Mynee's Musings

Happy New Year 2012

Fading Flowers

I spent a few hours on Sunday morning dumping most the flower pots and getting them ready to put away for the season.  I hate doing that because it means that summer is officially over.  Well, I guess it's been over since September 21 or so but now the patio is bare and it seems like winter. 

These flowers apparently don't know what time of year it is because they're still blooming as much as they did during the summer...

These flowers aren't blooming quite as much but they're still pretty...

I'm definitely going to buy these again next year.  They bloomed continually from spring to fall.  I don't remember what they're called but I'm sure I'll be able to find them again in the spring.

A few of the roses are still blooming...

This is the picture I took of our trees next to the patio on October 30...

Here are the same trees on Sunday, one week later...

Now they only have about 20 leaves left because it was so windy yesterday.  It turned cold and actually was near freezing last night and it's supposed to be the same tonight.  I'm sure that any of the flowers that were still blooming will be frost bitten and dead by this weekend.  So sad.

It's five long months until I can plant flowers again.  I wish we could just go from fall to spring and just skip right over winter!   

Curveballs

Baseball?  No, the curveballs that life sometimes throws at you.  You've probably been wondering where I've been.  In fact, a few of you e-mailed me to see what was up since I haven't posted here in over a month.  A lot has happened in the past 4 weeks, some fun and some not-so-fun.  Here's a recap...

September 3 through 6 - We left for our two week trip to Hawaii.  We had a layover in Phoenix and were able to meet my sweet stamping friend, Doris.  We "met" online about 5 years ago but when we finally met in person, it felt like we had known each other forever.  After visiting with Doris for about an hour, we boarded the plane for Honolulu where we spent 3 nights.

September 6 though 11 - We arrived in Kauai on September 6.  We had a great time up until Thursday afternoon at around 2:30.  My cell phone rang and it was my sister calling to let me know that she was at the vet with Greta.  It turns out that the vet (different doctor at the same vets office) prescribed the wrong dose of amlodipine (blood pressure medicine) and it caused an irregular heartbeat and extremely low blood pressure.  The vet recommended that my sister take Greta to Veterinary Specialty Services which is a 24 hour animal hospital.  Well, the next morning, we talked to the cardiologist and she said that she didn't feel that the overdose was fatal and that it would just take time to work out of her system.  We went ahead and went on an outing that day, although our hearts weren't in it.  By Saturday morning, the vet wasn't positive that Greta would make it although she couldn't say for sure because she said that there isn't much information about cats and amlodipine overodse.  Anyway, we decided to fly home and we were lucky enough to be able to get a flight from Kauai to Honolulu at 9:00pm and from Honolulu to Phoenix at 11:00pm and then on to St. Louis, arriving at about 1:45pm on Sunday.  My sister picked us up at the airport and we went straight to the hospital to see Greta.  She looked so tired and sad, definitely not like her usual self.  We spoke to the vet and she was more optimistic that Greta would be ok even though they had her in a oxygen cage so that it would help her breath easier. 

September 12 - My sister called around 10:30 to check on Greta and to let me know that she was going to the doctor with my mom and dad.  Turns out, my mom had an infection in her foot so she was admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.  Greta remained in stable condition.

September 13 through 18 - We were still on "vacation" so we were at home and would visit Greta twice a day.  We took her favorite food and snacks with us but she refused to eat.  She would drink water and use the litter pan but food didn't interest her at all.  On Thursday morning, the vet was not very optimistic that Greta would be ok.  When we visited her that morning, she seemed really tired and weak but when we visited her late in the afternoon, she seemed much better.  The roller coaster ride continued through Tuesday, with Sunday being the worst day.  The vet had told us that morning that she didn't know if there was much more she could do for Greta.  The were able to stabilize her blood sugar which had risen really high but she had fluid under her skin and also in her chest.  The vet drained her chest fluid each morning since Monday and they just couldn't figure out what was causing it.  She said that Greta didn't appear to be in pain but she just wasn't getting better.  Our visit on Sunday morning was sad because we just didn't know if she'd ever come home again.  Our visit on Sunday evening was much better.  Greta seemed more alert and even meowed a few times. 

September 19 and 20 - My mom went home from the hospital on Monday afternoon and is doing well.  She's still on antibiotics and her foot is wrapped but she's happy to be home and is getting around fine.  When we visited Greta after work on Monday, she seemed even more alert than 24 hours earlier.  On Tuesday morning, the vet removed Greta's feeding tube (it was a tiny tube in her nose) and she actually ate food for us on Tuesday evening and was very alert.

September 21 - When I spoke to the vet this morning, she said that she felt that Greta could go home.  There was very little fluid in her chest, not even enough to drain, and she was eating.  We picked her up at around 4:30 that afternoon.  Carrie, the veterinary tech, told us that everyone in ICU gave her a goodbye pat on the head and were going to miss her but they were so glad she was going home.  Within the first 30 minutes of being home, Greta ate, drank and used the litter box.  She definitely knew where she was and was happy to be home.     

Greta has been getting better each day and seems to be almost back to her old self.  She had a follow-up visit on the 26th and the vet said that she looks great and the ultrasound of her chest showed no fluid and her heart was back to normal.  When Carrie brought her back into the room after the tests, she said that she had to stop by the ICU because everyone wanted to say Hi to her.  :)  We love the entire staff at VSS and are so grateful to Doctor Marshall and her team for taking such good care of our dear baby.  

My sister made a blanket for Greta and she absolutely loves it!  It's so soft and warm and comfy.  Greta has spent many hours sound asleep on her blanket.  Not only is the blanket comfy but it's also personalized!  Lisa has a cool embroidery machine that makes all kinds of things.  Here's a close-up of the embroidering... 

 

So, that's a recap of the past 4 weeks.  Now for the present; since the title of this post is "Curveballs", I just have to mention baseball...woohoo, the Cardinals are in the playoffs.  They play the Phillies today at 4:07.  Strange time!  We'll be at the Fox Theater seeing Addams Family but I'll have my phone on and will be checking the score!

OK, since it seems like things have settled down a little now, I'll be back to regular blogging.  I'll be sure to post more details of our Hawaii trip.  Check back soon.

Blue Heart Studio Renovation

Last November when we had the kitchen remodeled, I kept some of the cabinets and had the construction guys put them down in the basement knowing that I would use them for my studio.  I took the island, desk and the cabinet that used to be next to the stove and placed them in my studio to see how I like the arrangment.  Once I was sure that the layout was good, the next step was to decide on where to hang the rest of the cabinets and then arrange for the drywall to be installed.  We also wanted some crown molding installed in the living room and dining room and, as it turns out, the person we hired for the crown molding also does drywall so we had all of it done at once.  He gave us a bid in late April and we decided to go ahead with the work so he scheduled it to start June 1 and it only took him 3 days to do everything.  

Here are some photos of the studio before the renovation...

 

 

 

 

Here's how the studio looks now... 

 

 

 

 
 

I still need to cut the vinyl design for the wall above the desk and I have a picture that I want to hang.  I also need to get an under cabinet light to hang over my accessory rod on the large cabinet. I had an outlet installed over the cutting table so that we can hang another shop light.

Between packing up the kitchen last November and packing up the studio a few weeks ago, I'm now more convinced than ever that we can never move.  We have too much stuff...hee hee hee...

25 Years Ago

Can it be?  Was it really 25 years ago?  Believe it or not, yes!  Bill and I were married 25 years ago today.  In fact, at this very time (5:00pm), Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring began playing and the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle.  It seems impossible that we've been married two and a half decades...over half of our lives.  Oops, now you can figure out how old we are.  ;)

Here's a picture from our wedding...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, we sure look young!  I still have my wedding dress by the way.  It's packed in a sealed box with a window in it so you can see the dress but you can't open the box.  I still have wedding invitations and thank you cards from the wedding too as well as all of the cards we received that day.  No, I'm not a pack rat but I do keep sentimental things.

Happy anniversary to us!  :) 

Can it be?  Was it really 25 years ago?  Believe it or not, yes!  Bill and I were married 25 years ago today.  In fact, at this very time (5:00pm), Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring began playing and the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle.  It seems impossible that we've been married two and a half decades...over half of our lives.  Oops, now you can figure out how old we are.  ;)

Here's a picture from our wedding...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, we sure look young!  I still have my wedding dress by the way.  It's packed in a sealed box with a window in it so you can see the dress but you can't open the box.  I still have wedding invitations and thank you cards from the wedding too as well as all of the cards we received that day.  No, I'm not a pack rat but I do keep sentimental things.

Happy anniversary to us!  :) 

Lion Snot

Bwahaha...the title of this post cracks me up.  OK, let me explain.  I have a kitty calendar on my desk at work.  Each day, there is a picture of a kitty along with his or her name and state of residence.  Then there is a tip or quote for the day.  Well, the quote today made me laugh.  It says, "The cat was created when the lion sneezed."  I'm assuming that this means that kitties are little lions.  I then started thinking about it and thought that maybe it means that they are lion snot...hee hee hee. 

I will have pictures of my newly renovated studio soon, I promise.  Until then...      

 

Aren't They Pretty?

Here's a vase of peonies from our yard.  They're so pretty and they smell wonderful:

 
 

The peony bush in our yard is a cutting from my great grandmother's plant which she brought over from Germany to Minnesota many, many years ago.  How cool is that?  My dad took a cutting from my grandma's house (it would have been her birthday today, by the way) in Minnesota and planted it at our house in St. Louis where it has been growing ever since.  I've planted cuttings from the bush at each of the houses where we have lived.       

The flowers usually bloom right around Mother's Day but they were a little late this year, probably because of the cold, wet weather we've been having.  The flowers only last a few weeks on the bush and only about 3 days in a vase but I enjoy them while I can knowing that they'll return again next year, pretty as always.        

 

 

This day in 1974 and 1986

My bridal shower was 25 years ago today.  Gasp!  Was it really a quarter of a century ago?  Believe it or not, it was!  I don't think I have any pictures though.  I didn't have my camera since the shower was a surprise and I honestly don't remember anyone else taking pictures.  Remember, this was way before digital cameras and smart phones so maybe we just didn't take as many pictures back then.  Anyway, it was a Saturday and I remember exactly what I was wearing.  Yes, I remember details like that. 

37 years ago today, we had to put our dear doggie, Teddy, to sleep.  He was 14 and was older than I was at that time.  I had known him all my life and I was sad to lose my buddy but I know he's in puppy/kitty heaven with Puff, Cotton, Juneau, Sable and Maggie now so he has lots of company. 

Thanks to Cathy and Barb for filling me in on All My Children!  I'm sure I'll have more questions for you...hee hee hee.    

All My Children

Sad, sad news.  It was announced on Thursday that the soap opera, All My Children, has been cancelled and the last episode will air in September.  In the grand scheme of things, this isn't earth-shattering or life-changing but it is sad, nonetheless.  What will become of the residents of Pine Valley?

I remember when All My Children premiered back in 1970.  My mom watched it and I would watch it during the summer.  When we bought a VCR in 1981 or so, I began taping it every day.  I stopped watching it in 1988 because the storylines were boring.  I began recording and watching again when Tad returned in 1990 and then stopped watching in 1995 when it became boring again and I haven't really watched it since.  If I'm home on a day off, I sometimes turn it on just to see if I know any of the characters but other than Erica and Tad, most of the characters are unfamiliar to me.

All My Children is now set to record every day on my DVR.  Even though I haven't been a regular viewer for over 15 years and I am not familiar with many of the current characters, I really want to see how the story of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania ends.  :(        

Quintessential

We ate at a new restaurant in St. Charles called Quintessential on Friday night.  It has been on our "to try" list for a few months.  We started with the cream cheese and jalapeno won tons which were very tasty and not too hot.  Bill had the beef and chicken kabobs and I had the wet burrito wrap; chicken, rice, black beans, pico de gallo covered with cheese sauce.  Yummo! 

Quintessential does not have any beers on tap but they do have a nice selection of bottled beers.  We each had a Arcadia Hop Rocket and then I had a Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Bill had a Monty Python Holy Grail by Black Sheep Brewery.

We will be visiting another new restaurant next Friday.  Stay tuned...