A totally lovely Saturday.   I fed Roxie at 6AM and went back to bed until 7AM.   How is that for nice?   I hope to accomplish the same tomorrow.

I kept myself busy all day.  I  dried some herbs, made lunch, did some cutting out and arranging of quilting projects and caught up on the emails.

I went to mass at 4PM.  That was a nice experience.  I was a eucharistic minister.  That always makes me feel like a more involved part of the service.

I talked to Bart and Barb and Bret and Jim and Michelle today, so it was a full day.   Everybody is doing pretty well.    This is my Bret's birthday.   He is 43 today.   I still remember that trip to the hospital.  That year, September 4th was Labor Day.   Bret's father was at a jeep club event.  We had decided that since it did not seem probable that Bret would be born that weekend, he should go to help with the event.

But Bret decided to come anyway, so Aunt Ruth, Cousin Linda and Jacquie took me to the hospital.   When I got up to the labor rooms, there were three or four other women there and I remember that the nurse said.   "Just because it is Labor Day, did not mean that you all had to come in at the same time."


So I have two days that I have no real commitments.   Monday, I will go and spend some time with Mother.  The rest, I kind of want to just do stuff for me.  We'll see how it goes.
God love you

Mary

It spotted a bit of rain today.  Last night there were thunderstorms.   So everything is nicely watered.

Jody came and cleaned today.    I washed sheets this morning and made a pumpkin pie for dessert tonight.  The only time I left the neighborhood was to drive over to Capelle's to buy corn for our dinner.

I finished two projects for the Quilt Club,  the block of the month and putting the velcro on the two walker bags that I made.

Bobbie and Bill got here about 4PM and we had a  lovely evening.  The corn was delicious.  The tomatoes were from MY plants and sweet as can be.   I made the pie with on of the pie pumpkins I bought.   It too was good.    Bobbie and I decided that she did Christmas last year, so she will do Thanksgiving.  I will make another pumpkin pie and she will make a hickory nut pie. 

Kind of sad to end such a nice day but there you go and I am tired.

So, I am listening to a Statler Brothers Special on TV and then will go to bed.

Have a great Labor Day weekend.

God love you

Mary

It was a mostly stay at home day.   I had to go out this morning to pick up a couple of greeting cards but spent the rest of the morning baking.   I seem to be doing a lot of that.   I think I am doing my "when I am nervous, upset of distressed, I cook" thing.   Hope I don't run out of room before I fun out of sadness for my little Chelsea.

I went for a walk this morning.   I will have to get myself onto a routine of that.   Without my girl to urge me on, it will be easy to get a bit lazy.   I figure if I take a nice long walk at least three times a week, I will be OK.  It was a really nice morning for a walk.

My baking today, consisted of sourdough bread and zucchini bread.  We had chicken, rice and carrots for our dinner.



This afternoon, I cleaned my desk, paid a couple of bills and stored all my baking.    We just had soup and sandwich for supper.

There is a loud thunderstorm going over right now.   A lot of lightening and rain.

I didn't tell you but we had a murder in Sheboygan County.   It was just east of Plymouth at Racer's Hall which at one time was Vic's Hall.   Randy and Donna had their wedding reception there.   A man shot and killed another man four times with a pistol.   Apparently there was an disagreement of some kind, but there was no excuse for the shooting.  We are not in the old west and the victim was not himself armed.   Imagine my shock when they finally announced the gunman.   I purchased my 12 Gauge Bacall shotgun from him and he used to be a member of Rhine Plymouth.    He was always pleasant to me but  was not an agreeable person.   This, however, was way over the top.

Now that is news.

Hope all is well with all of you.   Can't believe tomorrow is Friday already.  And Saturday will be Bret's birthday.

God love you all

Mary

This week feels totally foreign.   The house has an empty feeling, yet I do feel Chelsea around too.  Just in the familiarity of the surroundings, it is hard not just assume she is in another room.  I hope she was not afraid on her way to heaven.   I couldn't go that far with her.  

I am keeping myself busy.   I did my grocery shopping this morning, then drove to Mom's to bring her prescription and a little present of Chocolate Raspberry wine.   I thought she would like that.   Tomorrow would be their anniversary.  I usually bring her flowers but she said the wine was just fine and we talked about her and Dad's wedding day.   She loves to share that day.

I go home in time to fix lunch but Dick was still napping so I ate some of my leftovers from yesterday.  Dick just wanted toast when he woke up.  We had planned on going out for dinner tonight, but Dick was not feeling so very good today, so we postponed out date until tomorrow.

So, I spent the afternoon preserving zucchini and tomatoes and cutting up a cantaloupe for snacking on.  The cantaloupe are very sweet this year at this time and we are taking advantage.

Tomorrow is mostly a stay at home day.   I hope to be able to rest.   I will be baking a batch of sourdough bread though.   I have been making the starter the past two days.

Take care of you.

God love you

Mary

This has been a day of adjustment.    I got up at about 6AM to feed Roxie, who was insisting that it was time to eat.  However, I was able to go back to bed for an hour.

I spent the day getting sour dough ready, baking a cake and putting chicken in the crockpot before I joint Janet and Toni at Antoinette's for lunch and a CWI discussion. 

I fixed Kraft Mac and Cheese with hot dogs for Dick for lunch. 

We had crock pot chicken with rice and kohlrabi for our supper. 

Tomorrow will be easier.   The family are sending sympathy cards and messages.   Dick and Brenda even sent flowers.  The flowers will keep our little fuzzy friend alive a bit longer.   I heard her walking around the house last night.

Here is the poem that Jimmy Stewart wrote:


     "Beau"


       by Jimmy Stewart

     He never came to me when I would call
Unless I had a tennis ball,
Or he felt like it,
But mostly he didn't come at all.  
When he was young
He never learned to heel
Or sit or stay,
He did things his way.

Discipline was not his bag
But when you were with him things sure didn't drag.
He'd dig up a rosebush just to spite me,
And when I'd grab him, he'd turn and bite me.

He bit lots of folks from day to day,
The delivery boy was his favorite prey.
The gas man wouldn't read our meter,
He said we owned a real man-eater.

He set the house on fire
But the story's long to tell.
Suffice it to say that he survived
And the house survived as well.

On the evening walks, and Gloria took him,
He was always first out the door.
The Old One and I brought up the rear
Because our bones were sore.

He would charge up the street with Mom hanging on,
What a beautiful pair they were!
And if it was still light and the tourists were out,
They created a bit of a stir.

But every once in a while, he would stop in his tracks
And with a frown on his face look around.
It was just to make sure that the Old One was there
And would follow him where he was bound.

We are early-to-bedders at our house--
I guess I'm the first to retire.
And as I'd leave the room he'd look at me
And get up from his place by the fire.

He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs,
And I'd give him one for a while.
He would push it under the bed with his nose
And I'd fish it out with a smile.

And before very long
He'd tire of the ball
And be asleep in his corner
In no time at all.

And there were nights when I'd feel him
Climb upon our bed
And lie between us,
And I'd pat his head.

And there were nights when I'd feel this /stare
/And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there
And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair.
And sometimes I'd feel him sigh
       and I think I know the reason why.

He would wake up at night
And he would have this /fear
/Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,
And he'd be glad to have me near.

And now he's dead.
And there are nights when I think I feel him
Climb upon our bed and lie between us,
And I pat his head.

And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,
But he's not there.

Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,
I'll always love a dog named Beau.

/This poem was taken from /_Jimmy Stewart and His Poems_ /by Jimmy Stewart, a short collection of poems published by Crown Publishers, Inc. in 1989. To order this book, call the Full Circle Book Store at 1-800-683-READ. Refer to ISBN number 0-517-57382-2. It's a little illustrated hardback that costs about $12. /

Here is a really cute picture of the sweetest doggie in the whole world. I am going to include a poem by Jimmy Stewart that he read on Johnny Carson's show years ago. You should read some of his other poems too. But this is beautiful.

Mary

This has been a very difficult day.   I suppose you know what is coming.   I wish I could say that you are wrong but it is not to be.

This morning we woke up to find that Chelsea was still in a great deal of distress.  I gave her some more pain killers but there was no relief.  I called Kettle Moraine at about 6:30AM to tell them the circumstances and our decision.   They had received the report from Lakeshore so were up to date on her condition.   I told them that Dick and I had agreed that if there was no improvement by this morning we were not going to make her hang in there for us.  

I was able to get an appointment for 8:30AM with a Dr. Crispin.  She was kind and understanding.  I carried Chelsea in to the room and held her until it was all over.   Her little head was wet with my tears.   It is so hard to say goodbye but she was so trusting and after it was over, I was glad to see her peaceful again.   That poor little hunched up pain filled body was more than I could take.   I am feeling very disconnected but know that after I can get some sleep and my thoughts and feelings gathered up, I will be fine.  Dick will be too.   I am already finding that I kind of look for her.   When you make arrangements for this they ask three questions.   1.  Do you want to take the body with you?   No.  2.  Do you want a private cremation where you get the ashes?  No.   3.  Do you want a group cremation?   Yes.  

I told Sue at the clinic that I don't need her ashes, she will always be in my heart.  I know she will be up there at the gates of heaven along with Zero, Chelsea, Oscar, Chip, Clancy, Sam, Sam, (yes there were two), Tara and even Taco and Belle.   What a day that will be.

But today, I am sad.  Please pray for me.


I took Dick to the eye doctor today.   His right eye is 99 % improved.  The left eye is is bit infected now, Dr. Cheryl thinks it might have spread.   We will doctor this week and recheck next Tuesday.

Pray for both of us.

God love you

Mary

At least I got to be home all day.

Chelsea slept until after 9PM last night.  By morning she was pacing again.   I gave her the pills but they were not much good, at least this afternoon.   I think 8 hours is too long between - we do not keep ahead of her discomfort.    She was pacing and panting and arching her little back and limping so finally after 4 hours I redosed her and then I sat on the floor holding her until she finally went to sleep.    She has now been out for almost three hours.   I am afraid that things do not look good for our sweet puppy.  I am carrying her outside to do her business these days because walking is very uncomfortable for her.

Tomorrow will be very traumatic.   I have to go to Mother's for several reasons, but I can call Kettle Moraine any time after 6PM.   We are also taking Dick to the Eye doctor for his new left lens and to check the status of his right eye.


Pray for us.   We will need a LOT tomorrow.

God love you all

Mary