A Different Life II

[Hittenstiehl]

Sounds like a lady on a mission. Another good place for blankets, comforters sheets and towels is the animal shelters.

[Lily&Me]

Hmmm, thanks for that suggestion.

I’d never thought of the animal shelter.

Maggie

[Hittenstiehl]

I hadn't either until I was in the company of some of my crazy cat and dog lady friends. They are always collecting blankets and towels to put in the shelter kennels for comfort and warmth.

[Lily&Me]

I’ve never been to the animal shelter here, tho it is next door to the storage facility where I keep the Interstate and I can always hear the dogs barking when I go there.

It breaks my heart to think of all those dogs needing homes, and if I went in there I would want to take them with me.

So, I’ve never been, but I may get online and see if they have a needs list that I could tend to a bit.

Lily was once an abandoned dog, and it has never left her.

When Doug was stricken, strangers at the campground kept her until my son could fly out and drive her home…and it shook her a bit, his death and being left.

I see it in her all the time, her need to stay where she can see me and next to me whenever possible.

The vet said she needs to protect me, to be sure that whatever got him doesn’t get me.

Sigh. Life.

Maggie

[DaveP]

As with most dog owners, or those that are owned, that made me tear up a bit.

[Lily&Me]

Yep.

She’s been a good dog, a very loyal companion who would die for me if she needed to.

Tho she has been a challenge in several ways, she has given back to me in spades.

We can’t say that about many humans in our lives, is the truth.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

17 degrees here this morning!

[rosewoodtx]

Logan still stares at the back door waiting for Bruce to come out. He doesn't understand why Dad is not here but his car is. Sigh.

[Lily&Me]

Yep, they grieve right along with us.

For the longest time, every time we came back into the house from a walk or being gone anywhere, Lily would make a loop of this little house and the back bedroom, which was his sort of “den”, looking to see if he had come back.

Take care, and I hope you have much love and support around you for the holidays.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

My children have for the past several years sent me a pretty holiday floral something for Christmas, as I really need no more “things”.

Doug had done it for years, and I have enjoyed them so.

This arrived a bit ago, and with my holiday fleece blankie I haul out this time of year…needed for covering up during my first coffee of the mornings…the little house is looking quite festive.

I have a small, boneless ham in my oven as I type…

[rmkrum]

One of our dogs is totally attached to our daughter. Since she went off to school, every time my wife and I come home from an errand he runs to the inside garage door and sits down to wait for her to come through the door. He gives up after 5-10 minutes. His drooping tale reflects his mood.

The sad bit is that she’s been off to school on the east coast for almost three years now. He was out there to see her about a year ago. He was very unhappy when we again left her behind on that trip and took him back home.

He still seems to have hopes she will come home to him to stay. Very faithful Tibetan Terrier instincts, I guess.



Waiting and watching the inside garage door from his couch spot as usual. Faithfully hers.

[Lily&Me]

Awww.

She’s his person, apparently.

They think their lost one has just gone off somewhere and not yet returned.

Lily stopped looking for Doug long ago, tho of course she has not seen him since that day at the campground.

I have thought at times that maybe I should have brought her to the funeral, as she would have recognized death.

That your pup has seen your daughter may have told his mind that she is out there, and will eventually come back.

Maggie

[Por Sonia]

A moving "final moment" tune from Emmylou and Mark IMO:

https://youtu.be/jK_9ppta_M0

Peter

FWIW

[rosewoodtx]

Thank you Maggie, I am blessed to have great neighbors and friends who are helping me sift and sort through things, selling motorhomes, travel trailers, horse trailers, and generally sprucing up the acres. I feel very protected. Merry Christmas to you also.

[Lily&Me]

We are having strange, up and down temperatures here…into the teens or upper 20’s at night and 30’s to 50’s during the day, to another warming trend with one day this week expecting to hit 70.

Looking ahead to the forecast for Christmas, looks like we could have snow during and after, when I hope to be traveling.

Nothing like what went thru southern states Friday night, tho, when my weather radar alarmed twice but no twisters came thru here.

Such devastation and loss of life.

In November of 2013, a tornado came thru Washington, Il., about 45 minutes northeast of here, and basically took out the town and surrounding area… just like what we are seeing in news reports of this most recent storm.

I remember distinctly what a sobering experience this was for us, how it really shook our belief that we could keep ourselves safe from most things.

Doug died suddenly about 4 months later.

How terrifying, these tornadoes…the only place one is reasonably safe in a severe storm like that and taking a direct hit is underground, in basements or purpose-built shelters.

I remember a family in the 2013 storm near here whose house was demolished but they emerged, unscathed, from their basement into the debris field of their town.

The little house is on a slab, and if a storm like that were headed here I would go to my sons’ house and their basement.

If I had time, if not the bathtub here, or there are neighbors.

Assuming I was at home, and not traveling in the Interstate.

Lily and I once evacuated some years back thru ankle deep water to a campground bathhouse, phone in hand, watching on my weather radar the tornado move by us.

Sigh.


I’m not doing much baking this year, just don’t feel the need as the grands have outgrown after-Christmas jaunts with Grandma and I don’t do holidays here any more.

I’ve been working on my Hermit Bars, which have been wonderful, and this morning I made a batch of marshmallows with crushed peppermint on top for the kids and their hot chocolate.

Because, they’re easy and kind of fun to make, and they like them.

An Ina Garten recipe I have had for years…

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup cool water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
I box candy canes, unwrapped and crushed in a bag

Soak gelatin in 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine remaining water and all ingredients except candy canes in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then cook on high without stirring until syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Add gradually to gelatin mixture on low speed til blended, add vanilla, then whisk at high speed about 8 minutes til very thick and cooled. Spread in 9x13 glass dish dusted well with powdered sugar, sprinkle crushed candy canes on top and press in. Cool overnight before cutting.

[Lily&Me]

I’ve been crocheting my afternoons and watching “The Queens Gambit” on Netflix this weekend, and it is pretty extraordinary.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80234304

Based on a book, apparently not a true story…tho it well could be, in my opinion.

About survival, loss, survival, addiction, survival, overcoming adversity, survival, and pursuing your passions, it is uplifting and inspiring.

In my experience, time brings perspective and does heal most things…it’s the getting thru the bad times that we find such a sticky wicket.

The survival part.

But…get up, keep going, do your part and life always seems to level out, and tho we still carry them with us the bad times move to the rear view mirror.

In my experience.

Watchable in a weekend, I highly recommend “The Queens Gambit”.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I had a local place that my repair guys referred me to set up my solar suitcase a couple of summers ago, and had not used my generator at all that year.

So, when I tried to start it this past summer…because, you know, you are really supposed to run them periodically …it would not start.

As I have the solar suitcase, I thought I could just forego the expense.

But, I’ve signed up for an HistoriCorps project in a national forest area of northeast Georgia next month, and just know it is unwise to be in a no-hookup campground for two weeks in January without a working generator.

My first winter project, which are unusual for HC, but this looked like an interesting opportunity, so I grabbed it.

The Cummins place here couldn’t get me in before February, and while I don’t use them for repairs any more after a couple of bad experiences, I thought they were probably the only place that could service an Onan RV generator.

But, I called TeVoert Electric, the small, local place that handled setting up the solar suitcase for me, and they do, in fact, service RV generators.

Tho they were scheduling into January, they squeezed me in because of my prior experience with them, and I really appreciated that.

Just dropped it off, and Uber’d back home in the largest Jeep I have ever been in.

Tho there is a handgrip, this sucker is very, very high off the ground, and it was not easy getting myself up into that back seat.

The drivers are not allowed to give you a pull, or otherwise assist you in any way, of course.

I’m sure I looked rather comical, but I did get up in there under my own power, and credit those leg and core-strengthening exercises I’ve been doing the last several years.


Temps are supposed to be near 70 here today, then drop like a stone, but I am delighted to have the mild weather to get the RV to/from this repair place.

We are making to-go preparations, and starting to get excited.

I am grateful every day that I am still able to go and do.

Looking at that Jeep, tho, when the time comes that the RV/long trips are no longer feasible for whatever reason…and Lily is no longer my traveling companion …I may just get an SUV tent for the back of the RAV4.

Would allow me to still get out and go, do shorter trips, and let me sleep in the back, up off the ground.

Just me, as Lily would not tolerate any animal, of any kind or size, sniffing around outside.

There would be a confrontation, thru the tent wall, and it would not be good.

These tents are pretty cute…tho I’m not there yet, they may be a very good step down at some future point in time.

https://www.carid.com/2016-toyota-ra...-57124851.html

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Got the generator up and running…new starter, solenoid, spark plug, oil and filter, etc.

The brake sensor dash light has been coming off and on, so am going to run it in for Jon to look at Monday morning…I haven’t been anywhere since it was serviced last, so doubt there is anything seriously amiss, but it is wise to have it checked out before we head south.


And, I’m about ready for Christmas…as in, all of the grands’ things have arrived via whatever delivery entity, and I just need to wrap and label.

They are difficult to buy for in these teenage days, and I think that next year Grandma is going to take the easy route and go with Visa gift cards.


I have not felt much like baking this year, so simply haven’t, but I like to take a little something to my sons on the holiday, in addition to my usual sides, so picked up some Ghirardelli’s chocolates for a pretty bowl.

Doug didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but he did love these peppermint bark chocolates and we bought some every year.

This year I noticed they have little peppermint bark Snowmen, as well, so grabbed some of those.

He would find them a bit too “cute” to suit him, but I’m sure the grands will not care…and a little bit of Grandpa will be present on Christmas Day.

The last Christmas he was with us, we bought the boys a compound bow and set up a target in the far back yard.

They only got to use it with him a few times before we headed out after the holidays, but I found a video of them with him that I had taken and am going to show it to them.

They have tree ornaments of his picture, which I put together the first Christmas without him, so he is there, in spirit.

He was a good Grandpa, and they loved him.

[paiceman]

Hi Maggie:

I've not been on the forums in a long time, no time. Took the time this AM and read your last few posts and then went back to find out what was wrong with Lilly. Glad both she and you are doing well. As an aside, they are Stoic as when their ancestors ran in packs, those showing weakness were no longer useful to the pack and where "cast aside" so to speak. It's a genetic thing.

Lots of health issues in the past few years, Alice as WET Macular Degeneration in both eyes and now needs shots every six weeks, so travel is somewhat limited and needs coordination. We own an RV lot in Fl and we have secured an appointment with a Retina dr there so hopefully this works out.

I stopped volunteering at the rescue becasue the abused and neglected dogs for some reason kicked in my PTSD simply had issues. So, I trained someone else to supplement the other trainer and hopefully it works out. I still volunteer to help those who've adopted and have issues to hopefully prevent them from returning the dog or simply dumping it on the side of the road which is becoming more and more frequent.

My best to you and Lilly have a nice winter traveling and be well.

Bud

[Lily&Me]

Hi, Bud, and so good to hear from you!

Sorry to hear of the medical and other issues, but we deal with our health as we get older and that’s the trade off for living a long life.

For a dog near 12 years of age, Lily is doing very well, and weathered this surgery with minimal difficulty.

She is still tender in that area, and sometimes looks back there as if she’s not sure what’s going on, but for an old girl she is getting along well.

Sounds like you have a plan for some travel and health care, so I hope it all works out for you.

Have a wonderful holiday, and thanks for dropping in here.

Maggie