Time For A Change

 "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." (Marie Curie)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

    It has been a while since I’ve done this and I’m truly sorry to you all for that. There was a time the other week that I thought about stopping the blog after ten+ years of doing this. But then I thought about all the things you have been there with me for. My dad, grand parents, uncles, and Bella’s deaths. My health problems with the lumps I found. My mom’s issues, things with Scooter, and my sister. You all sharing things with all of us and us supporting each other as much as we can. How can I let that go? Simply, I can’t and I’m not going to. This little place we have together has been such a safe haven for me that I would miss you all too much. So, I’m not going anywhere. 

 

     It's been a really tough few months, and I feel completely overwhelmed. My mom's health struggles continue, and honestly, Kaiser hasn't been much help. It's incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking to see her in so much pain, a shadow of her former self. She has very limited mobility, and while I encourage her to try and do things for herself so she doesn't feel helpless, her efforts often create more work for me.

 

    Thankfully, she's finally scheduled to get some back injections at the end of this month. I'm really hoping there are no further postponements. On top of that, she's decided to look for new healthcare insurance, as Kaiser simply isn't meeting her needs.

 

     I trust everyone who celebrated the Fourth of July had a fantastic time. For us, the celebration was intense, lasting well into the next day. Our community is known for its widespread fireworks, and this year was no different—it felt like a thousand massive fireworks exploded within just three hours on the Fourth. My mom was particularly anxious, and with good reason. We've had close calls before, including a house in our community that burned down a few years ago. This year, a house in the neighboring community also went up in flames. We did everything we could to keep the little man safe and comfortable: sealing the windows, blasting the A/C, and turning up the TV volume.

 

 The morning after the Fourth of July, I woke up and went through my usual routine. I fed Scooter, but he just sniffed his food and walked away. Sometimes he does that, preferring to graze later, so I didn't think much of it. But then Saturday came and went with no interest in food or water. By Sunday, he still hadn't eaten or had a drink, and worse, he started having bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Despite this, the strange thing was he was still acting like his normal, energetic self — barking at squirrels and tearing around the yard.

 

    Sunday night was rough. Scooter's symptoms worsened, and I decided then and there that an emergency vet visit was necessary first thing Monday morning. A wave of dread washed over me as I remembered our last ER trip, waiting for hours for anal gland issues. This time, however, the waiting room was empty. They took Scooter in right away.

 

    The veterinary team ran a battery of tests: blood work, an ultrasound, and they even cleared his anal glands. We waited anxiously, but to our immense relief, all the results came back clear. A perfectly healthy dog, according to the tests. So, what was going on?

 

    The vet, after hearing our story, asked about the Fourth of July fireworks. I hadn't considered them a factor, but then it clicked: that was the last time Scooter had eaten or drunk anything. She theorized that the fireworks had completely freaked him out, causing him to shut down. They gave him some fluids and anti-nausea medication, and after a few hours, we took him home with prescriptions to stimulate his appetite and ease his stomach.

 

    Monday was much the same, with Scooter still not quite himself. But by Tuesday, there was a noticeable improvement. He was a bit weak from the lack of food and water, but he finally started eating and drinking again. Now, a week later, Scooter is back to his old self, full of energy and enjoying his meals. It was an expensive trip just to confirm he had a bad case of the jitters, but knowing he's otherwise healthy makes every penny worth it.

 

     That was everything in a nutshell. A crazy week with my mom and Scoots. I missed you all so much and will now be back into the swing of things here. Love you all! 

 

 So glad you stopped by! Wishing you the coziest morning/afternoon/evening ahead. Can't wait for our paths to cross again!

Well That Was Unexpected

 "There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life." (Anonymous)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

     I've been in a bit of a wrestling match with a cold for the past few days, but I think I'm finally pinning it down! Yesterday was a bit of a blur thanks to the cold medicine (you know how that goes for me!), so I spent a good chunk of the day in a cozy, sleepy haze. I was trying to play detective and figure out how this sneaky little cold snuck in, and then BAM! It hit me. The dentist trip we had on Monday. While Mom was getting her pearly whites taken care of, there was someone in the waiting room putting on a truly impressive (and slightly terrifying!) coughing concert. I bet that's where this unwelcome guest decided to set up shop!

 

     On Thursday I could feel something trying to creep in and decide to run to the store and get some things for a weekend of fighting a cold. I’m going to rest today as well, we’ve been watching all the Biblical movies this past week. Tonight we’re going to watch “Ben Hur”, my mom even has Mike watching it with us. 

    Oh my goodness, the weather here in Denver has been keeping us on our toes! It feels like Mother Nature can't quite decide what season it is. Just last weekend, we were bundled up with snow, and then BAM! Yesterday, we were basking in a record-breaking 86-degree heatwave! And guess what? There's a chance of snow again on Monday. Talk about a rollercoaster! That's just springtime in the Rockies for you – always full of surprises! We did manage to sneak in a few glorious days of open windows and fresh air though, which was absolutely wonderful.

 

    Tomorrow marks the eighth anniversary of losing my dad. It's hard to believe it's been that long – it honestly feels like just yesterday. You know how it is, you can't help but think about all the moments and milestones he's missed. My mom's been feeling it extra hard lately, and I'm sure the approaching date has a lot to do with that.

 

    I was talking to a friend recently who lost his mom back in October, and he asked that big question: does it ever get easier? It's such a tricky thing to answer, isn't it? I told him it's a yes and no kind of thing. Some days you're okay, and then out of nowhere, it can just hit you, and you're right back in that moment. Sending love to everyone who understands this feeling.

 

     Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be feeling top-notch soon! We've got such an exciting week ahead with two plays and, get this, Wrestlemania! Hope your Sunday is a good one!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

Doggie Air-Fryer Meatballs (Recipe)

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

 

Hello, my lovely friends!

                   

          The things you can find or be inspired to do spending time on Pinterest. The other day I was browsing recipes for anything on Pinterest and found a recipe for dog meatballs. Sometimes I read the recipe and wonder if the person actual made the recipe or even know how to cook because some of them are horrible sounding. I found a dog recipe that had two ingredients: ground chicken or turkey and shredded carrots. What kind of meal is that for a dog? I knew I could come up with something better and tastier for my little man.

 

          While out at Sprouts I grabbed a ground turkey roll and in the salad bags I found a broccoli slaw that had shredded broccoli, carrots and red cabbage. I started thinking of what you put in a real meatball, but minus the garlic and onions. In the fridge I had a container of leftover rice to use as well.

 

Air-Fryer Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

·       Ground Turkey – 1 pound

·       Broccoli Slaw _ 1 bag (16 oz.)

·       Cooked rice – 1 ½ cup

·       Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 TBSP.

 

Directions

1.        In a food processor put the entire bag of the broccoli slaw in there and let it become finely chopped. Place it all in a bowl and do the same thing with the rice. I guess you really don’t have to put the rice in the food processor, but that’s what I did.

 

2.      In the large bowl that has the broccoli slaw and rice in it put the uncooked ground turkey in there. Also, add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the bowl. I started mixing with a spoon, but immediately switch to my hands to mix it all together.

 

3.      Using a small scoop I got about 37 meatballs from it.  I could have gotten more, but I used some of the mixture in something else that’s a bonus recipe.

 

4.     I’m using the Air-Fryer for this, but you could put them in the oven or even cook them in a skillet on the stove. If cooking in the oven I would go 350 for 15 to 20 minutes and turning them halfway. In a skillet I would do it in a non-stick skillet and cook probably four minutes on one side, flip them, turn the temp from medium to low and put a lid on the skillet for another three minutes.  However, I’m using the Air-Fryer for this one and it’s going to be at 350 between ten and twelve minutes. The first batch I went fifteen minutes and that was too long.

         

          After I finished making it I gave one to Scooter and he loved it. He looked like he wanted more, but I told him he has to wait for dinner. For the little guy he weighs between twelve and fourteen pounds, so I’ll give him two meatballs for a meal. Once again I used the very old wax bags that we can seal and put two meatballs in each bag. There’s almost twenty bags there and I put them in the freezer. I’ll just take one out the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. Now onto the bonus recipe.

 

          Once I did the broccoli slaw and rice in the food processor I looked at it and thought what if I add an egg or two to it and cook him a breakfast omelet. Before I added the ground turkey I took out about two cups of the mixture because there was a lot and put it in another bowl. I then added two eggs that I whisked and mixed it together. This time on the stove I heated up my non-stick pan on medium with about a TBSP. of coconut oil. I got a regular ice cream scoop and made little small pancakes in the skillet, cooked it about three minutes on one side, flipped them and cooked an additional three minutes.

 

          I made a very small one for the little man to try out and he ate that one up too. I got about fifteen little omelet pancakes out of those. I imagine you could shred a potato in there or different veggies. I love that I can control what is going in his food and he is loving it all.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.

I wish you a good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you are.

Until next time… Ciao!