27 posts tagged “sister”

Since we lost Wrangler (something I still really can't fully talk about) we've kept our eyes on Craigslist and the local shelters. Though Rain does not have the history I do, she understood that since my first memory, I've always had dogs. It's built into my psyche. Not only do I feel unsafe without them but...the loss of that leaves me feeling not quite whole. So though we just lost Wrangler, we understood that Maddie still has mouth cancer and it is an inevitability that we will lose her as well. We wanted to take in another dog before that happens. That way, Maddie would help keep the new dog in line and when that terrible time comes that we have to put her down because the tumor is too large in her mouth, we'll be forced to not close ourselves off. After all, that dog would be there to remind us that though the loss is substantial, the relationships are worthwhile.

With that in mind, we had been looking forward to the Super Adoption event that was held this last Saturday. Shelters from all around the area would bring hundreds of cats and dogs to the event, already spayed, microchipped, and ready to go home. Because Rain worked the night before, Tabby and I took my sis and we went and looked for ourselves first. At first, I was disappointed since there were very few dogs that met what we were looking for. We wanted a large breed dog because I've never liked small dogs and we wanted a senior, because they tend to be so well mannered already and so few people are willing to even consider them. The problem was that the shelters were bringing only the dogs they thought most likely to be adopted. That meant small and young. I only saw one dog there that they admitted was a senior (out of hundreds, remember) and there was perhaps three or four that would qualify for our definition of large (80 pounds or so). On our first round, we were just looking for what was available. A little dog with an adorable face caught our attention the first time but we still went around the second time. I asked the staff after possible dogs left at the shelters that would meet our hopes. There were exceedingly few. One was a golden lab that was undergoing heartworm treatment, the exact same thing that we just lost Wrangler to. The staff woman tried to write it off as being something minor, though the dog had just begun, and in some ways I was angry because it belittled the loss and the threat these dogs represent to the community but I was also saddened because I have been hearing more and more about other heartworm cases. The main reason we put Wrangler down when we did was because his threat to the community. But because of the dogs being brought here after Katrina and the laxadaisical attitude people hold for its seriousness, it looks to be spreading anyway.

We would have left then but I remembered that small dog that had caught our eye. Within a few short minutes he had won our hearts. He is much smaller then any dog I'd usually consider, though some referred to him as large. He's 25 pounds and they told us he was 8 months old. In many ways, he was the opposite of everything we were looking for. But there was something in his eyes. We ended up adopting him. Soon after, we found out that in fact, he was not 8 months, that he was much closer to 5 1/2 months. That's the youngest dog my family has had since I was 11 and a rott pup followed me home. Also, he has the promise of getting much larger. Perhaps 4 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, which makes us happy. He's really adorable and though he and Maddie had a rough beginning, they now get alone splendidly. He has yet to show very bad habits beyond a tendency to be mouthy when playing and jump up toward the table when there's food.

We will have him tested for heartworm ASAP.

In good news, something strange has happened with Maddie's tumor. It seems to have receeded. It no longer looks angry and she can close her mouth all the way again. It seems to be pulling away from the jaw and though it sound weird, it looks like if it continues to do that....that it'd fall off. It's the oddest thing but where the molar used to be almost fully encased, the tumor has pulled back, exposing the whole thing and allowing the top teeth to clench without causing problem. We tried to get a picture but were unable to. It seems very possible that the doxy (antibiotic) we're giving her is helping. Wouldn't that be an irony? That the simple med that was the first, supposedly-easy step for treating Wrangler, and the reason he had to be put down, might actually extend Maddie's life, something that we were told was little more than impossible?

We'll see.

Pics.

 

 

With hair wet from the shower, I'm sure "looking like a half-drowned cat" might work better. But c'est la vie. I'm dressed for family Easter events, whenever that may be today. I called Tabby and left a couple messages asking, but it appears I must have patience. So with time to kill, I thought I should update. I mean, leaving my vox alone for over a week? Scandalous.

Spring Break so far has been full of activity. Rain's sister came all the way from Alaska to play. We bowled, danced, competed, ate, laughed, drove down the Blossom trail, and generally had a great time. It had been so long since we'd seen her. It was wonderful to have her back again. Of course, she had to leave eventually but her plane was delayed yesterday so we got one extra evening with her which though probably upset her husband, made us very happy. She even sat through almost two episodes of Torchwood with me! And that is a bit of a feat since I'm just now getting into it and it's been....what 7 episodes now? It's not exactly a show you can usually sit in on at any time. I mean, when you have to begin the explanation with, "You see this guy? Yeah, he's dead. He got shot in the chest a couple eps ago. Dead. And see that guy? Yeah, he can't die. Oh, and he's totally doin' that guy. And that girl so wants to do the dead guy." Well, you know it's complicated.

Somehow, during all of this, I was able to finish the first preliminary edit of my novel from start to finish. I'm still iffy about the end page or so. Not the scene but how it is written. But I went through and broke it apart into 27 chapters. Smallest chapter is 17 pages I think. Largest being 27. Most average around 20. I have the chapters named (subject to change) and all the pages numbered. I know several of my test readers will prefer to read it printed out instead of on the computer. So....I'm just wondering after I print it out (all 560 or so pages) how exactly I'm going to choose to hold it all together. Binder probably. No, I'm not going to pay to have it properly bound and all that. This is not the final edit. I need these copies accessable for my test readers. Meaning, I expect to change things. I expect for them to tell me where I suck, me to get upset, them to explain, me to slowly accept and then finally to improve on it. You know, the usual. So...I'm guessing print it out, hole punch and large binder. Joy. At least I figured out how to get the program to number the pages for me so I don't have to do that by hand. Yes, that actually was a bit of a difficulty since every chapter is in a different document. But I figured it out and felt very accomplished.

I'm hoping to have my first test-reader (Tabby, as always) read it tonight. But that might be complicated. Normally, I'd probably go to Kinko's or something of the like, print it out, get it hole punched, and in a binder within an hour or so. But I'm not sure that's going to be possible today because of Easter. I'd really prefer not to do it tomorrow since I have to go back to school on Tuesday. Not only do I have some work to do but I know I'm going to stress while it's being read in its entirity for the first time. I can't really do that on a schoolnight. I need all my sleep to deal with being told how much I really suck in my editing class that day. Long story short, we had a test that we didn't know what it was about, weren't able to study for, and I think was given generally to make us feel like complete and utter idiots. Mission accomplished.

Ugh, it's just crazy. I don't want to think about it anymore. It'll get me all worked up.

So....when's dinner?

This last Tuesday, Rain and I took my little sister up into Yosemite to play in the snow. The park was beautiful and the snow was vast and plentiful. By the end of the trip, Rain was an expert at putting on Tire Chains and had a nice bruise on her tailbone from a sledding mishap. Yes, again I take the opportunity to say, "Itoldyouso!" Though her flying in the air once she hit the log did look like fun. Until she met the ground. In which case, I immediately started wondering how the hell I was going to manage my first driving experience being driving her down a snow covered mountain at twilight to get to an emergency room. Thank god, that wasn't needed. She helped Siobhan and me make our first snow person. I seriously had no idea that you rolled the snowball until it was that big. I thought it was a cartoon creation like running on air. Dorky me. We had a snowball fight. Both Rain and Bonnie have abysmal aim. Meanwhile, I was born for snowfights. Bonnie climbed a twenty foot pile of snow. Then disappeared and gave us a minor heartattack. We went sledding on little hills and that was a lot of fun. At the end of the day, we had a whole snow park just outside of Yosemite to ourselves. By the time we got home that evening, we were all happy and ready for bed. It was a good day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woke up this morning at about 7. Rain was up too. I learned about 45 minutes afterwards that Rain was hosting my sis's DI team at the house today at 12:30. The house was not anywhere near ready to host it. I mean, we still had all our Christmas stuff up. We had all the last minute things we moved from my parents' house just stacked around. Then there was the stuff we moved from Rain's old house. It was a mess. We just haven't really had the opportunity to pull it together. Mostly because we have been swamped by stuff from all directions that we simply can't turn away.I mean we can't. And our house, though wonderful for us, has very limited storage. We have no garage, no nuttin'. So where to store things? Somehow, we found a way.

Tons of dishes washed. Christmas dishes (and cups, mugs, platters) put away 'till next year. All christmas decorations (including three trees) stored. Everything dusted and washed. Everything swept and vacuumed. Furniture moved. I am so happy to have all that done and we did it in time for DI!

Now pre-heating the oven for cookies. We'll peel some oranges. Good reward for imagination.

Show us a photograph that best represents you.

5 Things I Am Thankful For Today.

1. I was allowed to sleep in.That was very nice.

2. Found out that our Old English Sheepdog, Maddie, loves to dress up. At the moment, she's sleeping on her bed in one of my t-shirts and a Disney's Princesses kerchief. We have the most adorable dog ever.

3. Rain made a wonderful dinner today and we had more of the dessert she made yesterday. She makes the best frosting. Ever.

4. A friend on a board I frequent put a little message up of appreciation. I was mentioned and it made me feel wonderful.

5. I've found out that I quite like the movie Ella Enchanted which is very good since both Rain and my sis love this movie and are watching it constantly right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello all my lovelies.

Look, I think I might actually be getting back in my vox groove. Poor you. Yay me!

Yesterday was a very busy day. It was my little sister's 8th birthday! I think this was the first time that it really hit me how fast she's growing. It's kind of blowing my mind. I remember holding her as a newborn. I even remember running around with my mom while she was pregnant going to all the ultrasounds and everything. It's quite an experience. I think she's taught me a lot of things that I'm just now starting to figure out. Anyways, as you can tell, she's the apple of everyone's eye.

Rain and I had her birthday party over at our house. I probably would've been a little more excited to start with if our house still didn't have all kinds of boxes in it that morning. You see, I think it was last week that I woke up to find my diningroom filled with boxes. I wasn't so much mortified that they had been brought in while I was dead to the world (happens quite a bit) but that my diningroom was filled with boxes! I can't think when things are in such disarray.

But Rain and I pulled ourselves together, worked all day on it, and by the time my sister came over to help decorate the tree, it looked pretty damn great. Here's a couple pictures. If you wanna see more to really see how far the house has come go check out Project Oh My. I should have a post there of some sort.

 

 

 

 

It was a lot of fun to decorate the tree with my sister. It was also very weird since like most of the stuff in our house, we inherited it from my parents. So, all of the ornaments and decorations were there from growing up which is really nice and has all kinds of memories attached to them, but I know we have them because my parents lost so much. It was very bittersweet.

It's strange because I really was not looking forward to decorating the house. I never do. I guess it's because I always fear the decorations are going to take over and I prefer for the holidays to compliment, not take over. But after everything was up, it made me smile and feel much more in the holiday spirit. I didn't even mind Rain's godawful Christmas music in the background.

Here's a pic of the tree and lights from the background later that evening. We have it in the front window so it can be enjoyed inside and out. (BTW, it's a fake tree.)

 

The party was great fun. There was a good amount of people but not so much that it was chaos. I think sis was happy with it. I was happy with it, especially because I got to spend some time with my father which I haven't been able to do in a long time. I think he was happy because he and mom got my sis exactly what she had been wanting. And who doesn't love getting a kid the gift s/he had been wanting so badly?

Maddie loved having everyone there. Perhaps a little too much. So we had to put her out at certain times. But she matches the christmas decorations beautifully. It's the getting her to hold still for a picture part that is hard. Here's a couple though. (And I'm going to go through in edit and add one I took a moment ago of her but cannot upload right this moment. Edit: Now added)

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a particularly funny picture where I was laying on the floor and Maddie had jumped on the livingroom couch (a no-no) and while she was jumping down, I took a pic and the christmas tree was in lights behind her. And I realized when you flipped it on its side it looked like she was shoot fire out of her eyes.

 

Snape's Girl got back from college for Xmas vacation yesterday. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see her but we will be seeing her today hopefully. I really look forward to having her back for whatever amount of time it is before she abandones us again. She hasn't been in our house yet so that should be fun. And we of course have to plan our Xmas tea party! I really look forward to that!

So that's what's been going on the last couple of days. And if you're wondering where the mistletoe is, it was supposed to represent Christmas, you spoilsport. Getting all literal on me. Sheesh.

To the Tune of Random.

It seems that the long absense form the internet has affected my vox posting skills. Rather sad considering there's so much going on. I suppose that's the problem, there's so much going on all the time, it's hard to keep up nonetheless share.

Rain and I have been in our house for over a month now. I'm very happy with this house. Maybe its because I spent so much time working on it in the weeks going up to our move, but I feel very comfortable here and I have since the beginning. The layout of this house is just fantastic. People before 1960 really seemed to understand that you can make a comfortable house while still using space appropriately for living. The livingroom is just big enough to feel roomy but small enough not to feel overwhelmed. The diningroom is perfect for more formal dinners but no one feels out of place to have pizza in here or to sit down and get some work down on a laptop. The kitchen is a lovely galley style that seems so much bigger because the counters are the narrower size used in the 20s. That breakfast nook is perfect for guests to sit at during a party when the hostess is in the kitchen and you can easily have a conversation going on between the sunroom, kitchen, and breakfast nook. I think we'll be getting a lot more use from the breakfast nook once our kitchen is fully functional. The kitchen sink is supposed to be going in tonight! I am so thrilled. You guys have no idea how much you subconsciously rely on a kitchen sink until it's not there. Blasphemous's dad will be over to hook it up for us. So nice of him.

I love my bedroom. Even with its three doors leading in (not including closet door.) The uniqueness of having so many doors kind of adds to its charm. It's a little funny though to have so many shortcuts going through my bedroom. Sometimes, one can be a little overwhelmed with the options. For example, should someone knock on the front door while I'm in my room, what path should I take? Should I go out the door leading into the dining room and go to the livingroom that way or should I go out the door leading into the hallway and go into the livingroom like that? Or getting to the kitchen. Should I go out the door leading into the diningroom and go into the kitchen like that or go out the door leading into the sunroom and go through the kitchen like that? Seems really silly but the first few days, I had real trouble getting around because there weere so many paths. Maddie really loves that. She likes for me to go through one of the doors and for her to try to guess which door and room I'll use to get out. That can keep her entertained for a good long time.

Maddie is fitting in rather well with the routine around here. She's an absolute doll but not the brightest bulb. I'm used to German Shepherds and so I keep assuming that all dogs can learn a command within five minutes and be able to remember it from thereon out. Not so with Maddie. She needs a strong hand and repetition. It's not that she's stupid. It's just that she's not a German Shepherd. I've done some more research on Old English Sheepdogs and found quite a few useful tidbits of information. For example, OES (Old English Sheepdog) only have their tails docked if they aren't born naturally without a tail. That's why they're called Bobtails in the UK. How interesting since I thought they were like Rottweilers and had their tails docked when puppies. We think Maddie was naturally tailess because it's so close to her bottom that no one could safely dock a tail that short. There are definitely some ups to having a dog without a tail. We don't have to worry about her accidentally knocking things over with it or hitting the kids with it. And she does this little butt wiggle which would've been wagging her tail except she doesn't have one. It's so cute and reminds me of Casey, the rottweiler that my family had when I was a child.

Like I said, Maddie is an absolute sweetheart, even if a little bit more energetic than one would expect from a six year old dog. She regularly demands as much as three walks a day. And often these are not small walks around the block we take her on. She loves taking a walk down to the Tower District which is probably a half mile away and then taking a twisting way back. Not a really long walk but not a short one either. She likes to have a little run on her walks and loves to say hi to any children on the way. Maddie loves children which is fantastic since we have so many children in the family. On walks, she's very good at ignoring any aggressive guard dogs on the way and does a very good job of walking with her head at my thigh. She's so good on a lead, sometimes I can forget that she's on a leash at all.

Rain and I have been doing a lot of hoe-ing in the backyard to get the bad weeds up. And we've been removing any glass we find. It's to the point now that Maddie can run around back there and she loves the size of the yard. We need to find her some of the tennis balls we have around here because she loves to fetch.

We still haven't gotten to moving over the plants from my parent's yard to this one. We definitely want them here and planted somewhere before the first frost but its only recently that we've even been at the point that we could start thinking about it. I think the house will look so much better once it has some semblance of a yard. I think a lot of the reason that the house's bad paint job sticks out is because of the lack of proper landscaping. And, of course, the paint job just sucks.

We're having family Thanksgiving here so that will be interesting. Hopefully once the sink is put in and the fridges exchanged, we'll be able to finally get our kitchen in runnning order. I'm really hoping the our vintage 54 stove works. It worked when we got it but since then, it's been moved several times and things could fall out of place. This stove is gorgeous, you guys. I'll take a pic and upload it later but this is what it looks like. Good thing is we'll have a functional kitchen and be able to make our own meals. Bad news is, I'll be having to learn how to make our own meals. I know my mother had to have been at my point in the beginning and maybe even my grandma but it's hard for me to think they weren't born with an ovenmit on. I don't think I'll be bad at it once I learn to relax but until then it'll stress me. Especially things dealing with the burners. I'm good enough at things going into the oven. It's the damn burners that get me every time. And they know it. I think they giggle about it at night when I'm sleeping. The oven's more of a Hufflepuff, all "Come on, let's give her a chance." Those burners are Slytherin, all boastful of their mad potion skills. Show offs.

I still need to sew our blinds. Yes, you read that right. I need to sew them. My grandma has volunteered to help but I still have to sew blinds for the windows in this entire house. This house has a f*ck-load of windows. Give me a moment to count . . .1-2-3...22-23-24...I think I'm going to have to sew 24 panels. Luckily, it's not going to be all that complicated. At least in theory. We're making Tie-Up shades. You might be asking why we're making this instead of buying it. Simple. Our windows are HUGE! Normal window treatments are made for windows about 84 inches long. And then if you want the superbig ones (that are pretty damn expensive) it's 110 inches long. Our longest window is 120 or more inches long. Damn! So we're breaking it into these managable panels that will help keep the house insulated. Because there are several places in this house that if you stand next to a certain wall or window, you can feel a draft. So far my mad skills to find the warmest room in the winter has come through again. Which sucks because I'm the only person in this house that likes to sleep cold! Though our house has enough wholes to put the Titanic to shame, I'm throwing down my covers every night. How rude! Full House tone and all.

We've finally got most of the shelves installed in the bathroom and the medicine cabinet up in there. Finally, we have an accessible mirror. We aren't really mirror people but at least it's there if we need it.

It's great being close to so many useful things. We're a three minute walk from my sister's school and a ten minute walk from my favorite area of town, Tower District. We can walk down and get the best Chicken Pot Pies EVER! At the Chicken Pot Pie Shop. And we can rent movies and get Starbucks and all the best live theatre is here. And the dollar store. It's amazing what that store has and why we'd ever pay more than a buck for it.

I suppose that's a long enough post for now. I could probably go on for another five or ten pages, there's so much going on. Ten thousand important things at once. Some of the most important but also the most depressing of those I've purposefully not posted about. Maybe in the future, when it's over I'll be able. But right now it's too raw.

Hopefully, now that we have internet, I'll be making more posts. I think it's a good thing for me to have this vox. I've never been a diary person. But I think it's good for me to document what's going on in my life. At some point, I'll probably need to come read them and have a good laugh over what I wrote or good cry over what was left out. . .

There's lots of things happening today. Sink, Performance, Novel, Project Runway. And I bet you this song is going to stay in my head all day.

 

Show us a DIY art or crafting pattern, tutorial or website that inspires you.

I would say the Dreamweaver Braiding site. As anyone who has tried a simple three strand french braid on anyone else- nonetheless herself- would agree, I believe braiding is definitely an art and crafting pattern. Through this site, I've learned everything from a five strand Dutch crown braid to a common Herringbone. The lady has written instructions alongside pictures which helps people that learn from text as well as imagery. Her work has inspired me into a new craft that I have grown to love and found very useful in day-to-day life. Even though I have mastered almost every braid with instructions on that site, her pictures have inspired me to tackle a regular nine strand, which I have accomplished on a couple occasions now, and I'm only waiting for someone with long enough hair to attempt a hairstyle modeled by Arwen in a cut scene at Helm's Deep.