A Update On Miss Oakley, Part 2

The 3 1/2 weeks since Oakley's vet appointment has been interesting and full of the 3 P's ( pee, puke, and poop.) It also has been a time of growth for me. I am learning more about having patience, more about not worrying, and more about letting things go. 

When it is hard to find something that a sick fur baby wants to eat, you go with what she will eat. Even if it has a brand name, is organic, and/or expensive. That is just how we roll.

On our way down the mountain returning home after "Our Weekend Get Away", Oakley got car sick and threw up. She did it again when we got home. After that, we had a little difficulty getting her to eat, but we chalked it up to her getting car sick and weren't that worried about it. She still was throwing up some, but that wasn't unusual for her in the Spring when her allergies were bothering her. We discussed all of this with Doc Hannah at Oakley's appointment. She agreed with us and wasn't to worried about it. 

However almost a week later, she was barely eating and was turning down some of her favorite foods. It was starting to get worrisome. It was then I noticed something in her mouth. When I inspected further, her gums on one side was puffed. She had a sore on them and a tooth loose. We knew her gums and teeth were bad, because little dogs are notorious for having bad teeth. Since her vet knew about her teeth, I stopped by to talk to them about it and asked for an antibiotic. They agreed and sent me home with the meds. 

Oakley took the antibiotic the first two days just fine in her peanut butter, but on the third day, she knew something was up and spit it out. She was also having a hard time keeping the food she did eat down. We tried to get the antibiotic down on the 3rd day by forcing it, traumatizing her and us, then she refused her pain pills in her peanut butter. We didn't know what to do. She wasn't eating much. She was throwing up and we couldn't get her pain meds in her. 

The next day I went to buy her some broth, which would get nutrients in her and be easy on her stomach. I stopped by the vet's office and told them what was going on. They told us to stop the antibiotic and see how she did. If she was still throwing up, they could run blood work to see if the cancer had spread to her liver. After trying to force pain meds in her, we finally got her to take her Pericox in some food, but would spit out her Tramadol. We tried force it for a day or two and then decided if she was getting the Pericox in that we wouldn't risk the trauma anymore. 

Over the next week, we saw improvement. We found part of the loose tooth in the bed and on the floor.  She quit throwing up and was eating better, but all the broth was making her urinate a lot often times in the house. However, a new problem came up. She wasn't making a poo. We knew the lack of solid food and the pain meds could be working against her, but also knew that it was part of the signs the cancer could be in her liver. We were once again looking at having blood work done, but we are happy to report that is no longer an issue. She has pooed and pooed a lot. I thought we would never be excited about poo, but we were, even if it was on our bedroom carpet. 

This week has bought even more improvement. She has more energy and seems to feel better. The one pain med seems to be enough to deal with the pain she is having.  She is hungry and is wanting to want more. She is eating a little meat in broth. She is also eating a yogurt with a little sugar, vanilla flavoring, and strawberry syrup mixed in.  She is enjoying some of her favorite foods again. She is wanting to walk around outside more and is running again. 

Our sweet fur baby asleep on the pile of blankets.

This whole process is teaching me a lot. It is making me realize that there are times I need to set aside the chore I am doing and just enjoy being with my fur baby. It is teaching me to be more flexible that everything can't run according to my plans and time table. It is teaching me to be patient. It is teaching me to not worry and to let go. 

I know our time together is growing short. I know I will eventually have to say good-bye and that makes me terribly sad.  I am going to use that time we have left to love on her and be there for this little creature God gave me to take care of. She is simply my fur baby!

Memorial Day: All Gave Some & Some Gave All

On this day when we remember those that gave their lives serving and fighting for our country's freedom, I would like to pay special recognition to those that died during the Vietnam War. My daddy served in the Vietnam War and has been to visit the Wall. It impacted him by to see this country finally honoring the men and women who served and died during that War, because it was long overdue. NO, veteran asked to serve and defend our country should EVER receive the treatment our Vietnam veterans did, especially those that gave all. 

Pic via The Southwest Desert Lover.

The Wall

by Catherine Anne McNeill

I walked along that long black wall, with names as far as I could see.
Friends I knew in childhood now etched in memories.
I've touched their names so many times, remembered them with love.
I walk along, the rain pours down, tears from heaven above.

I watch a Vet, deep in thought, pain across his face.
He walks a mother to the wall; he's taken his friend's place.
She reaches out to touch a name, the one that was her son.
They pause together in the rain, their memories a bond.

The men who fought, the men who died, their names for all to see
Their lives so brief, fallen short, a page in history.
We can't forget what they had done, so many years ago.
Sacrifices they have made the bravery they showed.

I walked along that long black wall, crying in the rain.
For all those men who've touched our lives, we'll never see again.

28 May 2000

To all of those that served and died fighting for and defending our country, you have my family's sincerest gratitude! Your sacrifice will NOT be forgotten and your bravery will live on in our memories and our hearts. To those veterans that have passed on from this world to the next, thank you for the time you took out of your lives to serve and defend our country! The Sills' family honors and remembers you all!!!!

A Recap Of Our Mother's Day Weekend

We had the perfect weather for the Mother's Day Weekend. It was a little warm, but the sky was crystal blue and the sun was golden. Both of the gatherings to celebrate the special mothers in our lives were fun and relaxing. 

The celebrations started on Saturday night our DH's parent's house. Usually all of us fix a dish and serve my MIL a home cooked meal, with me organizing everything. This year I asked DH to talk to his father and see if he would get some sort of food for us and boy, did he. He also requested that I make some cookies which he thought would go well with finger foods. I made White Chocolate Walnut Cookies.

Publix has recently opened in our area and my FIL is very impressed with the place. He went to their deli and ordered a bunch of finger foods. There was so much to eat and the best thing about it was that Publix delivered it to the house. They also bought a huge cupcake cake that someone ordered but never picked up. We stuffed ourselves and then took plenty of leftovers home for lunch during the week. 

 

There was a pizza roll platter, a veggie tray with dip, croissants with different kinds of sandwich salads in them, a platter of chicken tenders, a tray of sub sandwiches, and potato salad.

All of it was delicious and all of us had our favorites.

My MIL insisted on a picture taking section and it was Mother's Day so we obeyed.

If you have a husband that has all brothers, then you will understand that DH was showboating for the benefit of those brothers in this pic. He pulled his shirt up and I was trying to pull it back down.

On Sunday morning, DH fixed the breakfast I requested for me ~ Country Ham Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, and fresh Strawberries. I found my mother's day present at my place at the table along with my card. They got me the box set of the Twilight series that I had been wanting for a long time. I love the movies but the books are so much better.

My thoughtful gift and card from my loved ones.

Sunday night, we had my parents down for supper. We didn't have a big family gathering because one of my nephews was doing his month tour with the Army Reserves, not to mention the rest of my brother's family was on the way to the beach. Even with all of that, I still wanted to do something special for my momma. 

I fixed pork tender lions, potato salad, baked beans, and watermelon. I was going to fix a coconut cream pie, but we had plenty of cookies and cupcakes from Saturday night. I knew the cupcakes would be a hit, because my momma loves grocery store icing. 

We sat our outdoor table up on our deck. I picked some flowers from my MIL's garden the night before to make a center piece for the table. The deck was nice and shady. The view was awesome and we had a really good time enjoying the beautiful weather, good food, and conservation. 

The flower arrangement

The table setting and the view.

The drink station. We served water and homemade lemonade.

The food and the desserts.

We was a wonderful weekend shared with most of our loved ones. I love days where we can simply celebrate the special people in our lives!

Catching My Breath

Good Morning!!!!!! How was everyone's Mother's Day Weekend? Mine was wonderful, but very busy with family gatherings. I am planning a recap post for Friday. I made sure to take a lot of pics over the weekend to put in a recap post. So stay tuned! 

The rest of the week, I am taking a break from posting. We are in the process of switching from well water to city water. The plumbers are coming in a day or two. I have flowers I need to dig up and move before they come or risk having them tramped on. I also am trying to get all of the laundry, including the cats blankets, washed while we are still on the well. Don't want to run the bill up right away. LOL! When you add that the washing on top of the clothes I didn't get folded over the weekend, I am looking at a HUGE pile of laundry to deal with. 

Have a wonderfully blessed week, everyone! I will be back on Friday, until then I will be living life simply! 

A Peek Inside Our Refrigerators Or Frigs

Yesterday, I showed you a peek at what I keep in my pocketbook. In keeping with that theme, I am going to share the inside of our frigs. We have two of them; one in the kitchen and one in the laundry room. 

This is our freezer section of the frig in the kitchen. It isn't usually this empty, but I have been trying to use as much as I could out of it to help save on the grocery bill. I will have to restock soon.

Door of the freezer. I have gotten lazy and stopped making Italian Bread. We don't eat as much as we use to and it is just easier to warm up a bread stick. I buy biscuits for the simple fact that I can NOT make biscuits. They never turn out tight, never. Bottom shelf contains walnuts, frozen coconut for a coconut cream pie I am making this weekend. There is meat in the Ziploc bags; a roasted pork tender lion and baked chicken.

Door of the refrigerator section. The door is where I store our eggs, butter dishes, soft butter, pickles, jams, jellies, bacon bits, and...

other condiments. Yes, we use all of these regularly.

The shelf above is what I think is called the meat drawer. It usually holds our leftovers in Pyrex containers, and fruit that DH takes to work and DD eats for breakfast. The Laughing Cow Cheese is mine. The half empty applesauce cup is Miss Oakley's. Somehow, I missed taking a pic of what was in the meat drawer and no, it isn't meat. I keep the extra butter, the slice cheese, and blocks of cheese in there.

The drink shelf beside the meat drawer.

The middles shelf and bottom shelf. More leftovers, bacon thawing for supper, salad, salad spinner full of lettuce from our garden, and a sandwich from the deli at our local store for my lunch.

In the crisper drawers are carrots, peppers, and a cucumber hidden underneath the pepper pack to prevent it from freezing.

The other drawer only has grapes in it this week.

This is the freezer door in the frig in the laundry room. The ice packs are for our work lunchboxes and the fabric thing is a herbal wrap for neck or shoulders. You can warm it up in the microwave, too.

The freezer section. This is where I store all the foods I put up and freeze from the garden and where I store leftovers to use in other meals; as well as some meats. It is emptier than it has been in a while. However, as soon as our peas start coming in, it will fill back up. There are also trays for making ice.

The door of the frig is used to store extra blocks of cheese, a container for eggs, and DH's Slim Fast,...

as well as other bottled drinks for DD's lunches.

This is the middle shelf and bottom shelf. The pan is to put meat in that we are thawing out in. We keep plenty of bottled water on hand and yes, all we drink is Cheerwine or water. I keep any extra fruit in here like the watermelon. Missed taking a pic of the top shelf, but is where I store all of our extra eggs and other items like blocks of cream cheese.

Well, that is a peek inside of our frigs and their freezers. The frigs aren't usually that full and our freezers aren't usually that empty. I took these pics right after I got groceries and I have been trying to use what we had in the freezer for meals.  To answer you next question, yes, they are always that neat, well, most of the time, anyway. That is how I roll and what my OCD tendencies demand. What's in your frig?

Living life simply and blessed by doing so!  

A Peek Inside My Pocketbook

Are you ever curious as to what other women carry in their purses or here in the South, their pocketbooks? I have to admit I have been especially when women carry really big purses. I just wonder what all they have to take with them everywhere they go. I know it is more than I want to lug around.

In the years past on other blogs, I have seen ladies post what is inside their pocketbook and decided I would revive that. So here is my pocketbook and all of its contents. 

I recently had to buy a new pocketbook. The Liz Claiborne I bought with some of my Christmas money a few years ago had seen its better days and was starting to fall apart. It had lived a hard life. I found this one a Walmart.

I liked its classy look and it was on sale. I would have preferred it in black, but was pleased with the brown. It has 3 sections to it, one of which zips shut. It also has a side pocket and a long strap for carrying it on your shoulder. I prefer using the handles and carrying it on my forearm.

 

In one of the sections, I put all of the little books I carry in. I have my "Grocery List & Expenses Book", a small book of Bible verses my brother and his wife gave me a long time ago for singing at the wedding, a small book of Bible verses for moms our church handed out one Mother's Day, and the little pink book is where I write down the errands and shopping lists (besides groceries) when I have errands to run.

In the other section, I have my wallets. The change purse is for one dollar bills and the bigger one holds all of my other financial needs. I have two cosmetics bags and a manicure set.

The contents of one of the cosmetics bags; brush, comb, small mirror,  nail clippers, nail file, chap stick, tissues, and lotion.

The other contains wet wipes, meds (Benadryl, ibuprofen, and Tyenol), band-aids, and an inhaler. The manicure set carries tweezers, clippers, and a small pair of scissors.

In the zipped section of my pocketbook is where my flip phone resides. Yes, a flip phone. I hate talking on the phone and would hate being available 24/7. So, NO fancy I Phone for me.

That's it! That is all I carry and want to carry. I keep it as simple as possible, just like the rest of my life. Living life simple is the life for me! 

What is in your pocketbook or purse? Leave me a comment and let me know! 

Life With An Aspie

How do I describe life with an Aspie? Well, it can be filled with unbelievable frustration, unimaginable hilarity, and awe struck wonder. There are moments when you just want to pull your hair out. Moments when you want to drop to the floor and roll around in laughter. There are moments with you  just shake your head because you just don't know where some of the stuff comes from. 

While many people think differently, Autism and Asperger's are classified as mental disorders much like bipolarism, depression, and schizophrenia. Genetics play a part in all of these conditions, but there are some differences. The way I understand it is that bipolarism, etc. are a result of chemical imbalances in the brain that can lead to a wide range in mood swings, paranoia, and hallucinations. Autism and Asperger's effect how the brain and the nervous system work. People with these conditions have a delay in the development of language, communication, and social interaction. The best way for me to describe Asperger's (which is a high functioning form of Autism) is they think differently than we do. I know our DD does.

For example, if you try to ask someone with Asperger's a "yes" or "no" question and expect a "yes" or "no" answer in return, all I have to say is good luck with that. You will either get a PhD dissertation or a blank stare. There is no in between. Another example is how they go about doing something. When it comes to fixing her plate for supper, DD takes FOREVER. She has so many more steps to get the food on her plate, her utensils, and drink than us, but it is the difference in the way she processes things and the way we do. 

People with Asperger's get obsessed with things that they love. They can remember the most minute detail about their obsession and recall that fact with clarity out of the blue, but often times they can't recall what you asked them to do repeatedly. It isn't done out of insubordination. It is simply because it isn't important to them. Another thing they have problems with is following more than one direction at a time. They can remember how to put together a Lego play set from memory, but can't follow two or three instructions given at one time.  

Aspie's have OCD tendencies and DO NOT like change. They like have a routine and to be on a schedule. They have their day ordered and planned out. They do this as a means of comfort and control. It also helps them cope with the anxiety they feel in any given situation. The bad thing about this is that they don't share their plans or ask others for their input, then when everything doesn't go according to their plans it spins them out of control and lead to lash out and major meltdowns. 

As a child, DD exhibited a lot of these behaviors. We were told since she was a premiere that she would have a lot of sensitivity issues, but the things we were seeing went beyond that. Often times, we contributed these behaviors to being stubborn, insubordinate, and laziness. After a meltdown, we felt like we were crazy because we couldn't really describe what was going on with her or what caused it. Little did we realize we were using some of the behavior mods that are recommended for Aspie's. 

Since her diagnosis and learning more about Asperger's, I let a lot of things. I try not to get upset when she doesn't answer a simple question with a "yes" or "no." I try to give DD one direction at a time. I don't push for perfection on somethings, simply because she isn't physically capable of it. Some of the odd behaviors that would drive me up the wall are simply ignored. They are just part of who she is. 

The one behavior we won't ignore is the anger that comes when her routine or schedule is interrupted. She gets very upset when we don't act according to her plans, plans that we aren't clued into. Plans, we are somehow to know about magically. Often her anger is taken out on me, because I am the one she is around the most. We remind her daily that her plans may not be our plans or the plans of others and that she needs to learn to let things happen. If there is a big change coming to her world, we encourage her to talk to us about it. We know that change causes her great anxiety and when that anxiety builds up, it results in a meltdown. The older she gets the better she is at sharing what is bothering her. 

The journey we have been on since DD was born has been a wild one, full of ups and downs. Full of times we thought we were crazy and the ones with the problem. Full of knowing something wasn't right, but being unable to put it into words. Full of of comfort and relief when the diagnosis was confirmed. Full of learning how to cope and learning to let go. It is a journey we wouldn't wish upon anyone, but one we wouldn't change. One where we realized "We Are Asperger's." 

If you are a parent who is struggling with a child that may be exhibiting odd behaviors that you can't really put into words or a trying to understand why your child seems to think differently or act differently than others, seek help. Ask your pediatrician or family doctor for help. Talk to special ed teachers. Talk to other parents. Advocate for child. Learn for your child and for yourself. 

Having a child diagnosised with Autism or Asperger's is a hard thing to wrap your mind around, but it is NOT the end of the world. Your world will be different and at times it may seem harsh, but the moments of joy and love will more than make up for it. Embrace the difference and be the family God designed you to be. I am confident in the belief that God wouldn't have gave us our Aspie if He didn't think we could handle it. He gave us our Aspie for a reason and we may never know why. For know it is enough for me to know and to claim "We Are Asperger's!"

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To learn more about Autism and Aspereger's Syndrome, go to the Autism Speaks website. You will find a wealth of information and it is a good place to get started. Getting and being informed is an important first step. It simply takes a leap of faith!

Snapshots: Part 8

Snapshots of life in the Spring around here at "A Life Lived Simply."

Miss Oakley resting on her bed of our throw blankets and her blankets.

Since Doc Hannah okayed Miss Oakley eating people food, here is a pic of the food she gets to eat.

I am so far behind on my weeding of my flower beds. They are a mess.

However, I am slowly making progress.

It is sad when you can't see the pretty flowers because of the weeds in front of them.

A small victory, but lots more work to be done.

All the work is worth when you see these beauties; a bearded Iris on the left and a Siberian on the right.

Some wildflowers and blackberry brambles.

I love when I can bring in fresh flowers from outside in.

Wildflowers make me happy. The white flowers are new arrivals. I have never seen them before.

I have been working on a DYI project for a while.

I will put up a post about it and reveal the finished product in a few weeks.

DH has kept himself busy by replacing parts on my car...

and learning how to build transmissions.

I have been trying out new recipes; like oven roasted asparagus and sauteed mushrooms. Both of them were Yummy!

Although we usually don't celebrate Cinco De Mayo, we decided it was a good excuse for eaitng Mexican inspired food. So I made "Everything But The Kitchen Sink Nachos".

To go with our nachos, I decided to make "Agua Fresca" which I saw being made on "Pati's Mexican Table." You can find the recipe here. 

It was refreshing and something different.

You can't go wrong with watermelon and cantaloupe.

Our Cinco De Mayo meal.

Miss Copper was stalking me as I was taking pictures.

I got a pic of the elusive Miss Bashful. She had just finished bathing herself.Both of them have been naughty. I found a dead bunny in the garden shed where they sleep at night. DH had to remove the poor thing.

Our garden beds are still a work in progress. Our lettuce and radishes are up. The onions I set out rotted in all the rain we have had, but I am NOT going to complain.

Our peas are up and so is volunteer lettuce. I still have cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers to set out.

Springtime at our simple home is just beautiful.

We have been blessed with a lot of rain which has made everything lush and green.

I love our simple life out in the country.