A Fitful Night...

After having a frustrating week dealing with car repairs, and receiving a letter with detailing how we are going to be financially screwed for the next year, it was topped when Sisko started having seizures yesterday.

I spent a lovely afternoon with my bestie, having coffee, browsing the craft store, and selecting teas to try before my birthday.  I was able to drop off my rental car and pick up my VW since there was apparently nothing wrong with it.  That's a story in itself, but who cares.  The car is fixed. 

When I arrived home, I let the dogs out of the bedroom, but Sisko did not greet me.  I had to call his name before he came out of his bed.  Not thinking anything of it, I sat on the couch and waited for hubby to get home.  Sisko sat at my feet and just started up at me for a long time.  I invited him up on the couch, but he wouldn't make the jump.  I picked him up and cuddled him close. 

Within moments, I felt him shaking beside me.  He was sitting, but his legs and back muscles were jerking in place.  He had a dazed look and couldn't focus on me.  On cue, hubby walked in the door.  I called him over and he dropped his papers and with one look, deemed Sisko needed a vet. 

His shaking did subside within a minute, and since money is slim, we decided to wait to take him to our vet tomorrow instead of paying extra for an emergency vet.  That plan was quickly thrown out when he had several more, smaller fits over the evening.  As well, I had let the boys out for their bedtime pee, and Sisko decided to fixate on the chicken pen, so I bent down to put my hand on his chest to move him away, but the mere touch of my hand made him yelp. 

So, off the the emergency vet we go.

The vet's opinion is its either epilepsy, poison, or a brain tumor.  I approved blood work and took home a few days worth of medication for epilepsy.  Once I get the blood work back, I will be continuing care at our regular vet.

This morning, Sisko seems to be feeling better, just tired and mopey.  No serious shaking, just a bit of head bobbing.  The concerning thing at this moment is he has yelp twice when I touched him and he won't jump up or take his paws off the ground.  Very odd behavior.

So that's my story.  I'm pretty tired and am eager for the call from the vet.

Hope everyone else is having a better day!  Its still a new year, plenty of time for things to change!

Snow Day...

As usual, stress has crept up on  me again.  A simple, benign day turned into a long sleepless night yesterday.  My stress level is so high, I'm eating pizza pops for breakfast.  Gross. 

So, to cope with my stress, I decided to go through my snow day photos from Sunday.

Sunday we had an unexpected, and surprisingly heavy, snowfall.  Freezing rain was expected later that day, so we took the dogs outside for an extended play session.  While outside, hubby came and stood beside me.  In between kicking the soccer ball for Jack, he says "Let's take pictures of Snow White."

I was so stoked.  I rounded up the dogs, grabbed my camera and a towel, and met Earl outside again as he gathered up Snow White from her hutch.  We kept it short, but it was a lot of fun.  She had such a great time hopping around the snow and nibbling the grass poking out from the crust of snow.  Within minutes, we dried her off and put her back to bed and next thing I knew, Earl had Scuttlebutt (my black buck) and was looking for a place to put him down.  I just laughed and snapped away with my camera.

Not long after we put Scuttlebutt back, the freezing rain started.  And so ends our winter.


Well, here are the photos that turned out!

Scuttlebutt was a bit stressed.  Not many good shots of him.

And that was out snow day.  I hope everyone else is having a great winter and hopefully having some fun snow days!

Happy New Year...

Happy New Year to all!  And Merry (belated) Christmas while I'm at it! 

Hope everyone had a great holiday with friends and loved ones.  I know I did.  Well, as much as I could manage while being a Grinch.  Holidays are just too much for me most times.  Too stimulating with so much visiting, noise, and stress.  I start off so positive, but as the stress and social engagements start to pile up, I get so overwhelmed I end up shutting down and becoming a hermit.  Its my only defense.  That being said, I do love seeing all my family and I love the spirit of Christmas.

Sorry, bit of a tangent there.   Back on point.  Happy New Year!

2014 was a tough one, one I would not like to repeat.  2015 is going to be my year.  I'm going to really focus on my goals.  I have so many.

1) Clean up my eating habits.
I am terrible for eating properly.  I feel this is due in part by me feeling sick all the time.  Who wants to make food when you feel like you've been hit by a truck or have a pounding headache for the third day in a row?  Not me!  Hence, I buy convenience foods, eat out, or just don't eat.  None of this is healthy.  This year, I'm going to focus more on prepping meals in advance and I feel that will help with a lot of my problems.  If I already have a meal ready to cook, what's my excuse for eating out? 

2) Write more.
I just love to write, but I never do it.  That's going to change.

3) Less TV, more books.
Says it all really.

I have several smaller goals that I will be working on as well, but these 3 are my main focus.  If I can dedicate even a fraction of my day on any of them, I will be a better person for it.

What about everyone else?  Who else has new goals for the new year?

This Moment...

Crafts, Crafts, Crafts!

I've written out my list, and I'm ready to get crafty! 

Both sides of my family do a Secret Santa and the names have been drawn!  I've spent a lot a time thinking of gift ideas for everyone and now that I know who I got for Secret Santa, I'm ready to get started.  This is an ambitious year and I plan on making all my gifts.  I hope I don't burn out by the middle of November and end up with a bunch of half finished projects. 

I'm not very good at picking out presents for people, especially under pressure, but I think I've got it this year.  I think I actually thought of some good ideas!  I will have to take some photos and put them up after the gifts are given.  I'm going to get my supplies on Friday and get cracking.  Very exciting.

The only snag in my plan is Hubby's birthday in a few weeks.  What on Earth can I make him before then.  Goodness.  Tough one there.

This Moment...

Happy Thanksgiving...

Today marks the Canadian Thanksgiving.  A day of turkey, pie, family, and more pie.  It also marks the first day of our holiday season.  Soon will be Halloween, our Remembrance Day to look back and give thanks to our veterans, Christmas, and New Years.  As well, the majority of my family has their birthday in the winter months.

Today, however, is a great reminder to look back on all we have and to be thankful.

As winter draws closer, the days get shorter, and the weather turns bitter, its good to have a day like Thanksgiving.  Traditionally a day to get together and share the year's harvest, its a day to be thankful for all that you have.  Winding down the year with remembering all I have to be thankful for this year is a great reminder. 

Anyone who knows me or my family knows that we have had a very difficult year.  It could even be considered the hardest 10 months we have ever experienced as a family.  I won't go into details since it is long and I would feel very much like I was having a pity party, but trust my word.  It has been because of these difficulties that I haven't upheld my personal goal to blog and write more, hence the absence here, but I plan on changing that.

With the tradition of giving thanks, I want to count the blessings among the storm of ill luck and bad days we have had.

I am deeply thankful for my husband.  Because of him I have been able to take this year off work and it has been such a blessing.  Not having to work meant I was able to spend more time with my family and with myself.  Because of my husband's support, I was able to learn a new hobby and have fallen in love with blacksmithing.  My husband is my greatest support, and my greatest love.  I can't imagine a better life then the one I share with him.

I am thankful to my dogs.  They are great motivators to be better.  It doesn't matter how I feel, they still need love and exercise and depend on me to give it to them.  No slacking!  However, Jack is a wonderful cuddle buddy when I am having a bad day and will sit quietly with me until Hubby comes home.  So thankful to have him nearby.

My family.  Where would a person be without their family?  This year has brought us closer for so many reasons, and I am so thankful for that.  I love my family and couldn't ask for a better set of people to share my life with.  I have watched my niece grow up and attend her first day of kindergarten and my nephew as he started walking in earnest, getting into all kinds of trouble!  I have seen both my sister and sister-in-law become amazing mothers in the same weekend!  Just before my birthday, both of these amazing women (and their husbands of course) welcomed their daughters into the world, and I couldn't ask for a better birthday gift then to be their Auntie.  My brother proposed to his amazing girlfriend of 5 years, much to the delight of us all.  We all knew they were meant for each other, so it was a delight when my brother made it official.  She is such a wonderful woman, and I'm so excited for them both.

And finally, my friends.  Where would I be without the understanding support of my friends?  From coffee dates to phone chats, my friends have been there for me and my family tremendously this year.  I'm sorry to all of those I have ditched last minute when something has come up, and I will make it up to you, but in the meantime, know that all of you mean everything to me.

Though I have much more to be thankful for, my family, friends, and dogs will always be my greatest blessings and this Thanksgiving leaves me with much to be thankful for and much to look forward to.  This Christmas will be the first for my nieces, and as my family keeps getting larger, my blessing do as well. 

I hope everyone has full bellies as they share this day, and many more, with great friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving.