Grooming the Littles

We have 2 small dogs. August Rush and Divine Tuppance.  Both are Chinese Crested, August Rush is a Powder Puff (he has hair that if left alone will grown allmost all the way to the floor) and Divine Tuppance is what is called a Hairy Hairless (she has hair on her head, tail and feet but that is all.)  They are know as "the Littles" and "the Bugs."  August is often called "Dead Bug" because when you tell him it's time to get groomed, he rolls over on his back, sticks out his tongue and closes his eyes.  He plays dead!!  Divine is called "Little Bug" because she is just so small and loves to cuddle.  However, because they both have hair, they both need grooming so I have a grooming station that is set up in our dinning room.

The set up is a small folding table and a white plastice storage cabinet.  Since it's adjacent to the kitchen, they get their baths in the sink and then we walk over to the table to finish the grooming.  

Another view of the grooming station.  It's really a nice set up albeit small.  You use what you have, right? The white plastic storage cabinet really holds a lot of extra brushes, combs, shampoo, rinse, ear cleaners, and lots of other stuff.  

The top holds the combs, brushes and spray that I will use daily to brush them out before they head off to daycare.  There is also a small bath rug to lay on and underneath it is a mat to hold the rug in place.  The bottom of the grooming arm also helps to hold the rug down.  

I am looking for a lamp to add for added light and I though a clip on light would be perfect to add light and also to continue to hold down the rug,  plus it wouldn't take up valuable table top space, but I'm not sure that the clamp would go over both the run and the table top.  So I may end up with a table lamp after all.  Oh well, at the moment I can do without it.  

Both Little's have agreed that this new set up is not a good idea for them as it's just to easy to grab a dog without warning and plop them on the table and begin grooming them.  Before, I had to set it up and then take it down as the table was in the middle of the kitchen serving as an Island.  I love it, them not so much.

Do you groom your own dogs or do they go to a groomer?  

P.S. Hubby read my post and decided to solve my problem of the light.  What do you think of his solution?  I love it and he is my hero for being a Hubby/Protector and Problem solver.

Another week, Another Hodgepodge.

Once again it's Hodgepodge time and once again I'm thanking Joyce for great questions.

1. What's a word that describes your life? A word you wish described your life?
My life is Blessed!!
A word I wish described my life?  Healthier. 

2. Back in my day we___________________________________?
...had to get up and walk to the tv if we wanted to change channel.  Or have a kid do it for us.

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?
Italian, more specifically - Pizza.  We like pizza (well who doesn't really).  We don't have takeout every week but at least once a month.

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?
It would be the way they treat others.  I love seeing how they treat others with love, kindness, gentleness and without judgement at all.  We should all strive to treat each other that way.

5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?
Anything having to do with summer, warm weather, sunshine, dogs, gardening.  All of that is so me.  

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday was my birthday.  In the past, I never wanted it announced at restaurants because I hated the whole "gather around the table and sing some silly song to me."  This year I didn't care at all.  It's been a tough year getting to this point and I'm thrilled that we made it.  Hubby spoiled me with taking me out to eat twice  (breakfast and dinner).  I didn't care who knew it was my birthday and I enjoyed being spoiled all day.  Even the car got a nice wash - yes it's suppose to rain today and that is on me.  It was a blessed day because I was alive to enjoy it with Hubby.  

SPRING OF A HODGEPODGE!

Oh what a beautiful Hodgepodge that Joyce created for all of us to enjoy.  

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

I want to try gardening again this year.  Last summer Hubby planted a few veggies in containers for us to have a container garden.  However, my health was not very good and we didn't keep it up. This year, I feel better and really want to see if we can keep the plants alive.  So gardening is what I'm looking forward to this year.

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

I love to spring clean!  I know it sounds funny, most people want to get the cleaning done, but I really do enjoy opening the windows and letting the winter muck flow out and the spring air come in.  I would rather clean out the closets, dust celling fans, wipe down the patio furniture outside and none of these are done.  We still have snow on the deck and the pellet stove is still running.  So we wait. 

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

I guess I'm a simple person, toast with cream cheese, baked potato with sour cream and hot coco with whipped cream.  

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?
Just about any of my cancer drugs!  I don't know why the powers that be can't name drugs "Sue", "Charles" or something easy to say but they don't. The drugs have several syllables and odd sounding names.  

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

"Singing in the rain."  I love that song! And the dance that goes with it. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I love having it lighter in the evening but I still can't get use to waking up to darkness.  I really like waking up to a sunrise or better yet, the sun already shinning into the bedroom. I'm happy that winter is in the past and that Spring is here.  Hello There!!!

Transitions

This is our front yard at the moment, part winter and part spring. If you enlarge the photo, you can see both snow and plants popping up on brown dirt.  This is the perfect photo of my life at the moment.  Part in the past, my mind becomes filled with the memories of working outside of the home with lots of things to do after work - and part in the present, retired, easy going, trying to find my way with the talents and gifts that I have been given by God.  

There have been lots of transitions in my life, after all Hubby was in the Air Force for 8 years and we moved a lot.  Then of course we had children with all the after school business that comes with kids.  Add a full time job, church functions, friends, moving a few more times and don't get me started on the aging process and what surprises cancer drops on a person and there have been a lot of transitions.  With each change, with each transition, Hubby and I took it one day at a time.  This retirement transition is the same thing.  

Are you in transition? How is your transition going?  What is your transition?  Don't panic, just take it one day at a time and remember that you have had other transitions in your life.  So far you have overcome them all.  That's a great record!! 

Have a great day!

A Snowey White Hodgepodge

Thank you Joyce for keeping up with Hodgepodge all this time. This is my first one in 3 years!  If feels good to be back. Did you have to make it so hard??? 

1. Best place you've been lately?We've been staying close to home so I guess the best place we have been to is out to lunch with friends.  I love the company and being out in public and having friends to share the time with makes it special. 

2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?Yes to relaxing, Yes to spending time with Hubby! Yes to spending more time with family, Yes to spending time with friends.  Yes to having lots of things to smile about. Yes, to playing with our dogs (a.k.a. The Little's)

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?
Not really.  When the kids were little I made green milk, green pancakes etc.  Hubby is not a great fan of green food so I don't.  The Little's (the dogs) will wear something for St. Patrick's Day to daycare but that is about it for us. When I hear the word green the first thing I think of is a house color.  I like the color green on a house.   

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.We're having another Nor'easter up here! I tell you that because we have stinky dogs and giving them a full bath is just too much for them today so giving them a waterless bath is much easier.  I really love this product as it works well,  smells great, and is very easy to use.  I would happily be their spokesperson.

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?
My math skills are OK, I know how to use a calculator.  I can do the things that I need to do for every day life.  Figuring out discounts is the last time I was required to use math skills. I like pie, it depends on the time of year.  In winter I like a slice of hot apple pie with French Vanilla ice cream.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I want to thank everyone for all the prayers, well wishes, good vibes and concern over our struggle with my health.   We felt it all.  It helped us greatly and I am especially grateful for all the kind words towards Hubby as he is my caregiver and is fabulous at what he does.  He took on so much and has been doing so much for me.  I am blessed to have a great Husband but also a great man in my life.  

GRIEVING THE PAST!

Another name change,  I'm retired, I get to do things like that.  

 When I retired, I went through a grieving process. I’m told that it’s common to grieve the job you are no longer part of, especially if you loved your job.  And I loved my job! It's not like the grief of losing a spouse or a child but it is grief nonetheless.

I love the company I worked for. My boss was wonderful, as were my coworkers. I loved my tiny office and I loved helping people find what works for them and their pets.
I worked for a dog activity center where everyone there was concerned about the dogs and cats that we had in our care.  Yes, we board cats there as well.
It was common to hear staff talking among themselves about how to make this dog more comfortable or how to ease that cats stay.
It was an everyday thing to see staff showing off pictures of dogs that they took with their phones to share with the owners. It was also common for staff to carry small dogs in their pockets or slings to keep them warm or just to keep to keep them close. There was usually a dog at the front reception desk to help greet customers as they came in.
When you work with such great people, water cooler topics are everything from the dogs in their care to what the staff did over the weekend with their own dogs. Meetings were always about the pets. Remodeling was always designed with the pets in mind. Phone calls were about how to make the lives of pets and their owners better.
I miss that. I like being a part of that. I still use the present tense when I talk about them. I have to correct myself when I start to talk about the great people I worked with.  It was hard to leave but it was needed.
So there is a grieving process. I guess grieving is different for everyone and for each person the time spent in each stage is different. I am still a work in progress but here are the stages:

         1. Denial: “I never really wanted to retire… I should still be working”.  I knew I                    was going to retire. I knew it was coming. I really didn’t stay here long.

       2.  Anger: “They made me retire… They wanted me out of there... So-and-so set me up”. I was not angry at anyone. I retired because I couldn’t do the job and I needed to concentrate on my health. 

      3.  Bargaining: “Maybe if I just _________, I could go back (or move on)”. I remember this stage and trying so hard to get back to where I wanted to be so I could stay at work. It wasn’t working. I needed to concentrate on my health. 

      4.  Depression: “Who am I kidding, I’m worthless and always was”. I had to learn to relay on God and learn that I have other skills. I’m learning to use them to help others. I’m creating a new schedule. 

      5.   Acceptance: “I felt lost at first, but now I finally feel at peace with my new life”. I’m a work in progress. I find retirement enjoyable and especially as Spring is getting closer. I’m looking forward to getting outside and watching plants grow. 

So for those of you who have retired, did you go through these stages? Did you know you were going through grief at the time? How about those of you getting ready to retire, do you know about this grief I am talking about? Talk to me. 

I'M BACK FROM THE WILDERNESS!

I stopped blogging about three years ago when my health took a turn for the worse.  Well, I'm back!!
My old blog, "Life Through Bifocals" is someplace floating around in the blogosphere of cyberspace. Hence this is a new me and a new life, so this is a new Blog.  Just like my body, I'm starting over simple and easy.

Hubby and I are retired now. He retired almost seven years ago. I retired the first of January of this year. Hubby and I are getting use to each other again. We are learning that we still love being in each other's company and are learning new and surprising things about each other.

I'm not sure how often I'll blog, but hey, I'm back!