Dumb, Dumb , And Dumber!

Original Oil Painting by Mr. D, who is a hobby artist.
Other Paintings by him can be found in Mario's blog

Hi,

I had something totally different planned for today's post, but I pulled a "Mary."   

Yesterday Mr. D and I went to the hospital again as I had an appointment in their Wound  Center every Tuesday.  (I have a wound on my ankle area that has been stubborn at healing.  Somewhere around Thanksgiving I hit the ankle on the corner of something (can't even remember what), treated it myself at home with Peroxide.   After about 3 weeks of it not healing, I kicked the same area again, breaking it open and deepening the wound.   Meanwhile I continued to go to my water exercise class thinking the heavy Chlorine would really clean it out.   It did, but still didn't heal (No I'm not diabetic).

Finally just before Christmas Mr. D suggested I go see the doctor.   He prescribed a salve and suggested I go downtown to the hospital and visit the Wound Center because they have "all kinds of special things that can be used to heal a wound like yours."

Once a week since right after Christmas I faithfully go to the Wound Center where the doctor measures the area, digs around in it, cleaning it out some, treats it with a piece of Pomogram (which looks like felt) and then a layer of Medihoney Gel over the top of that.   Of course it is wrapped and protected.   I continue the treatment at home every 3 days.  This is not serious, so don't worry about me.  It is healing nicely but ever so slowly.  I should have paid more attention to treating it and protecting it when I first injured it.   It does not pay to let things go too long, and I should know that but just didn't want to give in on something that seemed so stupid at the time. 

Anyway, there is a very unique display set up in the lobby of that hospital.   Mr. D went with me and was assigned the job of taking pictures of the unique object so I could post it in my blog yesterday.   When we came home in the afternoon, I downloaded the pictures, thought I saw them downloading, so deleted the pictures from the camera (usually I wait a couple of days to do that).   Well, guess what - the pictures never downloaded and I have already deleted them from the camera!  Dumb, Dumb, and Dumber!

We'll take pictures again next week when we're downtown so I'll have something nice to talk about next week - but it was very frustrating.

i've been reminded of two lessons: 1. Seek medical attention if something doesn't start healing in a few days.   2.  Don't delete pictures from the camera without actually looking at them, cropping, etc and saving where you want them stored.  Then delete.   We should all know to do those two things anyway - it's just common sense - "dumb, dumb, and dumber!"

Mary

P.S.  My heart goes out to all the people in the path of this latest storm - two in a row is simply not fair and both bad ones.   Hope everyone is safe.  I always worry about the many friends I have scattered across the US that I've become close to on Twitter. 

North To Alaska

Hi Friends,

That's it - we're moving to Alaska (don't I wish).   The current temperature in Anchorage is 36 degrees F - tomorrow will be 40F with rain!  They basically have no State Income Tax because of the vast oil reserves and drilling.  It's gorgeous in the summer and the air seems so much cleaner up there.   Besides, I like bears and antelope - they are better than bugs and snakes, in my viewpoint anyway. ha ha

The temperature indicated in the picture is tomorrow morning's predicted temperatures (schools already closed in a lot of areas for today and tomorrow - again).   At least my house is nice  and warm - some people don't have that luxury and my heart goes out to them.  

There is a desperate shortage of Propane Gas in our state.   Some of the winterized cottages (turned into year round homes) up north and mobile homes that use propane gas to heat with can't get any propane.   Several restaurants up in the north woods have closed because they can't get the propane to cook with.  Our Governor is working on the issue.  The price of Propane Gas in our state has skyrocketed from $1+ per gallon to $7+ per gallon.

Tomorrow we have a couple of appointments to run to.  I'm not  looking forward to driving out in it.  I always worry about the car breaking down, but it never has in all these years of driving in this kind of weather.

I know most of the US is in a deep freeze, so I'm really not complaining - much!  ha ha   I do know we need to fire Mother Nature!

Stay warm!

Mary

Confizzled!

Hi Friends,

I apologize for the poor picture, but it was taken through the Patio Door and in a hurry so the bird wouldn't fly away.  I had been trying to get his picture for a good two weeks now.

I think Mr. Robin is confizzled (confused) - there is about 30 inches of snow on the ground (even tho the patio looks clear).   He's been coming to eat from one of the pans of bird seed I have on the patio for our feathered friends. 

A robin in Wisconsin in January is NOT NORMAL.   It's not totally rare as every winter someone sees a Robin or two or three somewhere around here.   But as old as I am, I have never had one in my backyard at this time of the year -- March yes -- January no!   I think this manbird must have ignored Mrs. Robin when she said to take off and head South two months ago!  ha ha - they'll do it every time.   (Nothing personal Mario's Dad!)

We've had SNOW every day for the past week (except for today).   Mainly just enough to have to deal with it.    We are so thankful to have Mr. J taking care of our snow removal.   This past week he was here sometimes twice a day just trying to keep on top of it.   Now Monday we plunge into the deep freeze again.

Thanks for stopping by,

Mary

Old Mother Hens

Hi,

We've gone from one extreme to another with weather; from -20F to +29F in two days! Welcome to Wisconsin!

Presently sleet is falling from the sky. There are all kinds of warnings on TV about slippery roads, urging people not to go out if they don't have to. The ice and/or rain stretches from the southern border of Wisconsin midway up the state and is expected to change over to all rain tomorrow. Crazy! Three days ago we were hibernating because the night time wind chill factor was -50 and daytime temperatures were -10 with a -30 wind  chill..

Which leads me to the Mother Hen thing. Our daughter and son-in-law are 40ish and certainly not young children. But they are still our chicks, and I do worry about them when the weather is bad.  They both take major 4-lane highways to and from work and I knew they would be slippery! So tonight I just had to call them. SIL happened to answer his cell and was very good natured about it tonight, but I know some times when I call to check in, they get a little irritated and really don't understand why I do it. Guess I'm just a mother hen because I like to know that the chicks are safe.  They are all we have left!

Are you this way? Or, was your mother like this? I automatically called my mother after we moved north 140 miles and would return home after visiting for a weekend down there. She appreciated it and said she was getting kind of worried about us and was hoping we would call. It was especially important during the winter months when quite often we'd be driving back north on slippery roads.  Oh well - I'll keep calling the chicks, and they will continue to get a little irritated now and then when I do.   Such is life I guess!

I freely admit it - I'm a Mother Hen!

Until next time,

Mary

This 'N That

Dear Friends,

I couldn't resist posting this picture of Mario trying to catch the squirrel that is hanging on to the white edge of the patio screen door.   If you look close, you can make out the bottom half of the squirrel.    Talk about up close and personal!    The squirrel likes to tease Mario,  and Mario likes to tease the squirrel. 

It's FREEZING cold here - the likes of which we have not seen in about 30 years.  But I know much of the US is saying the same thing.   Cabin Fever is setting in!  Oh, we're digging out the swim suits tomorrow - the temp will go up to 30+ for Friday, Saturday and Sunday!  Woohoo - a heat wave (but don't get too excited - snow and/or freezing rain is forecasted for each of the three days so we'll be trading one thing for another.   I think I'd rather have the bitter cold than freezing rain and ice.

Our schools have been closed for 3 days now and will close again tomorrow.  It is simply too cold for the school buses.   The oil in the engines tends to jell when it gets extremely cold.  Now that's cold!

UPDATE on the post I did last regarding our Twitter friend @JessieJaney.  Some of you may have already seen Mario's post http://www.mariodacat.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-rest-of-story-and-emergency-contact.html.   Basically Jessie, the kitty, is living on a farm with a family member, but might go to live with uncle Hugh because she's not adjusting very well to farm life. Poor baby!  At least we know she's being cared for.

One of Janey's friends has started an Emergency Contact Form for Twitter and bloggers if they wish to join.   A copy of that is located in Mario's blog.  Just click on the tab at the top of his blog to get to the link.   I know the Animal Blolgosphere also has an Emergency Contact List, but if you are on Twitter and wish to join the one in Mario's blog, please feel free to add your name.   

Oh, I do have some HOT NEWS!   We have a Robin hanging out at our house. He/She comes to eat the bird seed that is sitting on the Patio step.   Every time I try to get a picture, he/she quickly moves away.  But, I kid you not, it's an honest to goodness, real, live Robin. Very unusual for our area in January, but not totally unheard of.   He apparently figured that flying south was not going to be that much better this winter, so why waste the effort.   he he - it takes a lot of energy to flap those wings all the way to a southern state.

Stay warm friends!

Mary

New Year Tribute to a Special Friend

Photo given to me by Jane for use in my blog on
January 12, 2012

Dear Friends,

My heart is heavy today, but I do not want this to be a sad post.   A very dear Twitter friend (the human of @JessieJaney) in Australia passed away suddenly on 12/26 after suffering with MS for a good 10 years.  I've shed many tears since hearing of it on Twitter last night.   We have had to say goodbye to countless animal friends on Twitter and those are very hard also, but this is my first experience with a human Twitter friend.   It was hard on so many of us, but we had each other to console and remember things about Janey on Twitter last night.

One of our other Twitter friends (also an Australian -  @PuppyNumber7) wrote a beautiful blog post this morning because his human knew Janey probably the best of all her Twitter friends.  It's a beautiful post - you can read it here:  
http://keelyandthomas.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/aun…/

Mario was friends with Janey's kittie (Jessie) on Twitter, so we chatted there quite often - well as often as one can when one part of the world is getting up and the other part going to bed.  Jane and I became close after I asked her if she'd like to be a guest writer on my Parkinson's Blog.   Both MS and PD are disabling diseases and are in the Movement Disorders Family.   She was shy at first with talking about her disease because she just wanted to have fun in our anipal community.   But  she really opened up to me as we had similar diseases and we emailed frequently.  

You can see her posts here:

http://shufflingalongwithparkinsonsdisease.blogspot.com/2012/01/ms-and-me-by-guest-writer-jane-human-to.html

http://shufflingalongwithparkinsonsdisease.blogspot.com/2012/01/part-2-ms-and-me-by-guest-writer-jane.html

Janey loved her country (Australia), she was proud of being an Aussie and she dearly loved her kitty Jessie     She was always upbeat, could always be counted on to say hello and inquire about how you were doing, and would skirt around the issue of how she was feeling at the moment.   She was a strong proponent of animal welfare and was very active in any of our parties on Twitter that were fund raisers to help an animal shelter!  She was an active member of #nipclub.    She always had a positive attitude on Twitter.   

Janey, you are so missed by all of our friends.   I know you are at peace now, won't have to suffer anymore and are free of the pain that plagued you.   I wish I would have had a chance to tell you how much I loved you as a friend. We don't say those things often enough and then it's too late.  You were one amazing person and a real inspiration to me and others that knew you.  I'll be watching for your bright star in the heavens tonight.   Good night dear friend! You lite up my world whenever we talked.

Comments have been disabled.  Instead, please leave them on @PuppyNumber7's blog at http://keelyandthomas.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/aun…/   I know his human is trying to reach Janey's brother and there are several comments there now.  Hopefully Hugh will be able to see those comments and know how much his sister was loved. 

Mary

P.S. - Happy New Year to all of you - we hope 2014 will be a year of happiness, good health, and peace!

Zoom - Where Did It Go!

Dear Friends,

I love Christmas and everything about it, but I hate the lonely afterglow!   

Our Christmas was great.  Daughter and SIL (son-in-law) arrived Christmas Eve in time for a leisurely dinner.    I had made lasagna, a marinated cold vegetable salad, fruit salad, and cookies and coffee for dessert.  We exchanged a few presents, sat around and talked, and were all in bed around 10:00.  The kids had worked much of the day before coming to our house and they were tired. Of course, us old folks are always tired.

Daughter and SIL had called a couple of days before they came and said not to buy anything for Christmas breakfast.  They were going to cook breakfast and would bring the food with them.   WHAT a GREAT TREAT!    SIL  cooked each of us a big vegetable omelet, accompanied by bagels, orange juice, and I still had fruit salad left over, so we had a little of that too.   I told them that was the best  Christmas present ever.

SIL's brother and wife had their first baby on 12/22/13, so our daughter and SIL wanted to go to the hospital to see the baby before going on to SIL's aunt's house for a big family gathering by 2:00 p.,m..   The brother lives about 145 miles from where we live with the aunt living between our two locations. It made sense for them to go Christmas morning, otherwise they'd have to make another special trip down south.  They left our house at 9:00 and took a few pictures so we could meet the new precious bundle of joy too.

Now I'm in the after Christmas humdrums.  My mother was from a big family (12 children) and the holidays always meant lots of activity - getting together with various family members during the week of Christmas.   I miss all those family gatherings at Christmas.   I try to keep busy and not let it get me down, but it sneaks up on me at times.  Hubby's family is spread out all over the place too.  So we never see family at Christmas.  The humdrums will pass in a couple of days.

Mother Nature is going to pull a good one on us starting around midnight tonight and into Sunday.   Freezing drizzle will start about midnight, followed by light snow flurries, followed by 4 days of extreme cold.   Monday will give us a day time high of -1 with a nighttime of -13.   Then we're going to warm up 1 whole degree each day until Wednesday.   Other than a trip to the grocery store, we won't be leaving the house.   I have a couple of errands to run this afternoon.  Guess one of those stops should be at the gas station and get the car filled up!!    It's no fun standing out there when the wind is howling and the temp is below zero.

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.

Mary