Poor Buddy, "poor" me!

My middle dog, Buddy, had to have surgery yesterday to remove three tumors and six teeth! I have to keep him from running, jumping, and playing with the other dogs for a few days. I also have to keep him from biting at the incision sites and messing with his stitches. I have him wrapped in a big towel, laying in my bed. I think he will be alright if I can keep him from biting & licking; it is natural for dogs to lick. Anyway, don't feel sorry for Buddy (he has my excellent nursing care) - feel sorry for me - I am the one who had to pay $800. for the proceedure!

New life

Our friends Ryan & Anna just had a new baby this week. Here is "Kendal Madison" on her birthday! She is cute. Well, they are all cute, but what constant work. It is worth it of course, but remember those nights with a newborn - no sleep? Thank goodness that part doesn't last that long. In looking at the new baby I realize that really - they all look alike. (don't ever say that to a mother of a newborn!) No wonder some newborns get switched at birth! Most of them look very similar (other than the hair or no hair thing!) While looking at the baby I thought of my Mother. She is in the rehab hospital now, but still cannot eat, speak or walk, and someone must do everything for her. It is so much like a newborn baby. I hope she will recover so she is aware, but no one knows, she could stay like this for years. We start out as helpless infants. If we don't die from some ailment or disease, we end up as older adults who become progressively more helpless. I guess it is the circle of life.

(click on photo to see a close-up)

I saw these two baby raccoons back in the new subdivision when I was back there on my walk one day. I think they may be orpans, they looked so confused. I hope they make it without their mama!

I just returned from a week up in Virginia visiting my mother. She is 89 and living on her own with my brother visiting her everyday. She refused to come live with me, and would not hear of not living in her house on her own. I spoke to her on the phone and she told me that she was sick, but would not go to the doctor. My brother showed up one day and found her passed out on the floor. She was transported to the hospital where they discovered a UTI and sepsis infection. She was treated with strong anti-biotics for about ten days. She seems to be out of the woods now, but has been in bed two weeks. She still can't speak or swallow, and seems to have some mental problems. Yesterday they placed a feeding tube in her stomach. Up til now they had been nourishing her through a feeding tube in her nose. It is sad to see my mom like this, and frustrating that we can not communicate with her. I think that soon she will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility. I don't know how much she will recover due to her age and the severe infection that she had. We just have to wait and see. My brother is my mom's angel, he tries to communicate with her. She is partially deaf and we don't know if she is understanding us or not, but we keep talking to her. It is a hell of a state to be in when you have been an independent person all your life. It will happen to us all one day.

Graduation!

The long awaited high school graduation finally took place on June 5th. I said that I wouldn't embarrass Preston, but I couldn't help the "wooop-wooop" that I yelled out as he walked across the stage. Preston HATED the principal and told me that he would not be shaking her hand. I told him now he was 18 years old, and that would be his decision, but that real men forgive and forget. I didn't know what he was going to do as he walked across the stage. He shook the principals hand, and had his photo taken with her. I was proud of him for making this decision. Preston has been accepted at the local community college this fall. He will work to make some money this summer for GAS so he can get there!!!