Freezing to death

January 16, 2024 / Outrunning my demons / 4 Comments

I naively thought we might have escaped the harshness of winter with our unseasonably warm December and start of the new year. Until last week, that is. We got hit with several snowstorms and kicked the weekend off with a blizzard. Then we plunged right into arctic cold wind chills.

Paul was supposed to go on an ice fishing trip in the far north woods of Wisconsin. The mild winter only produced a couple inches of ice on the northern inland lakes and Lake Superior has open water. Usually by this time of year, people are driving their trucks on the lakes and have their ice shacks set up. This year with the weak ice followed by a blizzard then arctic cold, the trip got cancelled. Although the ice is forming fast now.

While Paul was gone, I had plans to go on an overnight trip to a casino. My friend Sue, who won a small jackpot months before, had to be present for a chance to win a car and $100,000. Paul said since his plans got cancelled, he would be willing to drive us there in his truck. But with the weather, we weren’t sure if we were going or not. Normally the trip takes us two and a half hours. But since half the trip is small towns and back roads, no doubt it would take a lot longer. The side roads would be snow covered and slippery since ice doesn’t melt in subzero temperatures if the roads are not plowed right away.

We decided to brave the trip. If we waited for perfect weather conditions in our state, we would be hibernating half the year. Late Saturday morning, Paul and I set off for our trip with Sue and her husband. We had supper at an Italian restaurant with really good food. Then we went to the casino. The drawing for the car and chance to win the money was at 10 PM. While there, I saw several people win big jackpots. The place was packed with jackpot winners waiting for their chance to win yet again. Sadly, Sue didn’t win. But we had a fun time anyway.

Arabella was home watching the pets. I spent a lot of my time worrying that the dogs were going to freeze to death. It was the first night we left the dogs for the night. Even if I am home, I am very paranoid the animals are going to freeze to death. Maybe the cats will sneak outside with someone. Maybe Arabella will let the dogs out then forget to let them back in. The maybes start swirling through my head faster than the snow in the blizzard winds.

Why am I always so worried about my animals when it is cold outside?? Then it hit me. As a child of around 13, I did have some animals freeze to death when I wasn’t home. It was probably around October and it was freezing at night. Two of my outdoor cats had kittens. One had 6 and the other had 4. One of the mama cat’s was a good mom and the other cat was not. The mama cats were sisters and they took care of each other’s babies. At night, I had to lock the cats in with their kittens because one would stay and the other would not.

We hardly went anywhere, but that night we got home late. Too late, in fact. One of the mama cat’s was with a box of babies and the other was not. The box of babies without the mama cat froze to death. My mom said I needed to bury the box of dead kittens. I found a shovel. It was dusk when I found a good burial spot. The ground was cold and hard. But I was able to dig a little hole. I put my hand into the box to pick up one of the fluffy kitties. I screamed when I touched the kitten’s little frozen body. I couldn’t do it. The kitten was so cold and death was so final for these babies. I started crying and threw the box, kittens and all, into the weeds.

I felt awful. Maybe their deaths could’ve been prevented if I didn’t go somewhere with my mom and brothers. I blamed myself. And on Arctic bitterly cold days, I can’t help but worry it could happen again.

What’s happening this week 10/26/23

October 26, 2023October 26, 2023 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

It’s been dreary and non-stop raining all week. We had a couple thunderstorms and torrential downpours. The rain came down so hard it flooded Arabella’s room downstairs. What a mess! This is the third time the room flooded since we’ve been here. The first time it flooded, it was Alex’s room and a couple hours later we needed to be ready for my uncle’s wedding. The second time, the room was vacant. This time though I think Paul figured out the problem. But early that morning he was outside digging a trench in the thunderstorm to keep more water from pouring in.

There is always something that needs fixing around this ancient mansion. Last week the industrial humidifier died which is going to be a costly replacement. We might have to keep our indoor pool covered for quite awhile until we can figure that problem out. I know, first world problems.

Other than some house related stuff, everything is going really well. Paul has been diligently training the dogs and pretty soon with the invisible fence system they will be able to roam our yard. The dogs and cats are not on the best terms yet, but that could take awhile.

Arabella went in for a job interview earlier this week. They hired her on the spot and she started working the next day. I am thankful she was able to find employment. It seems like they will give her plenty of hours. So far the job is going great. They weren’t too worried about her record when she told them either. They told her they have people working there on the bracelet. My son’s girlfriend works in a restaurant as well. From the stories they tell me, you would be surprised how many restaurant workers have criminal records. As for right now, Arabella is doing the best we could expect of her.

I also found out since my son’s car is over fifteen years old, he doesn’t need to have an inspection after fixing up his totaled car after someone ran a red light and smashed it. For that I am overjoyed. The inspection is a rigorous process. They need receipts and very detailed documentation we didn’t have. Apparently, they are more concerned about newer cars with stolen parts not how safe the car is to drive on our roads. With that being said, Alex is now driving his car and not borrowing mine. He just started his second quarter of classes at the tech school. He absolutely loves school which is something I would’ve never dreamed of in a million years.

Angel is doing very well too. We had one of her friends over this week for a test run of a cookie decorating class she wants to teach. I’ve discovered I am not an artist. I just don’t have the patience for arts and crafts. I always blame it on being left handed. But the truth is, I am not very patient to sit around and putz with things. It was fun to try something new and the cookies taste great. Her friend is very talented and I ordered some of her treats and cookies for Paul’s birthday party. It’s nice she wanted to do a test run with my family.

I’m grateful my kids are in a good place right now. I am going to enjoy it as much as I can before the winds change.

I’m pretty much ready for winter. It’s so hard to believe it will be November next week. We are expecting a cold front to come in after all this rain stops. Maybe the next time I talk about the weather, we’ll have our first snow flurries. This week I finished washing the windows and taking off the summer screens. I want to get started on a landscaping project before the snow falls and rent a dumpster for the fall purge. Then I will hunker down for the winter and do a lot of writing.

Photos of the new pets

October 23, 2023 / Outrunning my demons / 5 Comments

Here are the pictures of our new pets I have been promising to post:

Here is a really cute picture of our Beagle puppies. They love playing together in the yard with toys, sticks, or anything they can find.

Here is a picture of my rescue cat. If you look at his paws, you will notice he is polydactyl. He is full of sugar and spice. Today I entered a writing contest about my cat and I to try to win a $100,000 grant for the pet shelter I got him from. It’s a real long shot, but why not?

What’s happening this week-10/12/23

October 12, 2023 / Outrunning my demons / 4 Comments

Within a matter of a week, it went from summer to winter. No snow flurries yet, but it’s windy and cool. Yesterday I dragged out the bin of winter clothes. We didn’t turn on the heat yet though.

On Tuesday morning I went in for my colonoscopy and endoscopy. I opted to go the pill route versus drinking the awful solution which meant I had to start with a special diet on Saturday. Then on Monday at 5 PM I had to take a dozen pills and then another dozen at 3 AM. I pretty much stayed up most of the night and felt like crap. I did nod off to sleep for a little bit, then jumped up freaking out that I missed the second dose oversleeping the alarm I set. Let’s just say, I’m glad that is over.

Things have been stressful with the adoption of three new pets. It’s been an adjustment. The cats get along amazingly, even better than I anticipated, which is great. But the dogs are still having a hard time acclimating to the cats. They want to bark and chase. We put up a couple baby gates. It’s getting better, but the dogs are a lot of work and at times it seems impossible to get anything done within the timeframe I planned for.

I feel lowkey sad. I’m not sure why. I think it has to do with the changing of the seasons. Everything has been going fine. Dan and Angel are doing great. My son got his car back from the garage and hopefully will be getting the inspection soon so he doesn’t have to borrow my car. Arabella is doing good. She had a job interview today for a server position. I’m glad she is starting to look for work. I think it is going to be a lot harder for her to find a job now. Next week her probation officer wants to come to the house. I’m sure they can understand more after doing a home visit. Paul and I were instructed to not ask him a whole bunch of questions.

Really not a lot going on like the last couple of weeks. I will post some animal pictures soon.

Adjusting

September 28, 2023 / Outrunning my demons / Leave a comment

It’s been a week since we brought the puppies home and what a week it’s been. Overall, things have been going well with some setbacks along the way. We weren’t really planning on getting puppies quite this soon, but here we are with two purebred beagles who are a year old. The owner was an older man who could no longer take care of his property and needed to sell to move into an apartment. He couldn’t take his dogs with and didn’t want to separate them. He was desperate because he was moving in a week and couldn’t find a home for his dogs. So he gave us the dogs and all of their supplies for $100.

For the first couple of nights, the dogs barely slept at all. They had accidents in the house. They never saw a cat before which probably has been the most difficult adjustment of all. In the meantime, we had our home visit for the cat we are in the process of adopting. I was worried they wouldn’t want us to adopt anymore because of the dogs and my daughter living at home with a criminal record. They were afraid we didn’t want the cat anymore because we had the dogs. It’s interesting how our fears change based on the perspective we are looking in from.

Arabella had her first visit with her probation officer this week. According to her, everything went well. We haven’t had any big glaring issues yet.

My son’s car is getting fixed and had nothing to do with the accident he was in. I’m not sure why I have so many irrational fears about vehicles not working. Maybe it just has something to do with the lack of control and knowledge.

My daughter Angel and her husband will be celebrating one year of marriage already this weekend. Everything is going great so far. They just planned an anniversary honeymoon in St. Lucia. I am excited for them.

My appointment with the GI physician assistant went well. I had a couple of tests done and will be getting a colonoscopy and endoscopy done at the same time in a week and a half. I really like the PA but dislike the GI doctor. It might take some more time, but I should have a lot of answers in the next couple weeks.

My husband turned 55 this week. I will be throwing a birthday bash for him this weekend. My son and his band will be playing. I am a little nervous about how the party is going to work out especially with the dogs running around. Then there are the normal worries if I will have enough food and beverages here for everyone. I cleaned the house today and will be starting with the cooking tomorrow. It’s a lot of work but I like hosting parties and don’t mind doing all the clean up afterwards.

There has been a lot going on. I feel like I’m going through a big adjustment period right now.

The happenings of this week…

September 20, 2023 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

It’s been a crazy week to say the least. Arabella had her final (hopefully) court date. Of her three felonies; one has been dismissed, one has been reduced to a misdemeanor, and the last one will be dismissed if she successfully completes two years of probation. After court, we walked over to the probation office to sign her up. She was in an upbeat and bubbly mood talking to everyone who came her way. Before court, I took her in for a haircut. She told her hairdresser she wanted to look good for court. Never a dull moment. Then we bought some nice shoes so she didn’t have to wear crocs to court.

The day before court, Paul and I went to a volunteer appreciation banquet. While we were there, a woman I volunteer with came up to me out of the blue and asked me if I was interested in adopting two beagles. The strange thing is that Paul and I were going to start a search within the next week or so for two beagles. The owner is an elderly man who is moving next week from a house to an apartment where he cannot take his dogs. He was getting desperate to find a good home for the pups where they wouldn’t be separated from each other. We set up a time tomorrow to meet the puppies and bring them back home with us.

I also set up a time to have a home visit for the cat I put adoption papers in for. I cannot believe that within a week or so I might have 3 new pets. I am very anxious about tomorrow to meet the puppies. I also have a doctor’s appointment with the GI doctor and I’m afraid it’s not going to go very well. I think maybe I have an ulcer as I have been sick for 3 months with stomach pain. It could be colitis again but it seems different this time. I’m not sure what is going to happen but it probably involves a lot more testing.

Along with all of that, I set up an appointment for my son’s car tomorrow. Just a quick recap. Alex got the car in November and it was totaled on Christmas Eve after someone blew a red light and smashed into it. The next couple months after that were spent fixing and rebuilding the car. Now the car is running rough and doesn’t have any pick up when you hit the gas pedal. Hopefully it is not a big deal and can be fixed affordably. But my worry is that the crash did something internally as well. My son has been borrowing my car and that hasn’t been working all that well because sometimes I need it. He decided to go back to school which I am very happy about, but he needs transportation beyond my car.

Being in the accident changed my son. Now he wears his seatbelt which he refused to do before. He always said if he saw he was going to be in an accident he would slip it on real quick. You can imagine how that worked out for him. At least no one got hurt. The other thing, he is no longer interested in riding a motorcycle because he thinks it is too dangerous. Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t end up getting my motorcycle license. He is planning on fixing up his motorcycle and selling it.

I am hoping Arabella learned some good lessons from her experience with the criminal justice system. Time will tell on that one. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life being a pet mom again. I am hoping they will bring our household happiness and joy. As with most new adventures, it will be an adjustment.

Gratitude week 129

June 19, 2022 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

Paul and I bought and planted everything for our landscaping project.
I put on clean sheets and finally took the electric blanket off our bed.
Summer! We are expecting the next couple of days to be in the mid to upper 90’s with high humidity. I might have to break down and put on our A/C. It’s rarely ever forecasted to be this hot here. I could probably count on one hand in my lifetime of days where it’s been over 100.
We had some powerful storms come through our area and were without electricity for almost a day and a half. I’m grateful our power is back on.
I’m grateful we didn’t sustain any damage from the storm. A couple streets over had a lot of damage, a huge tree knocked down a powerline. My parents have many trees down.
I’m grateful the boats in the marina are safe. A tornado went through and decimated a farm about a mile away from the marina. We saw the siding from the barn hanging in the tree across the street from it. It’s strange to see so much damage in some areas and none at all in others.
I’m grateful for running water; the ability to take a shower, flush a toilet, wash clothes and dishes.
I’m grateful my best friend had power so we could run over all the meat we just bought. I’m grateful for the opportunity to clean out the freezer. Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while.
I’m grateful for the deafening silence without power. It gave me time to think without distractions. My cell phone died and for awhile I went off the grid like I did when I was a kid.
My son turned 22 this week, one step closer to full brain development. Ha ha. He woke up to no power, a dead cell phone, not able to take a shower, and we couldn’t go sailing as planned because there was a gale warning. But, all in all, I think he had an okay day anyway.
I spent some time talking alone with my son’s girlfriend. Her family life was not a lot different from mine. I think I was able to help her out as someone who understands and has been there.
Paul and I volunteered at a Christian center that helps families in need. They give out free diapers, kids clothing, and support families. We think this is a great way to help people. I’m grateful for the opportunity to volunteer there.
I’ve been dog sitting for my best friend all weekend. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help out and that it has taken away my desire to get a dog anytime soon. She will not leave my side and barks or whines when I leave her. She scratches on the door if I go in another room.
Friday night Paul and I went to dinner and a local community theater show with our old friends Harv and Kate. They are in their upper 80’s. It’s always nice to hang out with them.
Today is Father’s Day. I’m grateful that my husband and brother are wonderful fathers without having good role models. Today is a hard day for people who have difficult relationships with their dads, including me. I was unable to find my dad a card this year. They all had words such as there for me when I needed you, great example, wonderful person…you get the drill. So I suppose a phone call will suffice.
I’m grateful all our kids stopped by today for Father’s Day. Our daughters (and their significant others) surprised dad by going to church with us. This is the first time our kids visited our new church.
Wow, I have a long list this week. It’s amazing how grateful I am when I had to go without. There are so many things I take for granted…like running water. This has been a reminder to me of what I have.

Gratitude week 107

January 15, 2022 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

I’m not going to lie, it’s been a shitty week. I started the week out with COVID and ended the week by putting my dog to sleep. So…I think I’m good on my share of problems for awhile. Oh, if I could bet against my luck I would be most fortunate indeed. Anyway…

About the only good thing about having COVID is now I don’t have to worry about getting COVID.
I’m glad my kids were all able to say their final good-byes to our dog. They all gathered around our dog when the vet came out to put him down.
I’m grateful all my children are in good relationships and their significant others really helped them through the process.
The vet who came out to our house was kind and compassionate. She did everything she could to be gentle to ease our dog’s suffering and our own.
I’m grateful for the 14 years we got to spend loving our dog. I feel at such a loss, my kids lost their childhood pet and their childhood is over. It’s a strange feeling, the regret of not being able to go back. It’s over. It’s final. But it was good.
I’m grateful that Arabella’s boyfriend is going to be taking her pet frogs home to his house today. I have been taking care of them since she moved out and it will be nice to give them back to her.
I have an appointment to get my haircut today and just got my nails done for the trip.
I am getting excited to get away for a couple of days. I seriously think betting against myself would be a wise plan in Vegas. But I’m not much of a gambler.
I was FINALLY able to get a good night’s sleep last night.
It will be nice having high temps in the mid-60’s for a few days. Right now the wind chills are below zero.

Gratitude week 104

December 26, 2021 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

Christmas! Attending church Christmas morning with my husband. Then having the kids over for lunch. Getting and giving a lot of awesome gifts. Another meal followed by watching old family movies.
Cindy, although she has COVID, is doing really well and the rest of her family did not get sick so far.
Having a low key Christmas Eve since our plans got cancelled because of COVID.
A pajama day today.
I found out that a favorite local Pink Floyd tribute band will be having a concert in a couple of months. I bought tickets to see them with my kids. I also purchased tickets to see a comedian I like who will be visiting.
Looking forward to New Year’s Eve and the new year.
Planning a trip to Wisconsin Dells with the kids to the indoor waterpark as a Christmas gift. As a quality time person, I really like to give experiences as gifts.
We saw Arabella on FaceTime for Christmas which went really well.
The kids will be coming over tonight for Paul’s famous homemade pizza. It’s so nice when everyone is getting along plus his pizza is absolutely amazing.
Playing games with Paul, Alex, and his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.
The pets made it through another Christmas with us.
It’s been two years of having a weekly gratitude list. I’m really glad I started doing this because the last two years have been difficult and it’s important to remember the good that is happening as well.

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2021 / Outrunning my demons / 2 Comments

And the saga continues…

My best friend told me she has had a head cold since Wednesday. I’m sure you can tell where this story is going… Cindy tested positive for COVID today so we won’t be heading to her house for dinner and the Christmas Eve service.

We decided to just stay home and have Alex and his girlfriend over for supper and games. I feel bad for his girlfriend because she doesn’t have a very good home life. She didn’t go home for Thanksgiving and she won’t be going home for Christmas either so we are pretty much all she has.

Tomorrow morning Paul and I are going to church. We will have our kids and their significant others over for lunch and gifts with the exception of Arabella who is still in Kansas. Angel is spending the day today with Dan’s family.

Other than that, it is raining and really foggy outside. It probably wouldn’t be fun driving later tonight anyway. The snow that fell yesterday has been washed away so we won’t be having a white Christmas this year. That is okay. Sunday we are getting more snow.

Our dog has been hanging in there. I bought him some moist dog food so I have been having better luck convincing him to eat. He is on 5 different medications now. It looks like he has one last Christmas in him. We have been blessed with 14 years of having the most wonderful dog. Our cat is 15 with health issues so it will probably be his last Christmas too. Again, I am happy to have such wonderful pets and made the commitment to provide them with a good home for their whole lives. What more could a pet ask for??

I am disappointed that plans fell through for the night, but I am thankful Cindy is not really sick. I hope the rest of her family stays healthy.

Other than that, I wish you all a merry Christmas in whatever way you celebrate the holiday.