Chilling over the weekend and into the new week.

 

Christmas toys are starting to arrive.  This one arrived on Saturday.

Anybody else look at their animals and worry about whether they might be "favoring" one limb or another.  I do this with Ember.  I know my son does this with his Carl.  Saturday as she was coming back from one of her outside trips, I was watching how she was moving across the patio and I wondered if she had slipped out there.

As usual, after doing one of those helicopter mom double-takes, next time I see her gait, she's fine.

Another arrival on Saturday was a pair of YakTrax.  Now I don't know about the rest of you, but it should be obvious that this is an item that needs a size, but did I think about that when I ordered it?  Of course not!  I kind of accepted the default that the order screen had on it, without even looking at it!  Care to guess what size the app had defaulted?  

Would you believe extra small?  Would you believe I didn't look even when I unboxed the item and tried to "practice" putting them on my shoes?  I have a fair-sized foot.  I did not discover the size marking on the package until Sunday morning.  "XS"!  I spent my morning human time figuring out how to return for a different size.  It involved going to the Whole Foods in town (ordered from Amazon).  I don't return things very often, so this was a totally new experience for me, and it wasn't too terribly painful.  It gave Ember an extra car ride, which is how I'm trying to keep her brain exercised while I'm being weather wimp.

Speaking of Weather wimp:  Sunday was a moist, cold, gray day.  There were still some residential streets that were nasty icy.  I took Ember on a total of three car rides.  First to Whole Foods for the Amazon return.  Second through the prescription drive-thru.  Third to the venue where FGC was scheduled to have a basketball practice late in the day.  This led to a nostalgia drive through the neighborhood where I grew up.  

I found myself narrating to my dog, "down this street is where my friend Georgia lived", "and down this one is where my friend Patty lived", and "Leslie lived on this street".  "That's where we lived when we first moved to town, but that's not the same house..."  My grandmother used to take us on tours like this when I was a kid.  I am not turning into my parents, I'm turning into my grand-parents!  

Monday brought another gray day.  Brrrr!  Ember was a good girl waiting in the car while her hu-mom went into the grocery store to get us supplies for the week ahead.  

Tuesday, Ember was eager to go to day care.  My older sis came to pick me up and take me to the eye doctor at noon.  We did our usual sister catch up.  It was our youngest sister's birthday.  We had lots of time to chat while we were waiting for my eyes to dilate.  Turned out it wasn't just the assessment, there was time for the procedure that involved laser zapping the waxy buildup behind the lenses they had inserted during my cataract surgeries, last year and three years ago.  I was released on my own after that brief procedure, even being free to drive to go pick up Ember from her day care.

Tuesday overnight a weather front came through, so that I woke on Wednesday with my signature swollen sinus headache.  But I have livestock, so I got up, hydrated, etc. and got the day started.  It had been in the upper 50's F on Tuesday.  It was 49*F but WINDY on Wednesday morning.  All the snow had melted, so we were free to do poo patrol after breakfast, "almost normal" but we know this will not last, right, Ember?

Happy mid-week, celebrated here with a London Fog.  Yummm!

Life is good!  Keep on Sparking!

Life going onward

 Happy St. Nicholas' Day, to those who celebrate the classics!

Speaking of classics... here's Prisoner in a classic cat pose... in wait for someone to trip!  Friday morning, for the second day in a row, The Prisoner decided to retreat behind the gate at the bottom of the stairs to the bedroom level and hang out on the landing/in the hallway at the top.

Ember did not notice that he was up there until a couple of hours later, when we were about to head out to do Mommy errands in the car.  Ember let Mommy put her harness and leash on even after she noticed the c-a-t at the top of the stairs!  She followed the peanut butter treat to load up in the car.

It was another morning of good choices.  Mommy fumbled the blueberry package (not the first time, I've written about that comedy of errors before).  The tiny round things spewed about, some inside the 'fridge, some on the floor outside.  Mom said, "leave it", and tented her fingers over a few of the berries, and that was enough for Ember to know we were playing "It's Yer Choice".  She sat like a good girl on her hot zone while mommy picked them all up.  Ember was rewarded with a few of them, plus some of her chicken flavored treats.

Then she rode along to the grocery store and the coffee drive thru.  Mommy could not resist getting her a beef rib bone as an extra reward.  You would think the day care crew were teaching the pups about Santa coming! 🎅

She also played the "safe passage" game to let the kitty in or out without resisting.  I am once again looking ahead to the Winter, when it might be nice if the two of them could share the indoors, without having to restrict (other than access to cat's food and litter box, that is).  If the kitty could be upstairs more while the puppy is about it would make the kitty's life better and of course make Mommy's heart happy!

Saturday morning Mommy gave in to temptation and got a cinnamon roll at the coffee place.  It was warm and nummy and festive.

When Ember tucked herself in for puppy nap #1, I went outside to do a super-cleanup session in the partially melted backyard.  Yes, I am lazy about going on poo patrol when it's actively snowing, or if I am concerned about how long it's going to take to extricate the piles.  PTSD over last year when I got tackled from behind by an enthusiastic pup.  I waited until pup was contained.  

I gathered nine poop piles, which is about right for the number of days I did not get picked up during the past week.  I had gone out twice and only found two piles each of those days, but I know that two piles are produced each 24 hour period, so there had to be buried bombs out there.  Friday it got up over 40℉, so more of them magically appeared for this morning's session.  Now I am feeling accomplished.  Who knew that collecting doggie waste could be a satisfying thing to tick off your to-do list?  🤣

Life is good!  Keep on Sparking!

Imagine it

 

You know it's cold outside, so you bundle up well, open the sliding door to let the dog out, and step out with her before sliding the door shut.  It's dark, but there is no wind.  Snow and ice still decorate the deck, the patio and the yard, but it feels pretty peaceful out here in the pre-dawn.

A while later, you decide you should go back in the house, and the door won't open!  The dog trots happily back up on the deck, her business completed.  She expects that opening the door is what you'll do.

You thank your habit of slipping your keys into your pocket first thing when you dress, and fumble them out, but without much confidence, this is a deadbolt lock, after all.  Nope, no dice.  It must have been the foot-lock.  You must have tripped it (or the dog did) on your way out!

The dog is in nothing but her collar and it's dark.  The motion sensor light on the deck will go out in a bit if you move off it.  Phone flashlight, thank goodness!  Being very careful of your footing, you go down the steps from the deck onto the icy patio, make your way across it and down two concrete steps into the actual backyard.

Icy dog footprints guide you across the yard to the gate to the front yard, and you open the gate, saying to your dog, "Stay with mommy, now."  She starts to explore the snow in the front, now no fences containing her.  Thankfully, no traffic in the silent morning.  You carefully close the gate and step across the safest part of the driveway to the front steps, and up them.  Once again, you thank work you did earlier to make sure that delivery people would be safe coming up those steps to leave packages on the porch.  

The happy dog joins you on the porch and patiently waits for you to insert the key and turn it.  She gratefully rushes into the warm house, eyes shining, knowing what a good girl she is.

You go check, and sure enough, it was that foot lock and easily corrected.  Functioning house again.  And this is why we do those maintenance things like clearing walks and keeping our keys always on our person, etc.  But it sure gets your blood pumping when the routine is disturbed, doesn't it?

Good girl, you passed a test... you know the one:  "will my dog stay with me in the yard, or will she run off into the neighborhood if she's off leash?"

Extra treats for you, little one!

A couple of hours later, we tested the side streets.  We had some melting on Wednesday afternoon, especially, and it has refrozen.  Can we say it was a bumpy and rutted ice rink?  With a few patches of dry where cars had been parked and there had been no snow?  Anyway, I got Ember safely to her day care, but I waved off my trainer appointment.  I know it's only two blocks to the nearest arterial street, but it's uphill, and I think I'll wait to attack it again until it gets a bit warmer.  Like at day care pick up time!

Making up for Thanksgiving

I skipped the Thanksgiving gather last week, since I was concerned about "sharing" what I was coming down with.  Skipping it was a good call, but I missed the good eats.  I have been gradually making up for it by cooking small parts of a good meal, on different days.  Today it was the turn of the dressing (stuffing). Few in the family are fans, but it is one of my favorites, from childhood up.  So today I sauteed onions and celery, dried and crumbled up bread, added spices and a bit of broth and baked myself a batch

A few days ago, I mashed some potatoes, instead of baking them. I have the feeling that eventually I shall get around to pies, but I'm not there yet.  One day at a time, eh?  The cold weather makes using the oven feel nice and homey.  It heats the house just a tad with the opening and closing of the oven door.

Life is good!  Spark on!

.

Human and Feline stuff

The photo here is my bold Prisoner, who wandered all the way up to my bedroom on Tuesday while Ember was at day care.  Doesn't he look comfy?

December 2nd was the final day of the trial for termination of parental rights of the biological parents of my foster grandson.  I have not gone to any of these proceedings, mind you.  My son was one of the witnesses on the final day.

It was an interesting experience, although a difficult one to live through for those most closely involved.  My DIL was a mess.  She has bonded so deeply with this child!  

They were sequestered from the trial because  DS was to testify.  They did get updates from the lawyer for the state, who made the motion to terminate.  My DIL's mom sat in the gallery for the whole thing and took copious notes that she was not allowed to share until the trial was over, also due to that sequestration.

Now it's in the phase of waiting for the judge to issue the court order(s).  Meanwhile, "the kids" (as I call my son and his wife) are not discussing any of what went on in court in front of FGC, to protect him from the emotional whiplash that comes from such things.  After the judge issues court orders, they will begin to talk to him about the future and next steps.  

Expectation is that they will continue to have him with them while things proceed but best case it will be a year before they can adopt him "for reals".  They will have more decision-making authority during that year, since the plan will be for permanency.  It is my hope that the orders will come, and the next year will be one of hopeful waiting and expectation, full of bonding and the continued building of trust!  I am so proud of this couple, taking on a child with the challenges that come of childhood trauma, and doing a fine job of it.  I will look to their guidance for when I can share clear photos showing his adorable face.

From the rear, me, FGC and DS at the dog park May 2024.  Imagine the child about six or seven inches taller now!  He's been with them for over a year now with only a couple or three-week interruption.  

Other human news, I have an eye appointment next week to see about the laser procedure to take out the scarring that has formed around one lens since the last cataract surgery.  My older sis has agreed to drive me for this appointment which I assume is just the assessment for suitability.

Sad human news:  said older sister messaged me with a photo of the obituary notice of a dear friend from my childhood.  This gal and I had been Brownie Scouts together, 65 years ago or so.  Her mom and my mom had been leaders in our scout troops, or cookie chairwomen, depending on the year.  They took a candy making class together.  In that last decade before I retired my gal friend and I had worked on the same project, she as a business expert, me as a technical coder / team lead.  In the process of reconnecting, she shared a recipe for peanut brittle that her mom and mine had learned in that class and I made it that year.  It was a wonderful memory for the taste buds!  Anyway, the memorial service isn't until January, so I have time to hash out the difference between the day/date it said in the notice (it says Friday January 3rd, but the 3rd is a Saturday).  Cancer sucks.

But life is still good.  Spark on!

First measurable snowfall

 

I have a snow-dog.  I have been blessed with a maturing dog who consents to go do her business in the backyard snow and lets me stay inside when I'm not feeling up to either the cold or the slick.

She came back in with visible flakes and both slobber (drool) and snow on her nose.

These were taken Monday morning, after snow events from Friday evening to Saturday morning, then blowing snow all of Sunday, followed by calm winds and light snow all of Monday morning.  I think the final total is less than 4 inches, but the part on the bottom is quite icy.

The cat shares my opinion about the snow and cold and has been cooling his heels in his luxury suite for three days now.  I offer an open door and he says, "nope".

As for my Thanksgiving nasal drip, it lingered and had changing symptoms over Friday through Sunday.  Monday morning it lingered with just tiredness, and the headache started to clear up.  I was able on Monday to clear off the new snow from the sidewalks, and Ember and I took a brief car ride to get Dexter's gas tank filled.

She's getting cabin fever to the extent that she wants to steal mom's stuff... be it gloves or the mail... but she's so much better about giving it back and not completely destroying it that mom forgives her very quickly.  Besides, mom "gets it".  This poor pup had day care on Friday, but she's had no outdoor leash walks over the weekend, only playing on her own in the snowy back yard, and whatever indoor games mom came up with.  Fetch down the stairs, position treats, and treat-dispensing toys.  Oh, yeah, and mom does give her some things deliberately intended for destruction.  Lambchop toy is now about half to two third de-fluffed. 

Good news is she has Day Care again on Tuesday and Thursday, and a new Chewy box will be coming late in the week that has some new toys intended for her delight in destroying.  They were on deeply discounted sale!

Tuesday morning, December 2, 2025

Cold this morning, but not as cold as January is likely to get.  It was 9℉, according to my phone, when I got up.  I delayed taking Ember to daycare and tried to time it when it would not be "rush" hour.  The streets and most of us being cautious and patient drivers did lead to lineups at the lights.  I took a route to avoid the side streets, which have NOT been plowed or treated (because we didn't get enough snow/ice, according to city protocol).  

We made it safely, and the lobby of her daycare was full of workmen, staff, and other dogs and their paw-rents.  Ember was ecstatic, sniffing at everything and greeting everybody, but she was good about keeping her paws on the ground, which made me feel very good.  The workmen seemed to be OK with the canine attention (gee, you'd hate to work at a vet's office/day care building if you weren't OK with this sort of thing).

She sat nicely on the scale, and I'm estimating between the highest and lowest numbers that showed up that she's holding steady around 86 pounds.  That's still 6 pounds over what the vet most recently said she should weigh, but so much better than a year ago when she tipped the scale at 93.  Good girl!  Good girl Mom, for resisting temptation to over-treat the pup, and good girl Ember, too.

And when I got home, I started in on the dog-towel laundry, and found this hidden under the towels on her crate-mat!  In case you don't have a dog who chews on chew-sticks, those are fragments from things she has taken into her crate at bedtime over the weekend.  Well, guess what went into the laundry with the towels?

Life is full of humor, if you let it be so!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Thanksgiving done and dusted

Now we bring out the Christmas mugs!  And we watch the weather between here and son and DIL's Thanksgiving destination, as there's this winter storm in progress.  They were planning to drive back on Saturday.

Probably a bazillion other Holiday travelers, some of whom have no idea what to do when it gets icy on the roads, will be headed homeward, too.  

Ember had an extra day of daycare on Friday. I was still nursing a drippy nose so she had a good doggy day while I recuperated.  I went and picked her up a little early, about 3:30 p.m.    

As predicted, the snow ❄️ started overnight, Friday to Saturday. The grown-up version of Ember did not automatically go into Zoomies mode.  She cautiously went down the steps from the deck to the yard; I followed in my puffy coat. I watched her sniff at the snow and take care of her morning business. 

I was still not feeling my best, so having this calmer dog is certainly something to be thankful for. I remembered about breakfast time that there are these things called over the counter drugs, and took an Advil.  I took another about supper time.

Ember and I took it easy Saturday, with naps on the couch and towel dries in between her going out in the yard.  I ventured out to shovel part of the driveway, at least enough to get down to the mailbox.  Not that there's anything exciting in the mail, I generally see things like bills and invitations to spend or donate money.  

I got messages from the travelers that they were leaving Kansas City in the early afternoon.  Then I caught a FB post by DIL of a house along the side of I-29 in Rockport, MO.  I'm very familiar with that house as a landmark on the drive.  At that point I knew they were getting close to the crossover to Nebraska at that point.  But they delayed sending the "safe arrival" message until they got unpacked and shoveled out at their house.  

I did not worry too much about their safety, even though there were social media posts showing semis jack-knifed on I-80, and another on the South side of town on one of the arterial streets.  Saw friends posting about how bad the streets were in town, so just as well Ember and I were tucked in for the day.  

Ember called me down for her "last call" due to need about 7 p.m.  Now I'm wrapping up to put myself to bed, too.  Hopefully another night's rest and I'll feel up to clearing off tomorrow!

Here's hoping that everyone is safe and warm and dry, whatever the weather is doing in your neck of the woods!  And trust that if you're a US celebrant, you had a good Thanksgiving.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Thanksgiving Day, USA edition, 2025

 

The cheese puffs a-baking on Wednesday.  I managed not to devour them all before Thursday's gathering.  For this I am thankful.

Ember had a day care day that ended early (they closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday).  She was happy to see me.  For this I am thankful.

Thursday morning in the dark and quiet. Ember went out to take care of business in the backyard.  I went with her in my puffy coat and did not freeze.  It was peaceful.  Now she's curled up on the couch next to me, a warm presence.  For all of this I am thankful. 

Christmas decorations and songs have been encroaching for a couple of weeks now.  But I don't mind.  Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to go together, in a Continuum of holidays.  I am thankful for the insights of age, recognizing the rhythm of the year. 

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving in the US and all around the world.