Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year Folks! Day what????

Just a little video of noise that many might find consistent with tonight's festivities decibel level... kidding or not!

Actually, I tried and tried for our newest arrival to talk him into dressing like Baby New Year, but he outright refused; and the snippet of his opinionated reaction to many things is not unlike his Mom's, new concepts are not always the best unless I/we are allowed to complain about them before acceptance takes hold, hmm?

Moving on...

This new year looks to be one of another mystery yet to be resolved, as all its predecessors. Weather has not been this past years' as newsworthy as ever before, since the last few horrific hurricane seasons up north and out west and around the world...But oddly enough not here in Florida, we have had ten good years and with that said insurance companies are realizing that with that they are required to lower their rates, YAY, HOORAY, ETC., ETC., ETC.!

Murders have been way too prevalent this year worldwide and way too close to home nearby.
Wars, who needs any damn wars abroad, we have them right here, (thankfully not here per se, but closer to home than we like) in all our river cities, how truly sad!

The only good things here in the United States of America that are nothing to sneeze at in the home that I love is that unemployment is way down, as well as gas prices,  but the stock market has gone way up, and so has the housing market hip, hip, hooray...!
People of fame died all year long as well as people we know and love as well as pets, so sadness hits very close to most all homes yearly...

So as much as we realized our dreams during the year or not if you are reading this you have a second or 100th chance next year to redeem that possibility, and do as you wish or want or try but not too hard if it makes you unhappy, and Happy was my favorite song of this year and second was Let it Go so do that if you feel you should!

In closing of this year, I would like to thank all of my dear readership for putting up with me and my oddities and wish sincerely that you continue to read or follow or however you find me on the net... and I will thank you as often as I remember to...

Also remember to have a designated driver if you drink alcohol, if not call Triple A, they have a free service nationally, a tow and go or some such thing...

On that note for so much hope of joy pushing into this new year, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

This is becoming "Gus Tales"! Or is that tails?

I seem to still have issues with that tense as well as many others...












On that note of what ya think, please allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!


Monday, December 29, 2014

When you're a pup with a new home... what a difference a day or two makes!

Four legged children not unlike two legged ones are usually fairly quick to adapt to new situations if given half a chance, which almost was Gus's new name, since we considered something that meant he was getting, second chance, but we nixed it. Nothing was able to be found for a consolidated name that meant that that we could find, and Chance sounded well chancy, if you get my drift... .I don't know if it will last but you know that behavior problem with barking and growling when we were preparing food or eating has disappeared. We were told he was to be fed only a cup and a third of his food a day, but he would suck it up in seconds and still be so hungry and so I did feed him more than that, and yes it was according to his weight, but as you can see he is too thin, so we fed him a cup for breakfast today, and one for lunch and another for dinner, all sucked up in immediacy, but with much finer temperament. With our past dogs and cats we left food out all of the time since we use dry and would refill accordingly and not one was overweight by any vets standards, all just right!
But we never had any that ate like Gus vacuuming it up so quickly either.
Today was an experiment, and if we watch his weight he should do fine, anyway we will be calling the vets office tomorrow to see if they have any ideas. He has stopped that bad behavior and even though he vacuums his up nearly before it hits the floor, when Hubby and I sat down to eat he was wonderful and just sat or lied down. Even while preparing dinner, ours, he was terrific and just lied down in the kitchen too, watching with his sweet face being fine with preparations, odd, but great! No more barking or growling and Hubby put the container with the pond fish food up out of his reach in the garage; amazingling he had gotten that lid off! It was one of the old plastic tall cat litter containers. He has abilities, we have yet to discover and every day is a new adventure...loving it!
As you can see he has learned to mug the camera now that Mom, me who took the manual focus and put it back on auto, dummy me!
Now we can see that adorable punim!
We took him in to get his nails clipped at Petsmart today, he was hooked up on the table and every time he was turned around to see himself in the mirror he was infatuated, very much in love with his refection, little narcissus guy, smiling and wagging his tail. Men!


Any-who you all can see how he has gotten himself used to his new digs as if he has been here forever and so he shall and that monkey toy was the one that was given to him by the adoption group; how cute is that?
Someone at the Cultural Center makes larger ones for children and I always wanted one, but never had a grandchild to get one for and it seemed silly to get one just for myself, and this little guy came with one, how about that?!

Moving on...
Today we took Gus to my rehab/gym, actually Hubby stayed outside with him, but half the people there saw them outside and went out there to play with Gus and he was loving. All came in with BIG smiles on their faces since he won their hearts too...Winner, winner! YAY!

On that note of hope does win, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square!

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Day two with our new family member, Gus.



I had forgotten to tell all of you a little about what we were told about Gaston’s previous life; he was somewhat of a street urchin in his vagabond days prior to being caught by animal control.

First of all he is not local, he is from Collier County, where Naples and Marco Island are, and they could not find a microchip on him so he was micro-chipped while there, and shaved due to severe matting so bad his left eye could not be seen, and at first they foolishly thought he was a six year old, which the veterinarian in Arcadia in Desoto County later determined to be false, according to his teeth and other markers of how they tell such things…they dated his birth date as June 4, 2013!

Gaston was determined to be mostly Havanese with some Shih Tzu in him, which are two very nice combos in the doggie world.

Both are non-allergic and non-shedders much like Bichon Frise.

In fact if you would like to know where Havanese originated from it would be Havana Cuba, and mainly the information has the:
"The Havanese, a breed of Bichon type, is the national dog of Cuba, developed from the now extinct Blanquito de la Habana ("little white dog of Havana"). The Blanquito descended from the also now extinct Bichon Tenerife. It is believed that the Blanquito was eventually cross-bred with other Bichon types, including the Poodle, to create what is now known as the Havanese. Sometimes referred to as "Havana Silk Dogs", this was originally another name for the Blanquito de la Habana.
The Havanese is small in size and sturdy in structure with a tail carried over its back and ears that drop and fold. The coat is abundant, long, and silky and comes in all colors.[3] The Havanese has a spirited personality and a curious disposition, and is notable for its springy gait, a characteristic that distinguishes the breed from all others.[4] The Havanese is considered an ideal family pet and a true companion dog.[3] They are highly adaptable to almost any environment. Because of their strong social needs, Havanese will not thrive in an environment where they are isolated for several hours each day.”
Thanks to:




He has a couple of medical and behavior issues.

In Arcadia they did neuter him.

And so he is on antibiotics from that surgery and also since they said he has a mild urinary tract infection.



The behavior issues are common in puppies but he must be what that show called “arrested development” only in some areas with mouthing trying to teethe on you and so we have his soft toys and Nylabones with us when he sits on our laps.

The other issue that is a bit frightening is that whenever we are eating or preparing food he barks and growls at us.

Hubby took him into the garage to prepare one of our containers to accept the large quantity of milk bones we bought today at Pet Supermarket when we went to also attain the Purina Pro Plan food they had him on and new bowls etc. He removed the lid from the pond fish food and began to eat, and when Hubby tried to stop him he became vicious and tried to bite him and so Hubby took the broom and put it in between him and the fish food and pushed him away gently… we both feel he had it very rough on the streets and no one knows what he might have been through, really…so we need to understand that and be patient with him.

He is constantly hungry and goes both ways quite often, and has had only two indoor accidents; both not a big issue since our home is most all ceramic tile and easy to clean.

Other than that he slept in bed with us all last night and cuddled lovingly, and we did take him to the History Park for the Farmer’s Market today after we all had been to Pet Supermarket together he was fine in there and greeted all other dogs in there and people, as well at the park.

He is friendly to everyone, so this food thingy appears to be an aberration that we have to contend with at this time and perhaps someone can tell us how to try to help him realize that we will make sure he has food. Maybe after a few weeks he will not feel concerned about where his next meal is coming from?

He was de-wormed too at the vets and had gotten all his necessary shots including rabies and he is good until next year for those and tested for heartworms, which was negative and started on preventative medication and we were given that for a few months but we still have eight months left of Skipper’s.

They have the separate monthly flea meds too; Skipper’s heartworm medication has that included.

Once finished with his anti-biotic he will be seen again by the Arcadia doc for free to make sure that he is okay!

We have been given a number to call for any questions.

And the woman who arranged the adoption will be stopping by this week with coupons for food and other necessities… They sure know how to take care of their adoptees this Canine Castaways. Org.



His behavior in the garage was so over the top and so unlike him in all other ways, we have to figure out how to help him.







As you can see he is now less crazy and more laid back; I think it is because we pooped him out with his walking around at the Farmer’s Market and so we nixed going to Fishville too, besides there were no handicap parking spots for us and yes we did look, but it's Sunday.


On the plus side he has learned to come to his new name GUS!

And he perks up for TV shows and seems to be watching and loves music in the car rides while crated. And he can play fetch with the tennis ball. So I suppose “arrested development” is a bit too harsh as a DX, since he is quite smart, it only appears he has gaps in his socialization, not with people or children or other dogs just the food thingy and that we will have to find a way to change that into a more positive way; I hope so anyway…crossing my fingers.



On that note of my usual desire for hope allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask all of you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know who and we will too!



And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Sorry sooooooooooo late

But we had to go and pick up our newest member of the family... are you ready?
Gaston no more, due to after some research we found out that Gaston in German means stranger and he is a stranger no more!

He is our GUS!

More tomorrow...of the new tails/tales of Gus!

Friday, December 26, 2014

Sarasota Florida's St. Armand Circle!

Today we went for a ride with a specific destination in mind.
So we put the info into the Garmin GPS in our new ride Connie our 2015 Dodge Caravan in Cashmere (color, I jest you not), since it had been years since we had been to this particular place, exit 210 on I-75. In my never ending search to find HAPPY we succeed often!































Try it you may like it! Only less than fifty miles from our home...

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Happy Christmas!




“The alternative "Happy Christmas" gained wide usage in the late 19th century, and is still common in the United Kingdom and Ireland. One reason may be the alternative meaning, still current there, of "merry" as "tipsy" or "drunk". Queen Elizabeth II is said to prefer "Happy Christmas" for this reason[3]. In American poet Clement Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (1823), the final line, originally written as "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night", has been changed in many editions to "Merry Christmas to all", perhaps indicating the relative popularity of the phrases in the United States.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_Greetings#Merry.2FHappy_Christmas




Is it only me or you too that wondered why some say Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas? Now we all know, hmm?



Between opening presents and eating all that food and watching all those football games I bet you are all tuckered out?

No?



Well. I am just thinking about what most have been through…

Ours was just Hubby and me, since we have no grands and our sons had other plans and my rest of my immediate family is dead, and Hubby’s is far, far away…so although quiet, not fraught without stress or the loneliness. All our neighbors had family and or pets or both visiting today, and yes it is hard and I do try to keep my green eyed monster at bay…but it’s difficult.

STOP IT!



We had no additional expense, since our only son that speaks to us and is loving to us did not request anything and was away on a cruise with his gal pal and they did not want anything sent to the house…and we will not be seeing him until next year! Sounds silly when I say it that way, hmm?



My heart breaks though with sadly still missing the old days with twenty-plus strong and all the alive and lively family and the occasional friends…visiting on the holidays…People need people!


“People,
People who need people,
Are the luckiest people in the world
We're children, needing other children
And yet letting a grown-up pride
Hide all the need inside
Acting more like children than children
Lovers are very special people
They're the luckiest people in the world
With one person one very special person

A feeling deep in your soul
Says you were half now you're whole
No more hunger and thirst
But first be a person who needs people
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world
With one person one very special person

No more hunger and thirst
But first be a person who needs people
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world”

Songwriters
MERRILL, BOB/STYNE, JULE

Published by
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.





So count those blessings and never ever discount them for they are so important to you and all the ones you love and care about…like that, (I snapped my fingers again) they could be gone for so many different reasons one never can name all…so realize those annoying family and even some friends of that way too who are of your choosing, not family but friends, as we all know we cannot choose our family, but they are ours just the same… so forgive them for their quirkiness and odd behavior and they might forgive yours too…

Oh I don’t know, all I know is that I long for the old days when we were one of those plentiful with extended family and friends all around for every occasion and then none…and that quiet too is deafening…!



That song is so right…some do not feel that need, but I do.

I suppose a lot of men don’t, at least it seems that way to me at times.



Oh I don’t know what I have learned at this point in my life except that life is too short so you should think before you talk and love as many family and friends as your arms can hug in a life time and die without any regrets, like my dad did, he said, and us too hopefully!

And happiness is where you make it and so that is what I will be doing, make it wherever we can...








My two all time favorite songs above that make you feel totally different when you need to have that feeling realized.



That’s all.



Oh and I hope that all of you had a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Or MERRY if you prefer, but go easy on that MERRY!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Ah... Christmas Eve in Florida!



The day started out at a balmy seventy-one degrees Fahrenheit, ahhhhhhh Christmas in Florida …slowly that morning temperature rose to a not too uncomfortable eighty-one…Ahhh Christmas in Florida.

But to be fair the sky all day has the appearance of a storm coming in, but not a snow one a rain one, since it has never ever snowed here that I am aware of, i.e. here in South West Florida, yes up north of here within this state we have had frost and I do believe I once heard them say it flurried!



Sure with the sky so white, with clouds, the feeling was of this wintry holiday for sure it was, but more importantly our temperatures will be plummeting to a frosty seventy-four in the morrow! Oh Yeah tomorrow will be the day!



On that note I will now leave you all to a quote of ancient significance that gives thrills to the teeniest of tots…



IT T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!






“'Twas the Night Before Christmas
or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas
by
Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828)
(previously believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore)



'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!" “



Below is an interesting musical version of the famous poem above, give it a listen, and most of all enjoy it! And to all a Merry/ Happy Christmas and a wonderful night!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Speaking my mind at times is...



…a challenge.
These days because my mind comes and goes at will.
I know.
Sadly, as my body appears to be getting stronger with my weekly exercising and walking, walking, walking whenever we go out, my mind has sadly staccato via word issues and names to remember after just being told two seconds before, scary. It is supposed also a symptom of my age as well as Multiple Sclerosis, so I am sunk.
I even asked Hubby if any of my doctors mentioned I might have the beginnings of Alzheimer’s, my mother’s sister had had it, my aunt, and he said no, I think.
Ha, I actually do not recall, how odd and not at all funny.

Any-who, while I sit here nightly and really do not know most nights what I will be writing when we have not gone anywhere like today…ideas do enter this noggin of mine just like that, which at times amazes me, in case you were wondering I snapped my fingers and that is what “just like that” was, metaphorically, is there such a thing?

Anyway, I so enjoy doing this and it is the one thing other than Hubby and our sons that I have continued to be interested in for all these going on seven years next June live and be well…where did that come from?
My parents’ generation used to say that.

Oh, before I forget again I want to let all of you out there know that this year my experience with my mail-order pharmacy Prime Therapeutics LLC was a very pleasant non-stressful one. They are concise and efficient as well as Caremark and CVS Specialty that are all a part of my pharmaceutical needs contractors, they were great and thanks to all of them!

They are all with Florida Blue, and I will not start on them… but you all know how I feel about them…Florida makes me Blue Insurance Company.

Moving on…

My body is getting weaker in some ways and stronger in others.
My arms although are depended upon the help me move along with my walker just that thing alone has caused shoulder and hand pain, as well as significant weakness in my hands.
And today I was making some headway on that third book borrowed from the library and not only did I almost drop it a few times, lefty (my reading eye) started to get blurry and that hasn’t happened in quite some time…disheartening…

So as like you I try hard to live life and not be too much of a pain in the tushy to my loved ones these days; let’s face it I do have continuing health issues that flair up in not such a good style and require attention and we all know its not going to go away and might change for the worse much worse, of how I would prefer to be, ya know?
Now I will STOP IT!

And think happy thoughts… and end with my favorite song that I have driven many crazy with all year long?


My best medicine!

Monday, December 22, 2014

What we need for a smooth working world...



Rules of the road for our world to work cohesively together forever:



1.    LOVE shall be for everyone, note: not the sex part, the emotional caring part, got it? Sex is for two consenting adults that know that’s what they want when not too tired or involved with someone else in their recent vicinity, although look at number 3 rule.

2.    Understanding to all things not understood previously, take a class if necessary.

3.    Acceptance of all people, except the ones who might harm you, ask them kindly to take a class on kindness…

4.    Fear no more anything different except of heights, flying, animals that have large teeth that growl and ones that give you a dirty look, etc.

5.    Forgiveness shall be rampant and forgetfulness as well shall be for any and all untoward deeds.

6.    Be willing to change from negativity to positivity and back and forth once again if you so desire, who has the right to tell you what to do, really?

7.    Get help for people suffering; no one should be allowed to be miserable when you try to talk to them, so tell them to just STOP IT! It should work.

8.    Feed the starving from the obese people’s tables

9.     The poor shall be hired by all the billionaires to help count their money and be paid accordingly from the interest collected hourly, or from state and federal representatives and also add them in as their dependents on their health insurance polices! No more need for Obamacare!

10.           Thou shall not hate anyone, including ugly, fat, infirm, disabled, in-laws, same sex couples, or any people of a color that you cannot resign yourself too like due to your own narrow-mindedness and or irritating people that do not think like you do i.e. religious or political views, sexual preferences, medicinal choices, you get the idea…be kind rewind your mind!



Now go out and make it a better world instead of singing how we should, oh wait, sing it too!

It’s all good.

Click on this hot link and enjoy what I really am trying to say, BEHAVE WORLD!






Respectively submitted tonight with tongue planted firmly in my cheek by... or maybe not so much,

TWK

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go? :   My eyesight is going again... in case you missed it... Netanyahu snaps back against growing...