I Guess It's Time...

It's been 3 months since we last saw Tigger.
He disappeared back in November in the aftermath of Storm Alfred.
We spent many hours making posters and hanging them around the streets, stuffing mailboxes with pictures of Tigger, walking the woods looking for signs of him, and responding to a multitude of calls from good-hearted people in our area who thought they saw him,

We don't believe he is coming home.

I've been holding off as long as I could,
hoping that possibly he might turn up.

It's difficult not knowing what happened to him.

But there must be closure.

So,

I guess it's time to pay tribute to our friend.

We welcomed Tigger and Momo into our family in August, 2003. So sweet and innocent!

The kittens were found in a cemetery in a nearby town.  Kerry found them on the internet in Petfinders.com.  We only planned to get one, but they were a package deal!

Vance really didn't want them (supposedly he didn't like cats!)...

but Tigger won him over by cleaning his hair for him at night.

I guess that made up for the times Vance had to go up the ladder

to get him out of a tree!

Tigger made friends with everyone, including Jack.

And even though he was a little hesitant with Mia in the beginning...

they turned out to be buddies after all!

He used to taunt the dogs at the top of the slide,

daring them to follow him!
Luckily, they were smart enough not to do that!

He loved the great outdoors! 
If he wanted to go out, he would yell at the top of his lungs!
That was the main reason we had to put him in the basement at night.

 When Sami joined our family, he wasn't afraid.

They, too, became fast friends!

Over time, he was renamed to Mr. Wiggles by the kids.
Mr. Wiggles always joined us at the dinner table.  He wasn't shy!

 He often demonstrated his ability to get milk out of the bottom of a cup!

Kerry and Mr. Wiggles were close.

 And her friends loved him too!

 

Kerry's birthdays often had a Mr. Wiggles theme!

We ALL loved Tigger!

When Halle joined the family,

they had a rough beginning, haha!

But they, too, grew on each other after a while!

The only person he never really trusted was...

 Maddie!

I think Tigger was more of a "dog person".

So now, we have to say good-bye to our good friend.

Tigger, we loved your unique personality!

We loved your companionship!

We thank you for your hard work, keeping the yard free of mice, moles, and...

 RABBITS!

 Our home and our family have been forever touched by your being.

WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

P.S. If you're out there somewhere reading this,  please come home!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

 Ecclesiastes 3:1

 I headed outside with my camera today to see what was going on in the yard.

For everything there is a season - WAIT!

This is not the season for my pink heather!

Nor is it the season for crocus spouts!

And certainly not time for new leaves on the rose bushes!

Well, Maddie will take care of that!

                             OUCH!

 

Check out my wooden cardinals.  I think someone wants to make friends!

And there are already weeds!

"Each leaf,

each blade of grass
vies for attention.
Even weeds
carry tiny blossoms
to astonish us."
- Marianne Poloskey, Sunday in Spring

The rhododendrons look like they're ready to burst open!

but the vinca has beat them to it!

I think Sami would rather be rolling around in the snow...

Halle really wasn't sleeping here - she blinked.

Irises...

and Johnny Jump-Ups...

I don't want to sound like a grump, but I'm just not ready for Spring yet.

I love my garden, but I also enjoy  the time when it is asleep - kind of like a mother feels about her children.   I need time to do other things while it is napping!

I had a lot I wanted to accomplish this winter - INSIDE.
We have barely burned any of the wood that Vance hauled onto the back porch for the fireplace.
I'm still yearning for more cosy time watching TV at night snuggled under the afghan.

Spring.
Please go away.
For a little while longer.
It's not your time - yet.

"D" ficient

I don't like to complain about aches and pains.
If I don't pay attention to them,
maybe they'll go away!

I've been rather fortunate in my life up until this point
because I've never really had any that really bothered me.

Since I have begun running, however,
I've been complaining.

Every time I increase my distance by even a little,
I wake up the next day wondering if I can make it
down the stairs in the morning.  Then it takes
2 or 3 days before I can run again without pain.

I realize this isn't normal.
So I called my doctor and asked if I could have
my thyroid levels checked and my Vitamin D.

Sure enough, my TSH was creeping up again,
so the doctor doubled my thyroid medicine.

But surprisingly, my Vitamin D levels are now in
the "Deficient" range.
I'm surprised because last year my Vitamin D levels
were "Insufficient" so I've been taking 2500 IU/day for
the past year.
But now it is even worse!

During my discussion with the doctor, I mentioned that I have started running and told him about the long recovery times for my leg muscles and the pain/weakness I've been experiencing.

He wasn't surprised.
Muscle pain/weakness is a prime symptom of
Vitamin D deficiency!




Starting tomorrow, I will be taking prescription
Vitamin D in a dose of 50,000 IU once a week for the
next 8 weeks.  Then he will check it again.

I hope and pray it helps.
I'll let you know!


________________________________________________
My jogging log (new entries in red)

13:18 min           1.04 mile            12:47 min/mile
12:29 min           1.05 miles           11:53 min/mile
14:53 min           1.24 miles           12:00 min/mile
12:34 min           1.06 miles           11:51 min/mile
15:08 min           1.37 miles           11:02 min/mile
16:46 min           1.45 miles           11:34 min/mile
16:07 min           1.44 miles           11:12 min/mile
16:20 min           1.40 miles           11:40 min/mile

15:54 min           1.40 miles           11:21 min/mile

15:03 min           1.40 miles           10:40 min/mile

15:39 min           1.40 miles           11:11 min/mile

15:25 min           1.40 miles           10:51 min/mile

15:28 min           1.40 miles           11:03 min/mile 

15:31 min           1.37 miles           11:20 min/mile

15:20 min           1.40 miles           10:57 min/mile

15:55 min           1.50 miles           10:37 min/mile

16:07 min           1.50 miles           10:45 min/mile

16:03 min           1.50 miles           10:42 min/mile

16:00 min           1.50 miles           10:40 min/mile

18:00 min           1.67 miles           10:47 min/mile

19:31 min           1.71 miles           11:25 min/mile

19:03 min           1.71 miles           11:14 min/mile

18:15 min           1.73 miles           10:33 min/mile

17:58 min           1.71 miles           10:30 min/mile

17:27 min           1.70 miles           10:16 min/mile

The LAST Game

It was a very intense rivalry.

A series of matches spanning almost 2 decades.

It's over now.

BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT LAST GAME...

You see, ever since our kids were little,
nearly every time we visited my mom and dad
we would play rummy after the kids went to bed.

There were two teams.
Me and my mom against Vance and my dad.
Girls vs. Guys.

We would pop some popcorn...

and bring the bowl of M&Ms to the table...

and start a series of games that involved much
name calling, taunting, and fun!

When things weren't going their way,
my dad would do his "special shuffle"
to try to turn their luck around.

When my mom had a really good hand,
she would look at me across the table
and cross her eyes!

When we visited my parents for Christmas in 2006,

we played what turned out to be our FINAL match.

My mom had COPD and needed oxygen 24/7.

Her memory had deteriorated.

As we began the game, we needed to remind her
how to play.  She was unsure of the rules.

My hopes of winning that night were pretty dim.

But surprisingly,  we were getting good cards
and we were ahead of the guys.

Playing to 1000 points,
my mom and I needed just a few more points
to win the game and the match!

I reminded her to not to hold onto her high cards.
You see, in Rummy, you have to subtract the points from
whatever cards you have left in your hand at the end of the game.

The game ended.
We scored enough to win the match!

Then my mom showed us the cards in her hand.

She had gotten rid of her high cards as planned
but still had a JOKER in her hand!

A joker is wild and could easily be played.
But if it was in your hand at the end of the game,
you had to subtract 50 POINTS!

Dad and Vance ended up winning the match.

They were cocky and irritating - the way they
always were when they beat us!
Just as it should be.

I soooo wish it had ended differently!

For me, yes, because I hate to lose.

But mostly for Mom.

When I went to bed that night, 
I knew in my heart we had played
THE LAST GAME.

I was right.









 

HEART attack

 Heart Attack:  A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of your heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies.

Valentine's Day is a day when you open up your heart to the people you love.

It's a day to make people smile.
To lift people up.
It makes you happy to make others happy.

That's the way it usually is.

For some people, however, their hearts are lifted
            by attempting to bring others down.
They thrive on negativity and criticism
           directed toward others.

Have you ever noticed how these people
           tend to surround themselves by other people
           who also enjoy spending their time picking apart
           the lives and good intentions of others?


Everybody gets daily opportunities, whether big or small, to give those around them a glimpse of their heart. I certainly hope when I show you my heart, it’s something worth seeing.

I made a decision many years ago that my life would benefit by surrounding myself with positive, strong, honorable, supportive, and loving family and friends.

No matter how hard you try,  negative hearts bring you down.

It's easier to be positive.
It's easier to build others up.
It's easier to show empathy.
It's easier to see the glass half full.

I don't claim to be perfect.  I make mistakes.
Everyone does.

For the most part, however, I try to take the easy way out!
Don't you wish everyone would?
Every Day.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”

― John Holmes