Recovery Day

It is recovery day here at the little house in the woods.

Bob has been doing wonderfully on the insulin regime for his diabetes! Input and output returned to normal and his usual partly obnoxious self returned :)!

Yesterday, he was scheduled for a “glucose curve” check. The idea is to monitor his blood glucose level shortly after an insulin shot and then through the day. A specific type of curve as well as levels is desired to ensure that the correct dose has been established.

Karl and I accompanied Bob in the Jeep to Whitefish with an 8:00 a.m. scheduled arrival time. We departed at 7:15….

How do mothers do this every, single day??? How do they get themselves dressed for work, a child or children dressed, everyone fed and out the door to school or day care???? They have my admiration!

So…35 mile drive in the dark and freezing fog to Whitefish. Not my favorite thing, but as we approached Kalispell – the halfway mark – the fog lifted and it was clear…well clearish. Blue sky overhead, the still nearly full, but waning moon on its descent, the Whitefish range lit in a ghostly way by the rising sun. It was a look I’d never seen and made the push out the door worthwhile…for me…

Bob rides out of his carrier, in the back of the Jeep, typically on Karl’s tail. I can’t blame him. Karl’s fluffy tail is no doubt warm and comforting. And by this time, Bob probably has an idea of our destination. Jeep rides are not usually for Bob’s enjoyment.

Fast forward to the retrieval… Karl and I arrived back at the clinic at 5:30 p.m. – dark and foggy again! – to pick up Mr. Bob. Bob’s day was not a good one. He didn’t like his accomodations, didn’t like being poked for blood, peed on the tech – AND his glucose level was off the charts – probably due to stress so the eval was useless. Based on my report of all at home, it was decided to leave the dosage as is and I will attempt to do the curve from home with a glucometer…heh…

The tech (yep, the one he peed on) could not get close to him to get him in his carrier for check out and called me to the back. Bob hissed at me, but I spoke to him, wrapped him in a towell and took him to a quiet exam room where he entered his carrier willingly and once in the car and loosed, proceeded to move to his spot on Karl’s tail for the trip home.

We all passed a restful night but yesterday took its toll.

Today, for all of us, recovery day.

On the first day of Winter

I put the snow thrower through its paces… only 2 1/2 inches of new snow, but I wanted to see if I could flatten out the ruts of frozen slush. I was partly successful – the driveway is better than it was and both the thrower and I survived the experience.

Then, a morning walk in brilliant sunshine…

On the first day of Winter.

Adventures with Christmas cookies

I had some fun yesterday! Two recipes I’ve not made before…

The little cookies are Sparkling Ginger Chip Cookies from 101 Cookbooks via a link on Paper Route Designs. Very gingery molasses with cocoa chunks rolled in turbinado sugar – little cookies with a big taste…an adult taste – not sure the kiddos would go for the ginger.

The cannoli looking things are Brandy Snaps from Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen. These were so much fun to make and not just because there was brandy involved :)!

The fun was both the ease and the transformation…

From caramel like glops…

To bubbly glops…

To cannoli-like shells! Pioneer Woman did a step-by-step on her site (Brandy Snaps Step-by-Step), but I’d never made anything like these so there is that sense of cooking adventure in trying something new and wondering if it will all end up a goopy mess that necessitates throwing away pans and spatulas and wooden spoons…

It did NOT :) !!! – Adventures with Christmas Cookies.

Sunshine on the water looks so lovely

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

John Denver “Sunshine on my shoulders”

Photo taken 12/18/2010, Wayfarer’s Park, Bigfork, MT. The morning and afternoon were gloriously sunny, although COLD at 10-16F. No one at the park but Karl and I. We meandered along the lake shore and the cliff area behind the campsites.

Sometimes, the plans, they go awry

It was a TGIF Day x 10 this Friday. We were all glad for it to be bedtime!

Three vet visits this week – 2 for Bob and 1 for Karl. Karl’s was a check up but some anomalies so we are waiting his results…Rats! But he is in good spirits and our routine has not been disrupted. The check up stuff is non-invasive and quick, but still stressful and we are both a bit exhausted when it’s over.

Bob has diabetes – I suspected based on his drinking and resulting output. It was confirmed from a Tuesday visit and yesterday we picked up insulin and I got a training session. I’ve given the “under the skin” shots before and the pen system they have for small doses of insulin is easy. Bob doesn’t even act like he feels anything and the results were obvious in several hours. I am not sure that he equates feeling better with 2 trips to the vet which involve two 70 mile round trips in the Jeep, but thankfully he didn’t hold a grudge.

My plan to keep on track and take the weekend completely off….hmmm….derailed. BUT, I am so grateful that I have a “job” that gives me the flexibility to take care of things and that there IS work…enough that I can work as much as I’d like, mostly when I’d like. AND, I enjoy the work and my work group and my work environment. So although not what I planned for the weekend, I will enjoy the work, a smaller amount of baking (gotta have some cookies!!), a walk with Karl through Bigfork and at least a little time in front of the fire even if it includes the computer :)!

Saturday morning as I write this… It is the week before Christmas: Christmas carols are playing, the house smells of cinnamon and cloves, the fire is popping, there is still some snow on the ground, Karl and Bob are feeling well and so am I.