Information requested but not available apparently

This afternoon I requested more complete information about a toxic frog issue locally that was making animals ill and in some cases even killing them, dogs mostly.
So I asked two news anchors on the station that provided the initial report but not a defined location, since they said it was in Port Charlotte but we are a rather vast area, with inland woodsy type areas east of the main highway I75, as well as where we live waterfront that is on the west side.
Flora and faunas can be quite different here as anywhere I am more than sure.
We do not have coyotes or bears along our shores, inland yes, but an occasional alligator here who do prefer fresh water more so than our salt or combo brackish water in some locations. I have only seen two in all the seventeen years we have been in this particular home, and it is our third home in this state alone, and we always lived by water, salt, not fresh, and those two were the only ones in nearly thirty years I have seen here in the wild, nature. Still I have not seen any bears or coyotes, sure an occasional racoon, a couple of otters, and too many to count waterfowl, mostly ducks, herons, ibis and the like, and hawks, osprey and eagles, and many opossums that seem to enjoy our yard along with one squirrel who eats our avocados.
So we do have animals and a few times Cuban tree frogs, also toxic to pets.

But this Bufo frog:


 
"Reproduction: The giant toad breeds year-round in standing water, streams, canals and ditches.
CAUTION: When this non-native species is threatened or handled, it secretes a highly toxic milky substance from its large parotoid glands at the back of its head, behind the ears. This secretion can burn your eyes, may irritate your skin, and can kill cats and dogs if they ingest the secretion.
Symptoms of Giant Toad poisoning in pets include drooling, head-shaking, crying, loss of coordination, and, in more serious cases, convulsions. The dog's (or cat's) gums often turn red, an indicator used by veterinarians to distinguish toad poisoning from epilepsy. For this reason, pet owners should be familiar with their pet's normal gum color. Treatment: If you suspect toad poisoning, get a hose and run water in the side of the dog's/cat's mouth, pointing the animal's head downward so water isn't swallowed. Rub the gums and mouth to remove the toxin. This treatment is usually successful, but call your veterinarian immediately."

For more information about the giant toad, please see the publication entitled "Florida Invader: Cane Toad"
  
 http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/frogstoads/bufo_marinus.php

Even this info is rather vague since we have water inland and shore wise.

I suppose the information is not exact since no one knows for sure.

On that note of preferring not to think that they were being rude, when the one's site said that the female anchor answers questions within minutes and hours have passed...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 whom and we will too!

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

An after thought: I suppose we will just have to keep a closer watch on Gus, but he doesn't even try to eat lizards that are small and plentiful here, so I think he will be fine.

Happy sixth night of Hanukkah!

Another day another mind set

So as days go ours has a mixed review.
Meals were a bit of the new fangled concept and a smidge of the good ole standby usual.
Breakfast was those marvelous six minute boiled eggs with Hawaiian sweet rolls, one each.
Lunch was leftover last night's dinner, Hubby's was made into a multi-grain bread sandwich with the meats and cheeses from the antipasto with its salad on the side. I had the last slice of the pizza I did not eat last night also with a salad on the side and the other half of my Connoli that I did not finish last night either. Afternoon snack time was a Slim Fast.
Dinner was another Stouffers for Hubby and a Lean Cuisine for me.
So a compromise just might work, at least until we make a healthy grocery list.

My energy level had taken a toll too. I suppose you are what you eat is so very true, food is energy and we should all try to find the healthiest energizing ones that works for us. Trial and error will be tried for me, but Hubby seems to work well on all levels. 
These days though I seem to not be able to go for endurance too much, which is disappointing.

Pushing myself has been known to backfire.

As we all know that without food for fuel our lives are usually bland, although in many lives food also represents love, family love with gatherings, anxiety for some, pleasure for us who do know what the word to"dine" truly means, naughty for others who rationalize the foods that have aphrodisiac properties, not naughty but more fun and pleasurable more than sustenance, hmm?
Food glorious food has had songs made about it, food porn pics are a sign of our times, love it but you can never ever really leave it due to the need to survive...we must all be responsible consumers though as this generation has proven as it has grown, and grown...
Whether curvaceous, zaftig, or plus, we are all needing to trust the vitamins within the purist of forms of all the mush can be squished with the same effect of vitamins in much smaller stuffs.

On that note given with for the love of food, 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 those overages with you know whom and we will too!  

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

Happy fifth night of Hanukkah!

So it's like this; not that either of us got hangry, but...

After two and half days of adhering to my concept of a battle of the bulge, body that is, it's not working.
I know, I do really know, two and half days is a drop in the bucket, and you know what I say to that, is there fried chicken in that bucket???? KIDDING! I still am not that much for fried foods, I do have my limitations, really folks! Perhaps a few times a year I might indulge, or a month, but not really that often, truly.
Actually, my choices have been healthy.
I read an article in our AARP Newsletter about a woman who had lost 160 pounds more than what I have to, but it got my attention so I read it, and boy was I disappointed to find out that all she did was stop drinking soda pop, I don't drink it even diet. I drink club soda and coffee with Stevia black period. Oh and she stopped dipping her prepared at home food in batter, huh? I don't do that either. No exercising and she lost all that weight, amazing!
Anyway, it made me wonder again am I fighting an uphill battle due to my own research of the medications that I am on causing all this abundance of me? The numerous ones I take do have that side effect, that is all seven of them! 

So I have decided with Hubby who was not receiving enough nourishment from my plan, even though his was not known for being a diet food Stouffers like my Lean Cuisine is.
Any-who, tonight's break is a biggy and probably not that great a falling off the wagon so far we have fallen... into a large PIZZA with three toppings and Antipasto and there is more Connolis, two, one each! OMG!

I know, the guilt and not even Kosher for Hanukkah!
OH MY!
For shame!
Oy Gevalt!

Oh well, we are weak, but soon we will not be since we will have our bellies filled with wonderful Pizza, Antipasto and Connoli!

On that note of such is life, get over it, 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 those overages with you know whom and we will too!

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

Who knows what tomorrow will bring... yep, that's true, who knows????? Tell me. Kidding again. 

Happy fourth night of Hanukkah!

Yesterday Hubby had quite a day!

His bathroom had a very unusual problem,unusual for us anyway.
Although, I have heard of this happening to others, but never to us before.
Sure they all have had their moments of stopping up at one time or another.
And after five homes in nearly forty-five years of marriage we had, let's see, 2+3+2+3+2=12, yep twelve bathrooms with toilets and too much paper, or other bodily fluids or solids and the like may have all previously filled the lines with issues to cause stoppage, but we never ever experienced a stoppage caused by this before!
I had only seen it before on This Old House a PBS TV show that we both enjoy.
Well, at first Hubby wasn't sure what was causing the backup and used the usual remedies that he recalled from his apprentice plumber days and has had to use over the many years. A plunger then snaking the line, even running a hose from outside down to flush the system. I suggested my eco friendly sink unclogger nearly foolproof remedy, baking soda and white vinegar followed by hot water and that didn't work either. We didn't have any chemical drain cleaners except for CLR, which Hubby thought might work due to a heavy calcium problem with our city water, but nada.
He finally took the toilet off with knowing he would have to get another seal, but Ace hardware was nearby.
I worried an animal could have somehow penetrated the system, it happens on TV too, ya know?

But nah, after Hubby saw what the problem/stoppage was, a root system from one of our trees, he yanked it out by hand, what a man!
It, the root, filled a disposable grocery bag, yep and had nasty toilet waste included, oops TMI, sorry!
All was put back to normal within moments and all systems flowed without any more problems!

Any-who, as usual Hubby saved the day!
Once a hero always a hero, from his fireman days to his deputy days to his plumbing days he has always been MY HERO! (As well as many a strangers' too, even the plumbing part as a town engineer up north and for neighbors over the years and at work and on and on.)

On that note of sometimes life can be more than ordinary even while at home, 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 whom and we will too!

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

 Happy third night of Hanukkah!

I like it!

So many of the stores like Best Buy, a national store who is donating to St. Jude's, others are donating to non-profits as well for the holidays such as the Harry Chapin Food Bank which a Kia dealership in Cape Coral is doing.
So many follow suit during this time of the year which is a shame in the fact that sometimes after the holidays it stops, but not always.
Even our grocery store Publix collects year round to feed the hungry.

We all feel the need to be a bit more generous with thoughts that we are so lucky and should share in whatever capacity we can from volunteering to monetary donations even as small as coinage into the little red kettle ones.
The expression that it is always better to give than receive, we all know that is very true.
I used to do volunteering and when I did it made me feel so much better about myself, now that sounds selfish.
Though whatever your reason to help others just do it if able.
If not write a check, ha!

Actually, no one should be bullied into being altruistic it should be genuinely within your heart.
Good deeds can be from opening doors to thanking people more often for smaller things.

Moving on...

Odd time of the year to start this project of mine but I did today, an experiment of sorts. 
A diet of some weird considerations.
But if it works you'll all be laughing, hmm? (with me, not at me, I hope.)
Today I was going to weigh myself due to it being my first day and guess what?
My nearly brand new scale wouldn't work at all!
That did not deter my beginning, oh no, I am determined to really try.
Since I am unable to exercise in any form, eating less calories is how I decided I must go.
Although, not one to count those nasty things ever I felt portioned meals that are sold easily in the grocery would be the best way to go.
Proper amounts of protein and vitamins and calories all taken into consideration as well as low cholesterol, fat, salt, sugars/carbs etc. 
So don't yell at me you too good to be true healthy folks, and I decided to chose Slimfast drinks for twice a day, breakfast and afternoon snack, with tiny Clementines and other fruit and also raw veggies to pick up the slack and Lean Cuisine for lunch and my homemade soups for dinner; this week I made my 15 bean soup with brown rice, stewed tomatoes and turkey sausage.
Hubby bought the same quantities of Stouffers for himself as he did of my Lean Cuisine for lunch, and oddly enough their nutritional value has improved tremendously.   
We only got a weeks' supply so far to see how it goes, and we lucked out since both frozen microwavable meal companies products were on sale at four for ten dollars, so we got eight each, a week and a day's worth, what a bargain! 

Who knows, but we have nothing to lose, really, except for me some weight I do hope.
Hubby is still thin so he has no reason to diet and his choices were not for that purpose at all, just healthy.
He has frozen multi-grain waffles, eggs and cereal, hot and cold etc. for his breakfasts as well as Carnation instant breakfast that we both like.
Apples, oranges and bananas always in our fruit bowl.
So we do eat well.

On that note of so should the world, 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 whom and we will too!

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

Happy second night of Hanukkah and to all a very good night! 

Happy first night of Hanukkah!

To all my friends and family who celebrate Hanukkah that is.
Question out there, what do you think of calendars that don't have all holidays on them, specifically one's you celebrate, are they not being all inclusive? 
My this year's calendar,2015, does not have Jewish holidays and out of the two sent to us for 2016 only one does.
I don't know what that actually means, but it is difficult to keep track, although thanks to friends and family and Google somehow someway I do find out!
And thank you for that!
We are a nation of many faiths and so I believe our local businesses or even local governments should be aware of including all people especially during the holiday season.
I have taken to the logical assumption(I know it's not nice to assume and we all know what that really means, making an ass of you and me, cringe factor back again for the holidays, whatever that means.) these days to wish people a Merry Christmas instead of just Happy Holidays, only due to the more than likely possibility that they
 are of that faith who celebrate it due to statistically more than any other logical reasoning.
On my side, of the Jews, that is, we are not as plentiful due to being annihilated throughout history and that's why I cannot understand the rest of the world's population hating us and fearing us, when we have become so diminished in numbers. We have done it to ourselves too with intermarrying like I have, Hubby is Catholic, some of us are not as smart to incorporate both religions in the family...
Sadly, we did not celebrate our religious holidays individually as much as we should have and took the actual religion somewhat out of Christmas and Hanukkah by not always discussing the basis for the holidays as clearly as we could have with our sons.
Consequently, as far as I know they are not that big on holidays or religion when in my mind I figured they would decide for themselves as adults, but now they are both grown men and do not have children, perhaps later on they will decide, no longer in my decisions radar though at 39 and 43.
As a child I went to Sunday school and even Hebrew school, my formal religious educational background was about seven years, but when my parents passed away, I was in my thirties by then, even before that we all seemed rather A-religious, if there is such a thing, like A-political? Oh don't get me wrong, I light my menorah that my parents gave to me from our conservative synagogue, and if anyone says an anti-Semitic comment my feelings are definitely hurt tremendously, but sometimes I speak up/out and horrifically sometimes in the past had said nothing, for shame on me, but due to not wanting a confrontation, which has happened over the years. Hate mongers are still among us, and have always been there, sadly.  
That is why I try hard to promote no hate and more understanding of our differences as well as our commonalities, why not at least try. Although, I cannot understand religious zealots and they make me very nervous.
Tis the season truly, but Geez all year long should be! 
Happy/Merry to all and to all a good night.
I hope my feelings about the season are clear, if not it is again just my unrequested bias opinionated opinion, please remember that!

On that more than confusing note I am sure, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very Happy Hanukkah, another silly wishful assumption, ha, and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with you know whom and we will too!

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

Technical difficulties delayed this posting tonight!

Thanks for being there no matter what.
Due to no Internet for a small period of time tonight I will make this entry brief.
We finally found a wireless printer that was priced for us that also has all the bells and whistles we desired it was at Best Buy, a HP 5530, inexpensive but "enough" for our needs, just $49.99, would you believe?
During the hooking up process is when the net went down. 
Thus our delay, and we just got off the line with our tech at our provider Century Link, but Hubby got us back online without her help, aha!
Some things are meant to be done yourself, I suppose.But to be fair she did try.

On that note 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 whom and we will too!

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