Castle in the Clouds

The dog and I both had dentist appointments yesterday for teeth cleanings.  While my appointment turned up a crack in a couple of old cavities, one of which will require a crown (ouch!), I was at least able to walk out of my appointment without feeling miserable.  Not so for this little fella.. Cash's cleaning turned into a tooth-pulling frenzy.  He lost a total of fifteen (15!!) teeth yesterday.  The rot was so advanced in some of the teeth that an infection had spread throughout his little mouth and into his blood stream.  If we wouldn't have taken him in to the vet for this cleaning, we may have lost him.  According to the vet, the infection would have eventually worked its way to his heart and given him a heart attack. For the next five days he's on a liquid only diet of chicken noodle soup and water; he is not happy about this decision and is convinced he's starving to death.  There is a lot of whining and pacing back in forth in front o...

This is our Brittany. She's been with us since the summer of 1995.  We were vacationing "up north" the summer after our wedding and found a box full of puppies outside the local grocery store.  She was so tiny then.  And so shy.  And we just had to bring her home with us. Three years later, she could no longer count herself the baby of the family.  She had been overthrown by a dark-haired crying thing that she really didn't like.  It took a long time for her to quit pouting. Eventually she came to like and even love our first born, especially when he could start playing with her.  Of course, as the family dog, she also found herself enduring things like this... Of course, this doesn't happen all that much anymore.  She's too old to be used as a pillow.  It's obvious when she walks that things hurt.  I'm not sure how much longer we'll have her with us.  All I know is that my boys are going to be heartbroken whe...

It was a beautiful night for trick-or-treating. No rain, no snow. Instead, we had moderate temperatures and clear skies. A light jacket was enough to keep the chill off. Before walking around town, though, we made a detour to Grandma & Grandpa's house. For the first time I can remember, both boys let me paint their faces. I got quite a kick out of it despite the time limits I was given. Our last taste of Halloween came just last night, almost a week after the official holiday.  This time mom and dad dressed up, too! And the boys opted for the quick-and-easy costumes from years past instead of suffering through another face-washing ordeal.

You know, all things considered, work hasn't been bad.  In some ways, it's even been a blessing.  It's forced me to continue the business of everyday life.  Get out of bed, shower, get dressed, do my hair and makeup.  One foot in front of the other until I'm out the door and on my way.  It's provided routine and familiarity in a time of great sorrow and high anxiety. That being said, thank goodness it's Friday!  I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.  Sure, there's a certain house that I know needs cleaning and the laundry will NEVER be caught up, but I get to sleep in.  I may have overdue homework to finish and new assignments to begin, but that's okay because I get to sleep in!  Oh, how I love a few extra hours with my pillows and blankets. It's what makes Saturdays and Sundays so precious. Other plans this weekend include an After-Halloween party.  We declined invitations to several other festive gatherings this year because...

This year's solitary Halloween decoration. It was a miserable September and it's been an even worse October, which pretty much made it impossible for me to feel any desire when it came time to decorate my house for Halloween.  So much so, that we didn't even carve pumpkins this year.  I posted as much on Facebook this morning.  A couple of hours later, Ken showed up with this adorable flower arrangement at my office door.  I love it.  I'm looking forward to taking it home and putting it in the center of my kitchen table, a little belated Halloween spirit. Hopefully, I'll have pictures of a terrifying 10-year-old zombie and a brave gladiator to post either later tonight or early tomorrow.

Tragedy has a way of forcing you to look at your life with a critical eye.  It makes you evaluate between what you think is important from what is truly important.  In the wake of Sean's death, I have found myself doing that very thing.  Although this list is by no means comprehensive, it is a start.  These are the things I am going to make every effort to do with regularity and enthusiasm.  Spend more quality time with Ken and the boys.   As a family we often share the same physical space, but we're continually distracted by our individual interests.  Ken is never without his phone or laptop, the boys are rarely without their computers or PSPs, and I always have a book or computer in my hands.  While I can't see any of us giving up these things, I don't think it's unreasonable for us to designate one night a week where we spend time doing a family activity like playing a board game or something. Record the memories we make.  There a...

On Thursday, October 20, 2011, my family lost someone very dear in a tragic hunting accident.  The circumstances surrounding his death seem unimportant in the grand scope of things.  All that really seems to matter to us, his family, is that he's gone forever.  It hurts to look into a future without him.  It hurts to think of all the things he's going to miss, all the things his family - his wife and two beautiful, wonderful children - are going to do without him by their sides.   What we have right now, what we cling to in our heartache, are the memories.  I think it's important to share those memories in order to keep him alive in our hearts and minds.  During the memorial service I wanted to stand up at the podium and tell everyone how Sean touched my life, as well as the lives of my husband and children.  I wasn't strong enough that day to say the things I wanted to say.  So, while I sit here with tears streaming down my face and ...