The "AFTER"

Oh, well...you can't even tell the difference in these pics...but, it was a weekend's worth of work! Now I only have one room to paint in the whole house...the master bath. Maybe I should fly Johnny out here to do it. :-)

Watching HGTV way too much

Dad is fishing, so I am into a project. Here is my "before" bathroom. After having to be very resourceful in putting the ladders every which way to reach all areas, it now has one coat. It's now the same color as Johnny's former room, but a shade lighter. After tomorrow, it should be done, and I'll post the "after" pic. Don't think I'll be quite as creative as my son, but it'll look better than white walls!

YEA!!!!!

...just returned from my bi-weekly trip to the vet, but, this time we got great news! Joey's glucose count is down to 160...down from 439! Just to let you know....Jack has adjusted Joey the last two days....so, I'm gonna say it was the chiropractic adjustments that did it. :-)

the call

So, I've been waiting for the call all day. Dr. Brase called a few minutes ago with the bad news. Joey has diabetes. The count of whatever in his blood should be 120-160, and his is 459. The treatment is 2 shots of insulin/day. How Joey is going to let us do that, I haven't a clue. Dr. B. said he's going to run another test and to call tomorrow. Then, I guess I'll bring him in and learn how to give him a shot and how much. We'll also need to bring him in to get tested again til it gets stabilized. Whew. I don't understand how a cat gets diabetes when he's never had a cookie or a doughnut in his life.

silhouettes from the past

This morning found me with a task that usually only precedes holiday dinners. I was polishing silver. This time, however, I found my mind going back in time, imagining how and when these particular pieces were used. My mom gave them to me on Saturday. They are 6 little sterling silver teaspoons with an "h" etched into the handle. I told her we should have them because of the "h", for Harvey. :-) Actually, the "h" stands for Hazel, my grandmother's name (once considered an old-fashioned name, now in vogue thanks to Julia Roberts ). I only knew my Grandma for 1 year, then she died. So, my imagination of her comes through pictures and stories. As I polished the silver, I imagined another time, another century...early in that century. I pictured Hazel, having 5 of her friends or relatives over for coffee and Swedish treats, as they gathered to exchange quips about the people and times in the small town of DeKalb, Illinois. I pictured the old homes on the tree-lined streets, the dresses they wore (they certainly didn't wear pants!), perhaps even hats... the words, the laughter, and the clinking of the teaspoons. It's a bygone era...would I even be able to find 5 friends or relatives who would be HOME in the middle of the day? Not likely. But, I will find a way to use these special spoons and create memories. I decided not to put them in a box with the rest of our silver but, instead, to make them easily accessible. And, someday, they'll be passed down to yet another generation.

I GAVE BLOOD TODAY!!!

babies are expensive!!

Well, Joey gets 3 stars for his behavior at the Vet today. I've never seen him this calm. I surprised him from his nap to get him (tail first) into his carrier, so that was a breeze...he didn't know what was coming. He only meowed a few times on the way. He hid behind the chair in the "cat" room, but didn't seem too scared, just cautious. Then, Dr. Brase said he was really good when he drew his blood. The results come on Monday...pray he doesn't have kidney disease! Inflation has transpired in the animal world, too. It was $200 for our little visit today! The lady who inititially helped us said, "awww, he reminds me of the cat I used to have...he looks just like him". Maybe that won Joey over. She said her cat weighed 32 lbs.!!!!! Joey is a mere 15...trim and svelte. :-)