Platelets & Plasma

We went for another blood donation. I tried to sneak a picture of Doug, but I didn't do a very good job.  He had the laptop open trying to do homework:

My set up.  I had a hot rice pack keeping my veins flowing:

These were my movie snacks.  The colored tabs are Tums; they help keep my lips and face from tingling because of the anticoagulant.  The diary in the cheese helps too:

I bought a serger at the store that's going out of business.  I still need to find classes to learn how to use it properly:

These two got haircuts.  This was my second try shaving the dogs.  I was smart this year and cut their hair over the grass so I didn't have to clean it up:

Winnie is very blonde now that her hair is short:

We went out for an early dinner.  Burgers and sweet tater fries:

Moon pictures are never as cool as what the eyes can see:

Hi Winnie!!:

This may be my Halloween costume some day!!  So cute!!:

I like organizing, so this idea is great!:

I was collecting money at work to run across the street and get rice krispie treats.  One coworker had a wad of ones so we told him to make it rain:

mmmmmmm treats!!!!:

Hi squirrel friend!:

Doug just loves buying dirt... we got to buy dirt twice because we got the wrong dirt.  This was not container dirt.  Ooopsie:

I hope I see something like this while in the Caribbean:

Look at our little blondie:

THROW MY BALL:

He'll Calm Down They Said

The face I see every morning.  Sigh.  Ohhh suuuurre, he'll calm down.....

That was all from a video over a 2-3 minute period.  He has calmed down, but he's such an early riser.

More fluffy clouds left over from the rain:

I told Sandra that I would hang her drawings on the refrigerator and I did.  :) :

Don't those crazy faces make a lovely collage?!?!?!:

Yes dear.  I'm awake!!!

Back To Work

Back to work.  There is work to be done and squirrels to feed:

Grief is a funny thing. There are so many different ways and reasons to grieve. People grieve over the loss of a marriage, death of an animal/pet, loss of a friendship, losing a job or opportunity, and in most cases the death of a loved one. Some grief over the death of a loved one comes with relief because we know the person isn’t suffering anymore. Relief that we know, in death, they are whole again. Most grief comes with tears and sorrow. Highs and lows. Memories and... reminders. A subtle scent, sound or item will bring back loving and sometimes frustrating thoughts or feelings. Grief can not only bring a sense of loss, but also a new beginning for many. That new beginning can be met with the fear of, “what do I do now?” “How do I fill time to keep myself busy?” There is no right or wrong answer to any part of the grieving process. Sometimes a hard part of grief is guilt. “What could I have done to prevent this?” “Could I have spent more time with them?” There are so many unanswered questions that can come up and add stress to grieving. While I’m sad my grandma is gone, I’m glad she isn’t suffering anymore. But, I’m also filled with guilt. My guilt is a little different than the couple questions I listed. My guilt comes in the form of those left behind in the wake of death. “Should I have called my mom sooner?” “Could I have known that grandma was slipping away right before my eyes?” “Is there something I could have done to help until my mom could get there?” Sure, I can make myself feel momentarily better by telling myself, “At least she didn’t die alone.” “Maybe she didn’t want my mom to see her die.” “Maybe she was holding on until my mom wasn’t there.” “When she took her final breaths, she went quickly.” Those temporary answers don’t ease the sadness and guilt for very long. I will continue to have my highs and lows. I will continue to grieve the best way I know how. I hate feeling feelings, but I will allow myself to go through this process. To those of you who are also grieving, please allow yourself the chance to feel sad, happy, alone, guilty, relief and whatever else you may need. Don’t be too hard on yourself and give yourself a break. I will tell myself the same thing for a while even if I don’t want to take my own advice. I’ll leave you with this: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4. Until we meet again grandma.

I played too rough with the beasties again.  I got Winnie really worked up and when she went to bite the toy she got my thumb too.  It was black and blue for a couple days:

I thought about buying this little stand.  It would be a cute recipe holder or something, but even at 30% off it was still over $20.  No thanks, I can make it for way less than that:

Ready to play:

Doug took this picture of Jazmin over the weekend.  So cute!:

Flowers during a walk:

I've been playing this Smurf game for probably 8 years.  The stupid developers added an ad ever single time you switch lands or do anything.  I ended up watching about 7 ads within about 5 minutes.  NOPE!! Good luck with that!  I stopped playing for about a week and a half, but then I found out I can play it in airplane mode and it can't show ads in that mode:

So glad we spent time giving Winnie a bath just so she could roll in the dirt.  Jerk:

Rice Krispie Smores!!  Gotta try these sometime:

A pastel sunrise:

Look!  A marshmallow from the Marshmallow Fight in April. LOL:

Morning clouds passing through:

Sun rays beaming through the clouds.  It looks like heaven shining down:

View at work:

My 20 year reunion is coming!  I'm getting SO OLD!!  A friend posted this picture:

I like watching the streaks of rain coming down from the clouds in the distance:

I saw some great views of the rain storm, but my stupid camera keeps freezing: