floral delivery lady. She handed me a beautiful poinsettia plant with a Willow Tree angel tucked in among the leaves. It's called, "The Angel of Friendship."



Rod summed it up when he came home and saw the plant and the figurine when he said, "We really have some amazing friends, don't we?"

Thanks for reading, my amazing friends.
Annette

Very, very quiet day

It was such a strange day. I kept talking to Charlie or thinking I was hearing him. I realized that this is the first time in nine years that I've been home alone. I think we're going to have to get another pet sometime. It's just too darn quiet around here.
Thanks for all of your kind words and prayers.

For those of you outside of the Omaha area, we are due for a major winter ice storm here tomorrow morning. I'm going to have Rod bring in some wood so we can have a nice warm fire tomorrow while the outside world is turning into skating rink!

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Charlie is gone...

Rod and Nick took Charlie to the vet tonight to be put to sleep. I've been the one in the past that had to take Charlie's brother Oscar and our previous dog, Cody in when this had to be done. Since they were both available to go, I decided to sit this one out. Logically we know this was the right thing to do. It's just tough.

Annette

Nothing new...

Charlie's really having trouble. We're going to talk to his vet in the morning. We'll probably be taking him in within the next two days. It's so difficult. He'll be hurting so much and be really uncomfortable and I'll think, "Yah, it's the right thing to do." Then he'll get all happy because he sees his Twizzlers or he is begging for some meat from our dinner or he wags his tail because Rod comes in the room and I think, "Why would I even consider 'putting him to sleep' when he's so happy?" Nick just stopped by so he could see Charlie. Charlie went running across the room, dragging his leg because he's so happy to see Nick. I asked Nick, "How can we consider killing him when he's so happy and looks so cute?" And Nick says, "Well, he have to look at his leg and then we know." Nick says that the skin is so tight on Charlie's thigh, leg and groin area that he's afraid if it gets much tighter, there might be a problem where Charlie's skin won't get enough blood flow and potentially the skin could die.

Now, look out, there is a pity party about to start.......

I'm really tired of having people and pets die. We lost Rod's mom two years ago. Then we had to put our other dog, Oscar down a little over a year ago. Then Rod's dad died last year. Then my friend Jacque and now Charlie. I hope I haven't insulted anyone by including Oscar and Charlie in this group. AND, I hope I haven't sounded to whiney. It's just tough. But, I guess it's just life. I keep reminding myself that God promised us he would be with us during tough times. He didn't promise us a smooth-sailing life, but he did promise his love and support. It does help to know that and to feel that.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

A semi-productive day!

I have been extremely tired over the last few days...actually more like the last few weeks. When I went to bed last night I decided I was going to get my butt out of bed in the morning and get something done! And, I did! I did some organizing of bills and receipts and such. I downloaded some pictures to the Walgreens website to be printed. I called in some prescription refills. I even went to Super Target to pick up some cheese for hiding Charlie's pain meds and some little chew treats for him. I figured, "What the heck! What better time to spoil my guy than when he's so sick and he hurts?" So now it's 9:00 pm and I need to mix my Flolan and take my other night meds and get going to bed. I think I'll try this approach again tomorrow!

Charlie update: I just don't know how much bigger his thigh and leg can get. He's still eating, he's got a new addiction.... Twizzlers! (What the heck, right?) He still wags his tail when he's sees one of us or when we say his name. But, he's putting almost no weight on his left leg at all. "Doing his business" is getting tougher. The poor guy. I'm so glad that he doesn't really know what's going on.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Honoring and remembering my friend Jacque!

I would like to thank all who have read yesterday's post and those who either responded here or who sent me an email. Your kind words and understanding mean so much. So, I've been trying to figure out all day what I could do to honor and remember Jacque. I made a donation to the Naivasha Women's Hospital in Kenya fund in her honor, but I kept thinking that I could do more. It needed to be something simple but important. I was preparing my things to go to bible study tonight (which I need to get going to so I won't be late...:) ) and it dawned on me the perfect thing I could do to honor and remember Jacque! I'm going to do my best to post at least a little bit on my blog every day! It was Jacque that helped me get set up to do a blog. It was Jacque who guided me on how to add pictures! It was Jacque that gently "nagged" me to go ahead and write just a little every day, but I never seemed to get it done. It was Jacque who blogged every single day, even when "The Beast" was doing it's damage. So, in honor of Jacque, I will do my best to get on here every day. You are loved and missed, Jacque! I will try to do you proud.
Now, I better get my butt in gear! It's really bad form to be late for bible study!!
much love
Annette