I don’t have a premium account to allow me to post videos here . Instead, here is a link to Toby hamming it up at the vet’ s office.
I told you I was good at talking!
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Toby and the Minion
So what happened to Toby? It seems like he hasn’t been around much. Is he OK?
Yes! Toby is doing great. He is his usual funny self and has turned out to be a very good helper in the garden. The problem has been his dopey mom.
This was me today, doing some gardening.
I am still struggling with eye issues. In an effort to combat extreme dryness, I have taken to wearing swim goggles whenever I go outside. While goggles do make it soooo much more comfortable to blink, I feel beyond dorky wearing them. I had to laugh when I realized that both Toby and one of the little pups I’ve been watching get excited when they see me put my goggles on because it means they might be going for a walk.
I may love you, mom, but I am still going to hide my face in shame whenever we go out.
The good news is that things have been moving along behind the scenes. Soon I should be able to start scheduling appointments with eye doctors to hopefully get back to normal. Then Toby can have more adventures. Yippee!
At Toby’s most recent vet visit, he put on such a show with his talking that the staff there recorded him and put him on the company FaceBook page. My little monster is on his way to being a star!
What do you mean “on my way”? I am already a star!
The Go-Bag
After watching thousands of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes with barely the clothes on their backs, it seemed like the time to finally put together the go-bag I should have created years ago. I know everyone should have one, but it’s just so unpleasant – like setting up a will.
So far, I have the bag. That’s a good start, right? Someone suggested putting some small denomination bills inside. I had some change from the store, so that got added. (Almost done now, right?)
After that I kept getting bogged down thinking about photos and memories and passwords. Some people suggest keeping password written down on paper. Others recommend using a thumb drive. I found a few companies that will give you a small amount of free, secure online storage. I’ve wondered about the risk of storing my passwords there and only having to remember one password to access them. Someone suggested that these smaller companies might be less likely to be hacked than Google. Something to think about.
What about pictures? Many people use Google Drive, but Google mines your photos for advertising. Is it worth having my memories snooped through? Or should I pack a hard drive? A thumb drive? Are paper pictures better in case of a technology crash? How do you decide which life moments are worthy of saving?
I am torn when it comes to packing things like ”extra socks” or ”extra shoes”. I don’t really have extras of those lying around, ready to not be used. Yet, would I have the presence of mind to grab spares before fleeing a tornado?
Is anyone out there more prepared than I am? Do you have a favorite book or cherished item already packed for an evacuation? Do you have pet food set aside and rotated regularly? I can’t picture being able to store food for Toby where it would be handy for me yet inaccessible for him. (That boy can climb like a monkey when food is involved.)
My head hurts just thinking about this. I am going to go to bed and hope no disaster finds me while I sleep.
As long as you pack me, you’ll have everything you need!
Hello Friend, Welcome Home
Hello friend, welcome home.*
Dear Max, we are all so happy you are here with us. I hope you will continue blogging from across the Bridge like I do. Someday. When you feel up to it.
(I know Daddy likes black & white line drawings best. ❤️💕)
Gone Baby (Blanket), Gone
Today my dad announced that his church secured a shipping container and was taking donations to be sent to Ukrainian refugees in Europe. I told some neighbors, and we all scrambled to gather what things we could to help. I donated these baby blankets that I had made. My mom asked if I were sure that I wanted to do that. Sure, ’cause now I have an excuse to make more!
Years ago, as an exercise, I read a children’s book in Chinese. It was about Anna from the Ukraine, and it followed the story of her scarf. Her childhood scarf moved with her through her life…sometimes functioning as her babushka, later as a picnic blanket when dating her soon-to-be-husband. Later it was her shawl as she and her husband moved to America. When they started their family, it became the baby’s blanket. Eventually the scarf was so worn that the now-grown daughter made it into a quilt that she used for her own baby. It makes me wonder if one of the modest blankets donated in the coming months might someday have a similarly interesting story to tell.
Would of the puppies in Europe like some of my baths? I would gladly donate them.
Cookie Aftermath
Image 1: Woman sitting on couch eating cookies. Small puppy in green sweater comes over, puts his ear against her ample stomach and asks: “So, when is the blessed event?”
Image 2: Puppy in green sweater sails backwards after a Pow! Right in the kisser!
Hey, where are all the Bitey images? Sorry I don’t have any today. We’ll have to make do with imagination.
February 2022 came in with neither a bang nor a whimper but dizziness from the first day to the last (but as far as I can tell, not vertigo even though my ears ring loudly). As a companion it brought along such horribly cloudy thinking that I could barely function. I spent many afternoons asleep on the floor because I couldn’t do anything else. One day I woke up surrounded by tennis balls and a sleeping puppy. Even the Tobester found this condition annoying.
Post shut down in this area, it generally takes 2-6 months to get an appointment with a doctor. I decided to make my first with an eye doctor to see if my glasses were at fault. By the time I could get in, the calendar had turned to March, and my dizziness slowly started to fade. The brain fog hung around long enough to make sure I thoroughly embarrassed myself trying to talk to the doctor, though.
The take away from the appointment was that one eye had changed but the other was basically the same. What concerned her was the bad state my eyes are in and the transient drooping/numbness I have on one side of my face. She recommended I research Myasthenia Gravis to see if the symptoms matched my condition. If so, see a neurologist right away. In the meantime I desperately need medication for my eyes that I can’t afford.
When I got home, I was a dutiful patient and started the supplements the doctor recommended and stepped up the eye drops/ointments I use. I researched the conditions she suggested, then I started looking into assistance and grants to get the medication I need. At the moment, I am still waiting to hear what I might quality for. After that, I will better know which treatment to seek.
While I’m upset that I have lost so much time that should have been spent working, I’m hopeful that March will bring better news.
Then maybe I won’t have to spend another month drowning my sorrows in cookies.
Don’t look at me. I’m not going to say anything.
Love Train
This used to happen a lot when the boys were together. Toby would ride his peppermint backward around the room until he inevitably ran into sleeping Geordie’s face. I would say, “And a good time was had by all” but Geordie would probably bite me.
For all the romantics like Toby out there, Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Forgot to get your sweetest something for Valentine’s Day? Then order a custom pet portrait from my shop! Tell your loved one that you ordered it weeks ago, and it will still be a little while before the paint dries. He or she will be so happy with the results that they won’t mind the wait.
Gender Reveal
A few nights ago, I was throwing tennis balls for Toby. One time, I decided to let Rah Ru the tiger throw one of the balls.
In this picture, I am hugging a sock. – Rah Ru
Afterward, I praised the toy, ”Good boy, Rah Ru! Great throw!” Then I started to wonder, was Rah Ru a boy or a girl? Did Toby think of his tiger as having a gender? The idea dawned on me, why not ask him?
I gathered up the B and G flashcards so I could ask Toby “Boy or Girl?”. We went through a quick list of humans and pups we knew so I could make sure we were on the same page. He got them all right. I moved on to the toys and asked him, ”Is Rah Ru a boy or a girl?” In case you were wondering, Rah Ru is a girl. (Oops. Bad mommy. )
As for Blue Puppy, Blue puppy is a boy.
Humpty Kitty is a girl
Tiger turned out to be a girl too.
Mommy, however, is still a boy.
This exercise turned out to be a breakthrough moment for Toby and me. Since then he has been excited to do flashcards. I think this gives him a chance to tell me things he otherwise couldn’t.
😊
The “C” Word or The Winter of Our Death
No, not that C word.* Not even Christmas. I am afraid I have the other C word – covid. I haven’t had a test to make sure, but from my symptoms it would appear I have omicron. I guess from now on I will have to post using a Ouija Board or spirit box. My biggest disappointment so far is that the Other Side looks much like where I came from. I was hoping for more clouds.
This is the first time I have been sick in a while. The last time was shortly after Geordie died. (Remember those Fever Dreams?) I don’t know if Toby were still grieving or if he were too young to process my being sick, but this puppy will NOT let me out of his sight now. He insists we play ball or share food or hang out together at all times. He is fascinated and amused as my voice comes and goes. He acts as he’s never seen anyone cough before. It is hilarious. Also, I can get nothing done with him glued to my side.
Hey Mom, can we do something? Can we play ball? Wanna share a snack? I would really like to go for a walk. What do you say?
I have been curious if psoriasis might behave any differently if I were sick. People with autoimmune disorders are thought to have very robust immune systems that just get turned around and attack the body instead of invaders. I have wondered if my immune system had something constructive to do if it might stop attacking me. So far that seems to be happening. I no longer look as much like a burn patient, and my joints only hurt about half as much. Hey, I’ll take it.
If anyone has sent us Christmas cards, unfortunately we won’t be able to pick them up until after Christmas ’cause we’re not allowed out in public. We will still appreciate them, though!
I like eatin’ ’em! – Toby
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It may be too late to shop for Christmas (and I can’t go to the PO to ship anyway. See above), but this would be a great way to spend that holiday loot that you know you’re going to get!
Dream Our World follows Bitey and Toby as they visit the museum of their dreams. If you haven’t read it yet, it is fun for all ages. (And Toby says it tastes delicious as well. I don’t know; I’ll just have to take his word for it.)
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*I do have a cousin who started chemo on Friday. If you have any room in your prayers for him, they would be much appreciated.
What Is Your Reindeer Name?
OK, maybe not quite as much fun as finding out your stripper name, but it’s more festive!
What do you mean “Figgy Twinkletree”?!? My name should be Destroyer of ChristmasBows…or at least HighestUp TreeWaterer!
The Adventures of Bitey Dog 