Just Me, Gramma

Look What I Caught and Cooked

2008-06-01T22:21:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day it was. We went fishing on Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay. The wind was blowing a bit harder than we liked, but it still was nice. It helped keep the heat of sun from being too hot.

The best part of the day, and why I'm writing, is I caught a keeper flounder!! That is darn near impossible these days since the size limit was raised to 19-1/2 inches this year. My flounder was 21 inches long. I caught it on a squid/minnow combination. When I felt it hit my line, I initially thought I was snagged on something, but I started reeling it in and saw it coming to the top of the water. Ron said not to pull it all the way up as flounder have this unique ability to flip themselves off the hook. He grabbed the net and put it under the fish and pulled him into the boat. We looked at the fish and said it HAD to be a keeper. We grabbed the tape measure and, sure enough, it was! WOOHOO!!

When we got home, Ron cut it up. We got four good-sized filets out of it. I cooked two of them and put the other two in the freezer. They were delicious!!

Now that we know there ARE keeper flounder out there, you can bet we will be out there every chance we get. Wish us luck!!

The Boat is in the Water!!

2008-04-11T08:34:00.002-04:00

FINALLY!!! We got the boat put in the water yesterday. It was a beautiful day, but by the time we got finished tying it up in the slip, it was too late, and a bit too chilly, to go out for a ride. Today we need to go get some hardware to better tie the boat up in its slip. We thought we had the right stuff, but some of it just wasn't what we needed. We had everything set up just right at our old marina, but we decided to go to another marina this year.

It's another beautiful day. Perhaps a little ride around Rehoboth Bay is in the cards for this afternoon. That would be just loverly, wouldn't it??

Dude!

2008-03-13T08:03:00.002-04:00

I took Dude! to the vet on Tuesday for his rabies and second distemper shots and a follow-up on his heart problem. Thank God, his heart problem seems to have resolved itself. It seems it was a puppy thing after all. No expensive trip to the doggy cardiologist required. Dude! is now cleared for neutering surgery. He gets snipped on May 28th.

The Biopsy

2008-02-27T11:51:00.002-05:00

Sitting here just a bit sore today from the biopsy and subsequent excision. It wasn't too bad, but I hated having to lie on my stomach for 1-1/2 hours while the biopsy and excision were being conducted (my boobs were getting squished). I guess I thought it would go a bit quicker than that. Luckily the doctor had a mobile pathology lab in his parking lot, so he was able to get a reading and then take action based on that reading.

Diagnosis: superficial basal cell carcinoma. Skin cancer. I certainly never would have thought that little red spot on my back was anything serious. I just thought it was a discoloration of skin. Luckily, my family doctor thought it was suspicious enough to warrant another look and sent me to a plastic surgeon.

The good news is the surgeon said he got it all. The margins were clean. I guess that means I'm cured. I guess it also means I'll have to have regular skin checks from here on out. To think, I originally scheduled both Ron and myself for skin checks because I thought he had a suspicious mole. His is being monitored by the plastic surgeon, but he doesn't think it's anything serious.

Better go get some sunscreen. Yuck, I hate that stuff...and I like being tan. Dang it! Had the best tan of my life last summer being out on the boat every weekend. Ron always fusses at me to put the sunscreen on, but I rebelled several times. No more. *sigh*

The Vet Called

2008-02-21T13:58:00.002-05:00

The vet called about Dude!'s EKG. The cardiologist said he has mild sinus tachycardia and could, but might not, grow out of it. Fancy words for irregular heartbeat. Anyway, the vet said at this point he will just monitor Dude! regularly. The only sticking point now is the vet said he will not neuter Dude! until a cardiologist clears him for surgery. He said that anesthesia is too risky without knowing for sure. So, we go back to the vet on March 11 for Dude!'s rabies shot and another EKG. I had asked the vet last visit when we could get him neutered and he said six months was the earliest. That's when I want it done. It definitely makes for a much better pet if you get them neutered as soon as possible. So....I guess I need to make an appointment with the cardiologist and make that dreaded trip. We shall see what the vet says on March 11.

Jenny, dear, I think you're right. CA-CHING is the operative word here. I don't have a clue how much I would/will spend. Dude! is such a sweetheart and I love cuddling with him. He sleeps on my pillow wrapped around my head. He doesn't even wake me up if he has to go potty. He just waits until one of the older dogs gets me up. When I ask him if he needs to go outside and go pee-pee, he gets all excited and wiggly and kisses me as if to say that's such a good idea, Mom!

I'll keep y'all posted.

BTW, my biopsy is next week on Tuesday. YUCK! Not looking forward to that. Right in the middle of my back, where I am VERY sensitive. At 7:15 AM. I don't even know what AM is any more. I'm retired, damn it!! Why can't I come in later? *sigh*

Dude!'s Trip to the Vet and My Trip to the Doc

2008-02-12T23:33:00.004-05:00

We went to the vet today for some puppy shots. The vet does his little exam to make sure everything's okay, like he always does. But this time he keeps listening and listening with the stethoscope to little Dude!'s heart. I'm getting concerned, but don't say anything because I know I need to be quiet so the vet can hear. After a couple of minutes the vet says, "I'll be right back" and leaves the room. He comes back in with a little machine that has electrodes on it. He gets some goopy gel and puts it on little Dude! in three places and places the electrodes on him. I figured this was an EKG machine and I was right.

After trying to hold Dude! still for a couple minutes (no easy feat), the vet tears off the EKG strip and shows it to me. I notice some sorta straight little lines and then some very wavy lines and then some more sorta straight lines. I ask what he thinks. He says it may just be a puppy thing and he will grow out of it, but he's concerned enough he wants to send it to a cardiologist to be sure. It appears Dude! has an irregular heartbeat. Bless his little heart! Poor guy is only 11 weeks old. The vet said he would call me tomorrow or Thursday to let me know what the cardio doc said. Hopefully, it will just be a puppy thing and he'll get over it. The vet did tell me there are only two kinda sorta local dog cardio docs...in Newport and Annapolis....both two hours away.

Hopefully, this will turn out to be nothing to worry about. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. He's such a sweet little guy and we have already grown very attached to him.

Okay, now for my trip to the doc. My hubby and I went to our family doc a couple months ago for a skin check. She said both of us had 'things' she was concerned about and wanted us to go see the local plastic surgeon (????). Today was the day (he's very difficult to get in to see). Well, he thinks hubby's mole is not really much, but wants to see him again in four months to make sure it's not growing. But mine, MINE, is a little red squiggly thing he says looks like it could be a possible skin cancer. He's going to have his scheduler call me tomorrow to schedule a biopsy. Oh joy..... He told me what he would do, then, if the cells are malignant, what more he will do. Again, oh joy....

So, not the best day I've had lately. Please keep your fingers crossed for little Dude! and me. I'll keep you posted on the outcomes.

Baby Brandon

2008-02-01T00:22:00.001-05:00

Well, it took a bit of teeth pulling, but I finally got my husband to post some pictures of our new grandson. So...presenting Brandon Shawn.

He is so sweet. I didn't want to give him up, but my husband said I was hogging him. So, reluctantly, I gave him to one of his aunts.

First picture with his eyes open....and I was holding him and talking to him when it happened.

This is the four generations picture, with my father-in-law, my husband, my stepson, and Brandon.

Word from Mom and Dad is that Brandon eats his final meal of the day around 11 pm and then sleeps until 6 am the next morning. Where was this kid when I was having babies?? They are so lucky. I'm really glad he's a good baby though.

I Wanted It, I NEEDED It

2008-01-30T00:07:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the beach. I live so close, but rarely ever go. That's why I moved to the beach for retirement, so I could go whenever I wanted. I don't know why I haven't gone more often. I just haven't.

So, today, for some reason, I really, really NEEDED to go. I've been feeling so crappy lately and I figured this would be a good pick-me-up. I asked my husband to take the new puppy, Dude!, and me to the pet store in Rehoboth, which he did. Once we got what we went to the store for and got back in the car, I casually asked him if maybe we could take Dude! for a walk on the boardwalk. This is a tradition with all our new puppies and it was such a nice day (for winter), so I figured why not get the tradition in and my fix in as well.

It was just what I needed. Dude! loved running in the sand and I loved watching him. I also loved getting the sand in my shoes. I wore my knock-off crocs so the sand would fill them up when I walked. The sand felt SO good, even though it was cold. Now I am renewed and can be a bit more patient waiting for spring to come.

You know, I really should do this more often. Especially when I'm feeling a bit down. It's the perfect medicine for my winter-weary soul.

Finally I Got Off My Butt

2008-01-28T14:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally felt well enough to do a little something today. I've been watching the birds and squirrels for the last week and telling myself I needed to get out there and refill all the feeders. So today I actually got off my butt and did just that. The birds especially are thanking me.

I love my newest feeder, a sock contraption for finch food. The socks have little holes in them so the seed can either fall out or the birds can perch on them and pick the seeds out of the holes. At times, there are about 20-25 birds on the two socks at the same time.

I've seen different little birds I had never seen before this winter. It's relaxing just to sit and watch them feed and play. Just so the birds don't have to fight off the squirrels, I also have three squirrel feeders on the trees along the fenceline. One is a post you put corn cobs on (woodpeckers love this, too). One is a cage you put a feed cake in and the other is a little box you fill up with squirrel food. They have to open the top of the box to get the food.

It's been a while since I felt good, so I'm enjoying it today with the help of my little bird and squirrel friends and the puppies and kitties.

This Bites

2008-01-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

Well, now that we have a new puppy to housebreak, wouldn't you know I'd come down with some medical condition that makes it hurt really, really bad when I move (so I don't try to as much as possible).

I called the gastro doctor yesterday and he agreed that I might be having a diverticulitis attack (or a kidney stone or a urinary tract infection). He phoned in the two usual prescriptions and said to come see him in three weeks if I'm still not better. Still not better?? In three weeks?? I can't handle that! Every time I move it hurts!! I did laundry today because....the puppy pee'd on our bed last night. I hurt too bad to take him out one last time and hubby was already in bed. Guess Dude! taught me, huh? Anyway, the laundry is done, but is not put away. That's one of my big things about laundry, it must be put away immediately or it won't get done. At least I suffered through the pain long enough to fold everything or put it on hangers.

I'm also very hungry. When I have this diverticulitis thingy, I'm supposed to go on a liquid diet for a few days to give my system a rest. That leaves me feeling hungry...and having to pee a lot. You know what having to pee a lot means? Yep, that's right, I have to get up and down....a lot. And that hurts....a lot.

Did I mention how incredibly tired this makes me? I would probably do best lying in bed for a few days, but a household, especially with a new puppy, doesn't come to a complete standstill just because I'm sick.

Oh well, how was your day?

Dude!

2008-01-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Well, we fell and bumped our heads. This is Dude!, our new male miniature dachshund. Isn't he cute? He was the runt of his litter, so we hope he doesn't get too big.

We drove up to within 10 miles of the New York line yesterday to pick him up. We put a little over 600 miles on the van, but it was worth it. Dude! slept most of the way home. However, when we got to my daughter's house because the grandkids wanted to see him, he came alive. He loved all the attention and was giving them all puppy kisses. I love that sweet puppy breath.

Before we went to pick Dude! up we talked about names. The breeder gave him the temporary name of Yogi, which I thought was cute. However, I did some research and came up with Spezi (pronounced spate-zee, means 'buddy' in German). Ron couldn't remember for the life of him how to pronounce the name and kept calling him Spacey. We were talking about the puppy while driving to get him and Ron suddenly shouted DUDE! You know, like the commercial? We both cracked up and said that was it. So, that's how Dude! got his name.

He's so sweet and gets along with our three other canine girls. He wants to play with the cats, but they are still just checking him out. Some day, perhaps.

So far, no accidents in the house. Wish me luck with this!

New Gramma, Again

2008-01-18T23:40:00.001-05:00

What a great day! Today we welcomed Brandon Shawn into our family. He made his appearance at Christiana Hospital around 1:15 pm via C-section, weighing in at 7 lb 14 oz, and is 20 inches long. He has blondish hair and, I think, looks like his mommy with his daddy's ears and cute fat cheeks. **smile** He's a handsome one, for sure. He and mommy are doing fine, and daddy's exhausted. LOL

I so enjoyed holding this little bundle. Grandpa even had to tell me to quit hogging him and let someone else hold him. I didn't want to let him go. He opened his eyes when I was talking to him. He didn't do that for anyone else that I know of. I did give him up to an aunt though because it was time to make the drive back south.

Grandpa took some pictures, but hasn't downloaded them just yet. I'll get them up as soon as he does that.

I'm looking forward to getting to know this little one and watching him grow and learn, just like with my three other grandkids. It's just different when you're a grandparent.

What a Past Few Days

2008-01-16T15:34:00.001-05:00

Where do I begin? If you know anything about mental illness, then you know what a very frustrating thing it can be when a family member suffers from one or more of them.

My son, who is 31, and lives in Los Angeles, has several mental illnesses. He's been going through this since he was about 18. Most of the time he is okay. When his meds get screwed up, or he runs out and forgets to get refills, or forgets to go to the doctor, or he's just having a bad day, that's when the frustrating part begins. These past few days were the worst....for me and his very dear friend.

On Thursday he was having a bad day and decided he would use cocaine. BIG MISTAKE!! The manager of the group home where he lives read him the riot act and told him to get out of the house for a while (the night). My son, for some unknown reason, thought the manager meant for him to move out permanently. Well, my son left. He was seen on Friday afternoon by his friend and the manager, but didn't acknowledge them. He wasn't seen again after that until he called his friend yesterday (Tuesday) begging to be picked up from 'Skid Row.' He said he hadn't eaten in four days and he was cold. What he really meant was, "I'm over my bad day(s) and I'm ready to come back to the real world." Thank God his friend was willing to go pick him up. This is the longest he has ever been missing. It was a very scary time, wondering what I could do (nothing) and if he was safe. Usually he ends up in the hospital, without doing drugs, and either he or someone from the hospital or his group home manager calls and lets me know where he is. I know he is sick, but at least I know he's safe.

His friend called me to let me know she was going to pick him up and take him to the hospital. That's usually what it takes to get him back on the right track, a few days' stay at the psych ward. She also said she would have him call me to let me know he was okay. He told her he didn't want to call me because he didn't want me to yell at him. She convinced him to call me and I did my very best not to yell at him. I told him how disappointed I was, asked him what was so very wrong that made him do this (bad day, I know), and told him the manager would take him back into the group home IF, and only if, he got himself into rehab. He promised me he would do that.

He called back a couple hours later begging for money to get something to eat. Well, he got a rude shock when I showed him some tough love. Every part of me wanted to give in, but I told him I would not send him any money because I knew it would not go for food, but for drugs. He kept saying it would not go for drugs, but I kept saying I couldn't believe or trust him. What a very frustrating and sad phone call. He also wanted money for a motel room. I told him to go home. He said he couldn't go there because the manager wasn't there. I told him the manager was waiting for him and to go home. I reiterated that I would not send him any money. He said he was hungry and so very, very cold. I said, "I'm sorry" and didn't give in. My son said he would go panhandle for some money to get something to eat and a place to stay for the night. I told him again to go home and wait for the manager. The manager and I had spoken earlier and he was going to arrange rehab for my son. My son only had to show up.

I cried when I hung up the phone, but what else could I do? I asked God to please take care of my son and help him to get straightened out. I also asked God to help me deal with this burden and to let me know in some way that my son was okay. I got a phone call from the manager at 12:30 am letting me know he had gotten my son into the house, made him take a shower, gave him something to eat, and sent him to bed. He said he would get my son into rehab today. God answered that prayer. I actually got a good night's sleep for once.

What you need to know is my son is very intelligent, polite sometimes to a fault, and very loving and giving....most of the time. His mental illnesses make him do some weird things at times (mostly phobias), but most people recognize them for what they are and get over it or just don't deal with him any further. My son also suffers from epilepsy, so his lot in life is hard. I ask God every day to please watch over him and take care of him. Sometimes my son just isn't listening.

Sorry for rambling on, but I needed to get it out. The only support I have in this is my son's friend and, occasionally, my husband, and God. Other family members have chosen to write my son off and refuse to speak to him or even hear anything about him. It's very hard because he can't understand why no one in his family wants to deal with him except me. I tell him it's because most people just don't understand mental illness and don't want to understand it. You love him when he's okay and love him even harder when he's not okay. You have to use tough love, but it IS love. I don't hate him, but sometimes I don't like him, but I would never not love him. He is my flesh and blood.

Not Much About Anything

2008-01-14T12:59:00.000-05:00

Hmmm...what to write about? Don't have much to say about anything in particular right now. Just trying to get this bloggin' thingy going. As I think of things that make me happy or sad, disturb or please me, or if I just have useless random thoughts, I'll be sure and let you know.