SNOWBALL AND JANIE

Tonights blog is going to be short for two reasons.  I made some more Shimmering-Batik pieces and I took them over to my friends to show them to her.  I was going to take pictures of these and put them on the blog but I forgot them at her house.  It's a sign of age, I believe, but I blame her because she gave me some chocolate cupcakes that she made and I think I was more interested in the cupcakes.

"CHOCOLATE IS THE REASON SOMEONE INVENTED CONTROL TOP PANTYHOSE"

I don't know who said that but I love it.

SNOWBALL

A couple weeks ago my younger sister came out to visit and we had a really good time.  The only thing she worried about at home was Snowball her dog.  She's a Cockapoo and a smart one. This dog had my sister trained so well it was unreal.  When Susie would get on the phone, Snowball would start barking because she knew Susie would throw her treats to keep her quiet so she could talk.  How smart is that?  This dog loved popcorn.

Snowball was not allowed to go in the dining room or up the stairs, she had a bad leg. So Susie kept a gate up so the dog wouldn't climb the stairs.  When it rained or thundered, the dog pushed the gate over and went upstairs to sleep with the family.  She could do that anytime but stayed in her bed when things were calm.

  Susie and her best friend Leslie ( a veterinarian) went together and got Snowball 15 years ago when the dog was only a couple weeks old.  Leslie gave her the ok to buy the dog after she checked it out.  Leslie has been on hand all these years to help Susie every time she had a problem with Snowball.  She's a really sweet girl and has been a great help to Susie because Susie is a teacher and works a lot.  Older animals require more time and it's hard when you work.

About a year ago Snowball started having heart problems and yesterday her heart wasn't beating right and she had trouble breathing and other parts of her body started shutting down.

This morning Leslie put Snowball to sleep.

Goodnight Snowball.  Sweet Dreams

You were a good old girl.

JANIE

I have a friend back in Wisconsin who turned 95 last Tuesday.  I've known her since I was 5 years old and I'm 63 now.  The last 20 years Janie has been a big part of my life.  Since we moved to Arizona I talk to her on the phone for an hour every Saturday and "we chew the rag" as Janie would say.  I go back and spend a week with her every summer.  We go out to dinner every night and she has her martini.  We go riding during the day because her legs aren't good.  She says from the waist up she's 39 and from the waist down she's 95.  She's been living in the same house for 60 years.  Never married.  She remembers the first purse she ever bought, every boss she ever had, when she had her teeth pulled, how much she made on her first job, what it cost for a pair of shoes, etc.  I can't even remember what I had for lunch.  Wish I liked martinis, maybe that would help.

Well, the sad news is that, Janie is going to a nursing home this Wednesday.  She's fallen a couple of times and can't make her meals anymore.  She's very scared and I wish I could be there to help her.  Janie has been my sounding board for 25 years.  She's the one I call when I need an answer and when life throws me things I'm not sure how to handle.

I wish everyone could meet her, she's an inspiration.

This is Janie just last summer in a fancy shirt I bought her.  We were getting ready to step out on the town.

She has to give up the house and everything in it but a chair and a table.  She keeps saying "Life has been good and thank goodness for Smirnoff".

See you soon Janie

YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE SHORT, WILL NEVER HAPPEN :O).