Festivities

With all the holiday festivities, I have neglected to post. Christmas was good. My kids seem very happy with gifts they received, and gave. I went on a seamstress mode again this year. I made a quilt, pillows, scarves for gifts. I did some fun photos on fabric and tried my hand at applique. I made a couple fleece blankets for birthday gifts too. I also made some homemade Christmas cards with buttons, pipe cleaners, and anything else I could find. Just searching for a diversion from the standard boxed cards and purchased gifts. My only wish would be to see those I wasn't able to, during the holiday. Now I can settle in and prepare for exercising and training for Ragbrai this coming July. Hope you all had a great holiday, and looking forward to a bright new year.

Crash

My oldest son got in a car accident this week, thank God nobody was seriously injured. He hit a van, totaled his car, and did significant damage to the van. The driver of the van ran a stop sign, his insurance company accepted all liability. I can't help but think of what could have happened, one of those mortality checks you get in life. Thankfully all three people involved are safe. I am so grateful!

New Jersey, New York...

I was so fortunate this year, got 2 vacations! In October I flew out to the east coast to visit my great friend Rob. We hung out in New Jersey for a couple days. We went out to eat, went to the mall, just spent quality time together. Such distance between friends, never enough opportunity to sit and visit face to face. It was really nice! I love the east coast, it has so much history. I love to hang out in the cemeteries, some of the graves are from so far back, it seems unreal. That is probably not most people's favorite thing to do... but its one of mine. We went to New York while I was out there. Upstate New York in October with all the fall colors throughout the Adirondack Mountains is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Some of our stops along the way were several rest areas and Woodstock Harley Davidson. We stopped in Saratoga Springs, NY. The town famous for it's Revolutionary War battlegrounds, as well as the best tasting spring water! So full of historical points of interest, monuments, museums, horses! Rob was stationed there when he was in the military, so I got to see a bit of where his past was spent! That was so great, every second. We spent a good portion of one day touring the battlefield. I really had an awesome time. The Saratoga Monument in Schuylerville, NY was an amazing structure, climbing to the top of that was really neat, and right there is a very old cemetery, how great is that?! I wish we had a week to spend in Saratoga Springs, there were so many things to see. It is pretty touristy there, but I can definitely see why. The next day we headed to Lake George, NY. Also a lot of tourism, but so beautiful and interesting. The lake is huge! Nestled in the Adirondacks. Fort William Henry is located right on the end of the Lake. We walked around part of the lake, and checked out all the historical sights we could find, and we hung out in the Arcades for a while. So many fun things to see and do! I could go on and on about it, but you really should just go there and see it all for yourself! Thank you Rob for such a great time! I will remember all of those things forever! Before I went there I thought of New York as crowded over populated, big city, dangerous... all that. New York is a really big state, there is so much more than just New York City. This trip offered me a pleasant surprise, a side of New York I never knew existed. Thank you again and again Rob, for sharing one place that means so much to you, with me. For all the beautiful places etched in my mind. For all that you did to make sure my visit there was so enriching. And for letting me meet and play with your kitten Goober! Such a fantastic cat! For everything, thank you!

Pike's Peak

This past September my family took a trip to Colorado Springs to visit my best friend from high school and her husband. After we spent a few days exploring all the great natural wonders there; the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, Cliff Dwellings, all the beautiful scenery, we decided to head to Denver and spent the day at the Denver Zoo. We had a great time reminiscing and getting reacquainted with each other. I wouldn't consider myself an extremely active person, I usually walk 3 to 5 miles per day or more. On the way back from Denver I decide I was climbing Pike's Peak the next day. I thought, after all. How hard can a 12 mile hike be. HA! I think everyone thought I was crazy, but they knew I meant it. The next morning my friend and I got up way before dawn. It was pretty chilly. We had prepared CamelBaks and high carb snacks. We had sweatshirts and gloves and everything we needed. My friend had trained for an Accent on Pike's Peak, so she knew everything we needed. It was right before dawn when we started up the mountain. It was so beautiful to look back and watch the sun rise over Manitou Springs/ Colorado Springs. Being a flat lander from Iowa, I quickly realized I hadn't really adjusted to 7000+ ft. (I reside at about 800 ft.) I had to make frequent stops to catch my breath. The time it took me to get to Barr Camp, basically the half way point, many locals could have been to the top. I probably would have been smart and turned around at that point, but I am way too stubborn for that, so upward we climbed. It seemed like days had passed by the time we made it to tree line, approximately 3/4th up the mountain. Just past tree line is when my friend realized I have a fear of heights. Up to that point I felt some what secure, in all the trees. When it was just rocks and thin air my fears rose significantly. My friend was wondering how she was ever going to get me off that mountain. At 11,000+ ft. breathing became difficult, compounded by self inflicted fears, the last 3 miles were excruciatingly slow and difficult. The last mile of Pike's Peak is pretty trying for many locals there, the last part just before the summit is nicknamed the "16 Golden Stairs". Don't let them fool you! It is not 16 steps and you are at the summit. It is a grueling series of steep switchbacks that seemed to make the previous climb seem trivial, and it is really damn cold up there. At times on that climb I thought I wouldn't survive and it probably took me double the time it would take people more accustomed to the altitude and extreme physical exertion, but I made it! I CRAWLED onto the 14,110 ft summit, eventually, I crawled to the truck and into the back seat, and buried my head in a pillow until we were back down the mountain. I started feeling better then, and proud, and all that other giddy stuff. I am no mountain climber, for sure. But I would do it again. It was beautiful! An experience I will never forget. We went to the Pike's Peak Harley Davidson shop. I bought a hooded sweatshirt. So now I can say, "been there, done that, got the swe...". Aww nevermind *grin* Thank you Ellen for helping me have such a beautiful experience.

New house!

Grats on your new house Trazidar! What a great home. So spacious and full of trophies from victorious encounters with all those evil monsters. After the time we had with her, too bad Azar didn't drop remains! /Hug

Birthmark

My oldest daughter got her birthmark removed today. It was on her left side, just under her ribcage. It was embarrassing for her. Dark brown, raised skin, rough, calloused area. About 2-3 inches long and 1 inch wide. But it's gone now! I took her to the appointment and they let me watch the procedure. I even got to help assist a little. That was fun for me and really interesting. Most people would probably think it was gross. She is doing great now, that is what matters most! My kids all have the week off school for Thanksgiving, so she has the rest of break to heal.

Peanut

=) I think people in the animal field are magnets for wayward animals. My mom called me about a month ago, the first thing she said when I answered the phone was; "I think we have an emergency!" There was a little kitten laying on it's side, under a bush, in a pile of cold wet leaves. No mommy cat in sight. She waited a while to see if the mom cat came back for the kitten, but she did not. It was really cold out, around 40F degrees. I told my mom the kitten would not make it on it's own. So my mom went out with a towel, got the kitten, and not sure what else to do, brought it to me. The kitten was in big trouble. He was ice cold to the touch, mewing loudly but could not lift his head. He was covered in fleas and had a gash on his face and back of his head, there was saliva all over his body, another animal must have been using him as a toy, or worse. I filled my trusty warm water bottles, and warmed some kitten formula. I made it clear to my mom that I did not have high hopes the poor thing could live. His body temperature came up and he got hungry. I fed him formula several times that night, all he could stand. The next day I took him to the Vet. He tested Negative for Feline Lukemia! I got some eye ointment for his mattered eyes, and medicines for his wounds. The Vet guessed his age at 4 weeks. That night he started eating canned food mixed with formula. From that point on, he has been unstoppable. He is a little terror! He will open his mouth wide and run at your hand to "get" you. His kitten "motor" is so loud, and he is so angelic when he is sleeping on your chest, or where ever he falls down at any given time. He is simply beautiful. My mom took him home with her about a week ago. He is so happy and so lucky she found him. Such a fantastic little guy!

Weezel

This past summer my oldest daughter found a pinkie squirrel in my back yard. She guarded it from my dogs and called for me to come see. It appeared he had fallen over 50 feet from a nest in a tree above him. he had a big dark knot on his head. I was sure he wasn't going to make it, but couldn't let him die. So we took him in, warmed him up with water bottles filled with very warm water, and got some puppy milk replacement from my work and a needle less syringe to feed him. I know a woman in wildlife rehabilitation, so I tried to contact her to see what else I could do, I left a message on her answering machine. The next morning, to my amazement, the little guy was still alive! I took him to work with me, so I could keep him on a feeding schedule. The rehabber I called the night before had contacted someone that specializes in squirrels. This person then contacted me. At first I was not happy she wanted to take him. Then I realized someone with much more experience could give him a better chance to survive. She came to my work and picked him up. She asked what I was calling him. I laughed and told her at first we weren't sure what he was, so we called him Weezel. The name stuck. This wonderful woman took such good care of him. Squirrels don't open their eyes until they have all their fur, and are pretty mature. That is why we never see baby squirrels running around. This lady sent me pictures many times via the Internet, and we sent long emails back and forth about Weezel and many other things. She is such a nice person. Then a sad email came. She informed me Weezel was blind. Under normal circumstances she would be required to have him euthanized. Her job is to prepare wildlife to be released, and a blind squirrel could never survive on his own. I was devastated! But this wonderful woman was more upset. She had him with her every day for weeks, nurturing him. She contacted her mentors and explained to them how she couldn't have him destroyed. They worked together to obtain a license for Weezel's Mom to keep him, and she worked with an educational facility that has a program to allow Weezel to participate in an educational program with them. I am ecstatic! Weezel lives in a safe outdoor enclosure, He collects his nuts in his nesting box. He is playful and does almost everything a normal squirrel does except for the obvious. He can't jump from branch to branch in trees or balance on power lines. he has some sight in one eye, but he could never survive on his own. Lucky for him, his new Mom sought him out, and fought for his life. I guess there are some heroes left in this world! Thank you Carol! Also, thank you to all the wildlife rehabbers out there that spend their time waking up all hours in the night to feed their "babies", that spend countless dollars on formulas, feed, crates, bedding, laundry, exterior enclosures, Veterinary bills, on and on, and in the end selflessly say goodbye to their wild friends. Never earning a penny for any of it. It is my honor to know you exist!

Goodbye Dr. Waste

I learned tonight my dentist died yesterday. She was in a car accident, she crossed the center line and hit a Semi head on. The doctor's 11 yr old daughter was with her, she was treated and released. My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband, 3 children, other family members, and co-workers. The place she worked is a very warm, friendly, close knit family, I've always felt very welcome there. My last appointment with her was this past Monday. I don't presume to know Dr. Waste in any other manner than professional. I really never held a complete conversation with her. She was always working very hard and I always had fingers in my mouth, but from my perspective, she was a very wonderful woman. Horrible things like this make me wonder why good, honest, hard working people could possibly die so young and have so much intelligence and integrity left to share, all lost. When some really stupid, leacherous, greedy, monsters that offer nothing to anyone, and exist just to hurt and annoy good people, get to continue on. My mind just cant wrap around the concept of how this type of thing could possibly be "meant to be" or that there is a reason for such a horrible turn. My only act of respect I can offer to her, in her memory, and to sate my ire in one's words that spoke to me regarding this doctor's death. If your first contact with her was on a professional level, if you weren't her daughter, mother, cousin, or friend...her name was Doctor to you! She worked very hard to earn her title, use it with the respect she deserves. I will miss you Dr. Waste.

Some people emit beauty

Other than my family, my animals, my best friend, and a few other people in this world, I see a lot of ugliness. Mean people doing nasty things to fulfill some kind of self worth issue they have. My general philosophy is "I hate people". Today I saw some people I like! I groom animals for a living. It's not a very clean or risk free work environment, but even on the worst days I can walk away knowing what I did helped an animal, that is usually a rewarding feeling. Many days I wish I could just do my work and not have to deal with people. Today I saw some truly wonderful people. I groomed a dog named Cocoa. She is a sweet little Yorkshire Terrier. Her "Mom" brought her to me in a plastic carrier. She was really afraid, so I was comforting her, leaning into her "safe place". I noticed a picture taped to the inside wall of her crate. It was a picture of Cocoa and a little girl. How awesome is that?! That little girl wanted Cocoa to know she was there with her! SO Beautiful! After work I went to the mall. I had to get one of my favorite things, a soft pretzel with cheddar cheese, yum! As I sat in the eating area, I was watching people. (big time Voyeur, I am) There was a elderly man sitting alone, uncomfortable. His walker sat behind him with his coat draped over the center bar. He seemed to be looking at nothing in particular and waiting for whatever. A man approached him, introduced himself, and started a conversation about his wife shopping as usual... could he join him. I loved his olive green parka with the fake fur around the edge of the hood, and the bright orange liner, and I loved the big smile on the older man's face as he accepted the "parka man's" company. What a beautiful thing to do! As I turned my attention elsewhere, there were two elderly ladies walking hand in hand toward the out door, they stopped as one helped the other place her sheer scarf over her head to protect her from the wind and cold outside. Any bad that may have happened today was swallowed up in the joy these people gave me without ever saying a word to me. Top that with time spent with my best friend and family, today was a fabulous day!