Last Saturday morning I got up early to work in the yard.  The weather has been so hot that I thought I would start early.  I enjoy the back yard so much better after it’s been mowing and weeded.  Husband doesn’t always pay enough attention to it since no one but us see it.  So I get up early and start to head outside and husband says I should mow yet because there is an ordinance against mowing before 8.  Of course I believe him (he was lying) but I look online and found no such ordinance and go out anyways.

When I get outside I start to thinking how it’s saturday morning and maybe people sleep later (people without 3 year olds) and maybe I’ll do some other things before I start up the mower.  Our Pampas grass was looking terrible and had been taken over with Poison Ivy.  I had sprayed some of the Poison Ivy a week ago but was afraid I’d kill the Pampas.  I get the hedge clippers (the big one for cutting bigger limbs and it has a longer handle) and start pulling out the poison ivy.  I’m very careful not to touch it but of course I’m walking all over the fallen leaves and at one point pulled out a root that I thought was the pampas but it wasn’t.  No worries I’ll wash my hands and arms really well when I get inside.  Later I mowed and transplanted some plants then went inside washed my hands then took a shower.

The next day little boy decides to unload the garden cart which was full of poison ivy vines.  Husband brings him in immediately and washes him up and thankfully so far he has not had any reaction.  Me on the other hand….

My inner elbow started itching a little but I thought maybe just a bug bite.  Then Monday I was sitting in a meeting and I felt some bumps up behind my ear and on my neck.  I’m thinking spider bite since I’d been bitten recently.  But it starts to spread and burn.  Still thinking spider I came close to going to the doctor but decided to look online when someone suggested it might be poison ivy…..my wounds didn’t look so much like the pictures I saw on line until I noticed a spot on my wrist….yep poison ivy.

The worse part is it’s mostly on my left ear and behind it as well as the right side of my neck.  My left ear lobe is larger than my right and is red and has big bumps on it….it burns like sun burn!  I’m miserable and my husband just laughs at me because I should have know better than to get out there in that stuff…knowing it was there.

I bought some Sarna cream which helped some.  Tried the baking soda and water thing….not really helping but then I read about putting GermX on it.  That actually helped and I was able to go to sleep last night but then my inner elbow started to itch again this morning.  The ear still burns and is still swollen…I just look gross.  I couldn’t go to work looking like this and whining like this so I stayed home.  I was going to post a picture but it was just too gross.

That poison ivy is still out there in that garden cart….I ain’t touching it again!

I have not posted lately because we’ve had a bit of sad news in our family.  After several months of battling lung cancer, my Mother-in-law passed away on the 14th of this month. Evidently she developed a clot in her leg that moved up into her lung and there was nothing that could be done then.  My husband is still beating himself up and wondering what could have been done.  My poor Mother-in-law died thinking most of her children had abandoned her.  She actually told two of them that my husband was the only one that took care of her.  That just makes me sad and I promised my own mother that I would never treat her the way my MIL was treated.

The graveside service was last friday but even before the funeral, my sister in law who never went over there (or rarely anyways) to check on her mother has spent more time over there taking what she wants than when her mother was alive.  I told my husband that things seem to be disappearing from his mother’s house.  I just can’t believe how some people are when it comes to a loved one passing away.

I sometimes fear the same thing will happen when my grandmother passes or my own mom.  People will be more worried about what they get than actually grieving the loss.  It’s just sad….

None of the siblings offered up any money to handle the burial expenses either and the decision was made to do a cremation.  Only after it was too late did any of them speak up and say she was uncomfortable with cremation but said to go ahead and do that.  My husband called but the cremation had already been performed.  It will be interesting to see if anyone offers to help pay and what happens to the money they make selling off her possessions and donations made. 

It’s just sad how true colors come out in time of crisis.  I know one thing I’ve learned from this….we need to make our arrangements now and not leave anything to chance.

It’s tough getting older and not being able to stay out late like you use to.  I can remember staying out till 2 am and still being able to get up and go to work the next morning.  Times sure have changed, especially if you are not use to it.

Date night went fine.  Little boy cried when we left and ran up to his bed (he’s never done that) but my niece said that didn’t last very long and he was ready to play shortly after that.  About the only problem she had was that she had to clean up spilled soda that he’d knocked over with his Batman cape (because yes he had to change into his Batman costume).  She said he even changed his own underwear when it was time to go to bed and went to bed very willingly.

The Melting Pot was great.  It was very expensive especially when you add in some Love Martini’s and some Margarita’s.  Bad thing was it took 2 1/2 hours to eat it since it was a four course meal.  We missed the movie time we were shooting for which left us with nothing really to do.  Husband wanted to go to a bar but I was like…why?  I have totally lost interest in going to a bar unless there is a big group going or at least another couple.  The next movie showing at any theater was over an hour away so we decided to just stop by the house and check on everything then go back out and catch the movie.  We got home.  Everything was fine.  Ally was piled up on our bed watching Ironman. 

Do you think we got back out and went to the movie?  Nope.  How sad.  Here we had an all night babysitter and we were home by 9:30!  LOL  Husband decided he didn’t want to get back out at 10:30 to go see a movie.  I mentioned to my niece did she want to go see it with me then decided two gals didn’t need to be out by thereselves that late by ourselves and we finished watching Ironman then went to bed.

My niece is still in town this weekend so I mentioned to my sister that if she wanted to she could baby sit again and this time we’d plan our evening  a little better.  Not sure yet if she will but husband has already been planning were he wants to go eat….We’ll see.  Hopefully this time I’ll get to see a movie.

Since daycare doesn’t do date night anymore, my mother-in-law has been sick, and my mom lives so far away and is not comfortable with little boy spending the night because she doesn’t see well, we haven’t really had a night to ourselves since last summer. I truly don’t trust very many people with my son.  I’m a little overly protective.  This summer my niece and nephew from the lower part of the state are up here visiting and I had this bright idea that my niece could babysit and spend the night. She just turned 14. Everyone agreed (not sure how much it’s going to cost me) and I go pick her up from my mom’s later this afternoon. Husband is taking me to the Melting Pot which is a fondue restaurant. Naturally a place with open flames would not be good place to take a little boy so we have not gotten to go there since it opened.  Husband and I really need a night out and I’m really looking forward to it.

Now little boy doesn’t know his cousin very well because we only see them a couple of times a year and he sometimes starts off shy with strangers but I’m hoping he’ll adjust and not be upset that we’ve left him.  My niece has never babysat before either but I think as long as they watch movies and she’ll play with him some it will be fine.  I guess we’ll see?

When I went to San Antonio last week for our annual conference, I wanted to bring little boy back something from that area. I remember last time I was there I brought my nephew back a coon skin cap like Davy Crockett so I thought since little boy likes hats that maybe he’d get a kick out of it. No such luck. He was more excited about the Buzz Lightyear and Woody soft sculpture dolls I bought at the Disney store.

But at least someone liked the cap.

My first night home, Bubba must have gone into little boy’s room and hunted him a racoon. He then brought it to my bed where he proceeded to attack it further then threw it in the floor where he lay next to it….daring it to move. Dixie got in on the act as well. Imagine my surprise to wake up in the dark and see something large and hairy looking in my bed being killed by my silly cats.

It’s a terrible feeling when the scrapbook pages you worked so hard on and SOMEONE SEEMED to enjoy looking at them are suddenly de-constructed because SOMEONE liked the stickers…..

This is what I found laying in the floor of my craft room one afternoon. Little boy and I were sitting out front when husband came home from work and he asked if I’d been upstairs to my craft room yet…..Now I know why! Little boy had been looking at my album that morning and evidently he decided he wanted those batman and spiderman stickers….so he took the pages apart. Luckily nothing was torn and I SHOULD be able to put them back together.

After stressing over it and putting it off I finally broke down and took off work early Thursday and took Rusty to the vet.  Since husband refused to help me I decided on calling the vet near my house.  If I had to I could even walk there since last time I tried to get Rusty near the car he stopped dead in his tracks and would not move.  I went to Petsmart and bought a new harness and leash and then let the dogs out of their pen and let them run around a bit before I attempted to put the harness on.

Rusty was quite willing to walk on the leash but as usual he resisted walking towards the car.  This trip I decided to put a sheet on the passenger seat and let him ride there.  Once he got in he was fine.  It was a very short ride and he was fine getting out and walking into the vet.  There are always curious smells as you walk to the door so he gladly checked those out and was very calm.

We got called back right away and I hate to admit it buy he weights 39.9 lbs….yikes what a fat beagle!  The assistant tried to take his temp but he was so sore “back there” she wasn’t able to.  The itching had gotten so bad he was very irritated “back there”, on his sides, and on the top side of his tail.  Although I had treated him recently with Frontline, we noticed he still had fleas and the diagnosis was he’s allergic to fleas.  I asked about the Thyroid and the doctor felt sure it was a flea allergy.  I was surprised he didn’t make a comment about his weight or his bad breath but he’s probably saving those comments for next time.

The vet recommended a fairly new product called Comfortis which is a tablet the dog swallows and when the flea bites it dies.  He also gave me some antibiotics and a steroid tablet for the itching.  He said it could take about three days to see relief from the itching but the flea stuff should work in about two hours.    I could afford to get the Comfortis for all the dogs since they would require a different weight dosage (at $74 bucks for a six month supply) so I will try treating them again with Frontline and see if that helps.  I really didn’t think there was a big flea problem but I guess when you are allergic, it only takes one.

Rusty willingly got back into the car and we drove home.  The bad part is, I’m going out of town on Sunday and it will be up to husband to give Rusty his meds.  The steroid should be given twice a day for 7 days then once a day for 7days plus there antibiotic is given twice a day.  I may have to call everyday and remind husband to do this plus right everything down.  I hate that waited so close to my trip to finally take him to the vet but I assumed he’d give him a shot.  The vet said because he needed such a high dose, a shot might mess with his adrenal glades and that’s bad.  I guess the doctor knows best. 

I just hope by tomorrow Rusty finds some relief from the itching at least.

It’s my fault he didn’t win Dancing with the Stars.   I didn’t get a chance to get on the computer Monday night to vote and he lost by less than 1% in the voting….It’s all my fault.  He was the best dancer on the show…..

I have been having trouble falling asleep lately so last night I took one Tylenol PM (Target version) and fell alseep pretty fast.  I really needed some sleep so I was glad.  But it’s funny the things that go through your mind and your dreams and how they probably relate back to what’s going on in your life.  I guess I’m more stressed than I thought.

I remember some of the things I dreamed.  One of them was that me and my mom were in an Antique store and I was making a decision on buying some old dishes.  As we were at the register I looked out the big picture window and it was as if we were in this small grocery store we used to go to at our old house.  There was a lot of traffic and then I see these dogs running around and towards the road.  At one point I was outside and tried to call one of them to get out of the street.  he came to me briefly and instead of a collar he had a watch around his neck.  He then ran away.  Next I’m back inside and I see where two of the dogs have been hit and people are around them trying to help them as two more dogs continue to run in the street.  I can remember a sense of helplessness.

 - In real life I’m having troubles with my dogs.  My beagle has a bad skin allergy which I can’t seem to get well and now the dogs are tearing stuff up to get out of the dog fence.  I am feeling helpless.  I’m very frustrated with everything to do with those dogs right now

- When my mom and I went out of town a couple of weeks ago I accepted a box of old dishes from my aunt.  They were her first dishes and were over 50 years old.  Neither one of her children wanted them and I felt bad.  (I’m the sentimental one) but the decision to take them was a hard one.

I know exactly what lead to this next dream.  I have a trip coming up and on certain days I have to report to the lunches or the banquet about an hour before everyone else for some type of practice.  This next dream was that I overslept past the time I was suppose to be there and here I was trying to get ready in a matter of minutes.  Very stressful dream……….

That will teach me to try and change my sleep patterns…:-)

I think I am getting tired of this rain.  Don’t get me wrong…rain is good but everyday?  And the worst part is that we had a 90% chance of rain today and it didn’t start till around 5pm….I had planned my day around it raining all day.  When it only rains for part of the day…in the summer…it just makes it more hot and more humid!  Thankfully this rain is bringing in a cold front so the weather won’t be so bad tomorrow and the rest of the week.  I just don’t like to sweat if I don’t have to.  The evening right now seems pretty ncie though.  I was sitting outside trying to hear a concert that’s playing over at the arsenal.  It’s Sugarland and I would have loved to have gone.  I’m sure it’s a good concert despite the fact those people are standing in the rain.  It’s funny that we can hear it at our house because it’s pretty far away I think.

Tomorrow I guess I’ll be in the back yard mowing and fixing the lattice work under our screen porch.  Rusty decided to chew a big enough hole for him and the other dogs to get through and get into the big part of the yard.  I discovered this yesterday when I stopped by the house at lunch to make sure Charlie, my small dog ddn’t have his his stuck between the gate and fence again….nope not stuck….roaming free in the part of the yard he’s not suppose to be in.  Rusty has just decided he doesn’t want in the dog yard.  Not sure if it’s because he is miserable or what.  He has a bad allergy or skin problem and I keep forgetting to call the mobile vet during their business hours.  I made myself a note to call Monday so hopefully I can get him some relief before I go out of town.

Speaking of going out of town, my trip to San Antonio is about wa week away.  I’m really excited about going although I will miss my boys.  Hopefully this will be my last trip away from them for a little while anyways.  The girls are planning a pilgrammage to Tunica in the Fall but that’s several months away.

I’m pretty much ready for the trip.  I got a new dress to wear to the Banquet and new shoes that I THINK I can walk in all evening. This trip is turning out to be pretty expensive already but it’s a special occasion so why not spend a little extra.  I can’t decide if I need to get a new suitcase before I go.  I have a very large suitcase but it’s super heavy and the fact that we have three people and luggage in one rental car….let’s just say there won’t be much room.  Thankfully out fourth person arrives at a different time so we don’t have to woryy about her luggage the first day…now going home might be a different matter.  We are staying until the afternoon that Saturday so we don’t have to rush to the airport at the crack of dawn.  I’d rather come home sooner but I have to do what my ride does because I won’t take a taxi….plus it gives me more time to eat Mexican food….I’m so looking forward to some Mexican food.