Drains. December. And Andrew

 

My shower...
Wait, it figures in, I promise.
(Casey's rubber ducky)...

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Good Morning, and Happy December!

Not sure how much snow we got- Maybe about 3 or 4 inches of the white fluffy stuff... Hard to tell as it blows around the yard.
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Last night before it really started coming down hard.

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And this morning,
just as the dawn was breaking...

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It is currently 26 degrees-
Not so bad until you figure in the 'breeze'; which will be about 20 mph all day; and gusting to 30.
That adds a bit more chill to being outside.

I am thinking that I do not wish to get out and shovel until the winds die down.
(With any luck, that might be next March).

hehehe

I woke yesterday with a bit of a migraine-
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I took my little pills, and still my head could have gone either way.

I decided to go stand in a warm shower for a while. But first ran the washer full of water so it could wash a load while I was showering.

The day got a little better as I emptied the pockets of a pair of jeans I had thrown in the hamper...
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hehehe
I always LOVE these little 'finds'...

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I load the washer and start the load.
I get in the shower and let the warm water run all over my head.

Getting out of the shower I hear the laundry still agitating.
This is good timing, as I have been caught every now and then still in the tub when it goes to rinse- (Generally a very HOT awakening).

As I towel dry, the washer goes into it's first drain cycle. My washer drains outside through the sump pump hosing...

Suddenly I hear the darn thing draining all over my back entrance.
(That #@%!ing hosing must have froze up on me).

Since I am naked as the morning I was born, there is no way I am dashing back there to shut the darn thing off either.
(The increased B/P does nothing to help my head)...
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Kind of a drastic way to bring up the humidity on the house.
Oh well.

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Punk growls more than a few times at the noise coming through the register from the back entrance.
With her ears perked up, crooked, and cockeyed, she is just not quite sure what she was ready to protect me from either.

I throw on a pair of sneakers and go back there, knowing I would not like what I would see. There are pretty little bubble suds all over, and almost reaching to the basement steps.
I tiptoe through the water and suds, and shut the washer off.
As I peek out the back door, not a single drop of graywater has made it out the end of that drainhose.

The high yesterday was to get to about 33 degrees, so I had to wait to finish that load until the hose thawed out.

Back to the bathroom then, damning the drain in the back, Punk knew that those cockeyed ears needed cleaning as she surveyed what I had grabbed from the closet.
Yes, her paws needed a bit of attention too...
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She is not real big on this but knows she gets a nice treat after,
So she humors me anyway.

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The back entrance drained very slowly, and my rug was completely drenched...
I pitched it out the back door sometime yesterday afternoon- after I'd tired of the Packer Game (rare).

As I tossed that rug out, I noticed that i had never put the winter window in the screen door. So that got done too.

A bit warmer back there now- those breezes I'd spoken of earlier will be coming straight at that door.
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Since I am not decorating this year,
perhaps I'll just hang a bulb out my window
onto the shrubs...
?

(Photos courtesy of Snowstorm Andrew)...

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I'd better close- I still have a laundry room floor to scrub, snow to move, and that rug (now buried and frozen solid) to find and hang on the line.

Love to all-
Have a Mah~velous Monday!

XOXO
Me

Web Counter

Originally posted to my Y! 360, Monday December 1, 2008 - 08:22am (CST)

Define "Grim" ...

Good Evening!
Just a note to let you all know I am still alive- Just got in from playing with the dogs. (They have not harmed themselves, or me, lately). They did however make me throw around a busted frisbee, and a couple of squeak balls for a long time.
"Long" in this weather is how long it takes me to get freezie fingers. (About half an hour tonight).
It is 29° right now.
Snow/Ice in the forecast for the game tomorrow. But the worst of that storm is going to be way south of us here. (Sure hope they're right about that).

I am still giggling, having gotten to my little horoscopes a bit late today.

Here is the first one...

Dear Anne,

Here is your Daily Cancer GreenScope for
Saturday, November 29:

Your sense of grace, sensitivity and sound judgment will come in handy when you receive the most grim holiday gift ever.
A lie or honesty?
Skirt the issue, but always write a thank-you note. That's where your creativity comes in really handy.
Acknowledge the good intentions.
Remember: it's the thought that counts: 'Thanks for the lovely rug. It'll look great in my basement!

So I wait-
Ever so cautiously, I checked the mailbox for anything "grim".
Maybe bills are "grim" ?

And then this one too...

Dear Anne,
Here is your horoscope
for Saturday, November 29:

You may be somewhat overcommitted today or it could just be that your schedule doesn't allow for enough private time. Try to grab a few moments here and there to re-center yourself.

A "few moments" ?
hehehe
So I "centered" myself on the couch, and took a nap.

Hope your Saturday was better than "grim" !

XOXO
Me

PS
Silly question here.
Why does frisbee always come up under spell check as wrong?

Awesome Card/Talent ~Happy Thanksgiving~

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=WQ26144948
Please click on the above link...

Turkey in the Straw - animated Flash ecard by Jacquie Lawson

(Thank You Aunt Marlene)!

XOXO
Anne

This Says It All...

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From my home to yours...
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XOXO
Anne

;-)

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Hospitals and Dog Fights

Casey and Punk
They (almost) look innocent.

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Good Morning Everyone;
I am very tired today. 
(As are the two troublemakers pictured above)...

First and foremost, Casey was back at the hospital last night, treated for her pancreatic pain; and released in the wee hour of the morning.
The doctors in the ER at St. Marys know her now, and do not hesitate to treat.
There seem to be no further stupid questions about her nonexistent drinking, or (also nonexistent) illegal drug use.

I have spoken to her this morning. She sounds rough. Too little sleep and way too much breakthrough pain. She will be calling her Dr. shortly to let him know all of this.

Mr. Miller came yesterday. And since all the snow has arrived, I hadn't the heart to put him where he couldn't find dry ground. So I put him out by Miss Milly. They need to be amenable to each other because Milly will be residing at his house while we are gone for Caseys surgery.
And yes, they get along quite well.(And always have).

I let Punk outside yesterday afternoon as I went to shake a rug.
Looking at the 3 dogs so cute, I thought to come back inside to grab the camera.

But didn't.

***
Keep in mind now that the following all happened within a time span of about 15~20 seconds.

As I shook that silly rug, there was a most godawful noise.
I turn to look to the dogs.
They are fighting.
This is NOT rough housing and fun.
It is scary- something with a 'Cujo' air.
No wagging of the tails, indeed they are moving, but sure not in a good way.
Accompanied by this terrible throaty and menacing growling.
(By the time I had taken that all in, I was already hollering and running toward them).
My yelling and cursing did nothing to phase them.

I know it is not good to come between two fighting dogs.
I do so anyway.

I grab the old broom by the kennel, swing and yell at the same time.
With my legs between them, they separate; but they do not move away from each other.
Both dogs every hair standing straight on end, while their eyes were still locked on each other.

No one moves.
Well except for me...

I run my mouth once more, (adrenalin charged Tourettes); and forcibly move one away from the other.

Still hollering, I continue moving this dog toward the house...
She is walking kind of lame.
As is her mother.

Yes, it was Punk and Milly!

WTfreakin'H?

And it is over as soon as it had begun.

My question to you who have multiple dogs...
Has this ever happened between your own dogs?
And if so, what to do about it???

Milly is not in heat.
Punk has always run out to play with her mother.

They are BOTH females, but that should not be a problem.

I realize too that with emotions running high around my house now my dogs feel that also whether we think we 'show' it or not.

But still !!!!

I am always the first to remind people never to say "not MY dog" (for that is as stupid as it is ignorant and silly).

And I also know that sometimes we have a tendency to forget that first and foremost these dogs are "animals" .

I have NO idea what set them off.
I am very thankful that I did not come inside and grab my camera. Those extra seconds would have cost them dearly; (probably myself as well).

The next time that Punk went outside, I was right there. Again she rambled up to Mamas kennel. Again the fur stood, and she was led away.

This morning all is well... ?

Please let me know what may have caused this? They both get along with Mr. Miller, and there have never been any other skirmishes.

Just one more damn thing to worry about.

Love to all.

XOXO
Anne

free hit counters

Woman's dog found dead in oven

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local_wluk_greenbay_womans_dog_found_dead_in_oven_200811251730_rev1
Is there anything more sickening than this?
Are your dogs even safe IN YOUR OWN HOME anymore?
Is this a case for reinstatement of the death penalty? (I think so).

I am aghast that this happens in Green Bay, (not that it would be any less nauseating in any other town/country).

Read if you can, but know this is not for weak stomachs.

GREEN BAY - 'Hulk' was a five-month old Pekinese/Poodle. Its owner, Alex Rouse, says she came home and her house was smoky. That is when she and a friend found 'Hulk' in the oven.

Authorities say it happened on the 800 block of Elmore Street at around three o'clock Sunday morning. Green Bay Police are investigating it as a burglary and a cruelty to animals case.

Investigators do not know if the dog was alive or not when someone put it in the oven. The case is still under investigation and at this point, police are not identifying any potential suspects. Authorities say it is important to stop this kind of crime before it gets even more serious.

"If it escalates to a crime upon a person instead of an animal, you don't know what the individual's intent was in regards to this," said Captain Karl Fleury with Green Bay Police. "So of course, it does concern us because it is a heinous act."

If you know anything about this case, please call the Green Bay Police Department. Their number is (920) 448-3200.


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Rest in Peace, Little Hulk, and KNOW that there are those of us who would have done ANYthing to help you.
And may your owner be able to get over this... somehow, but for the Grace of God.

(Picture is my Miss Milly and her puppies. 3/28/06).

Black Friday Cheat Sheet (Here's the ads).

http://www.black-friday.net/
I stay home (and hide), far from the maddening crowds...
Save your money on the papers, here are the links for you.
(Thanks Beep).




BLACK FRIDAY AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW

Due to the weak economy, desperate retailers are putting their Black Friday deals online earlier than ever. See the list of the latest Black Friday specials that are available to purchase right now without having to wait until Thursday.

Stay home and CLICK HERE to see online ads:
http://www.black-friday.net/online/

OR,
Do you shop at any of these stores?
Click to see these IN~STORE ads! http://www.black-friday.net/

Black Friday Ads

* 6ave (38)
* AAFES (98)
* Abt Electronics
* Ace Hardware (57)
* Amazon.com (3)
* American Eagle
* Apple Store
* Avenue.com
* Babies R Us (34)
* Banana Republic (1)
* Barnes & Noble
* Bass Pro Shops (50)
* Bath & Body Works (1)
* Bealls
* BestBuy (329)
* BJ's (45)
* Borders
* Boscovs
* Brookstone
* Buckle.com (14)
* Burlington Coat Factory (42)
* Buy.com
* Cabelas (139)
* Circuit City (456)
* CompUSA
* Craft Warehouse (56)
* CVS (58)
* dELiAs
* Dell Home (29)
* Dell Small Business (1)
* Dicks Sporting Goods (43)
* Disney Store
* EBgames
* EMS
* Factory Card & Party Outlet (13)
* Fashion Bug
* Finish Line
* Fred's
* Fry's
* GameStop (152)
* Gander Mountain (72)
* Gap
* Half Price Books (5)
* Harbor Freight (111)
* hhgregg (12)
* Home Depot (189)
* Ikea (33)
* JC Penney (249)
* JoAnn Fabrics (126)
* Jos. A Bank (8)
* J&R (2)
* KB Toys (98)
* Kmart (503)
* Kmart Thanksgiving (156)
* Kohls (540)
* Lane Bryant
* Limited Too
* Linens-N-Things (39)
* Lowe's (131)
* Macys (158)
* Meijer (385)
* Menards (79)
* Michaels
* Micro Center
* Modells
* Navy Exchange (40)
* Newegg.com (1)
* New York & Company (13)
* Northern Tool (162)
* Office Depot (92)
* OfficeMax (65)
* Old Navy (12)
* Overstock.com (1)
* Pacific Sunwear (17)
* Payless ShoeSource
* PepBoys (12)
* PETCO
* PETsMART
* Radio Shack (102)
* Rite Aid (49)
* Ritz Camera (75)
* Sam's Club (59)
* Sears (682)
* ShopKo
* Sony
* Sports Authority (210)
* Staples (175)
* Target (178)
* The Great Indoors
* Things Remembered
* Tiger Direct
* Tommy Hilfiger (5)
* Toys R Us (256)
* Toys R Us Big Toy Book (330)
* Tractor Supply Company (152)
* Value City
* Vitamin Shoppe
* Walgreens (22)
* Walmart (241)
* Zales

Category List

* Automotive (71)
* Clothing & Apparel (1023)
* Computer Accessories (233)
* Desktops & Laptops (60)
* Digital Cameras (193)
* Digital Media (94)
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* Holiday Items (290)
* Home (948)
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* Video Games (489)

http://www.black-friday.net/

Do YOU Like Broccoli? (With Heads Looking at You)?

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Found: Little Heads in the Broccoli
Tuesday November 18, 2008
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Don't worry, this is hardly as disturbing as finding a severed finger -- or even pretending to find a human finger -- in your Wendy's Chili.
It seems that for years, Cascadian Farm's frozen food labels have featured tiny little heads on the packaging, so small they can only be seen by people who firmly believe subliminal advertising is rotting their brains.

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Look in the forest of broccoli, perhaps with a magnifying glass and you will see these microscopic vegetable gnomes. The Bread and Honey blog pointed this out (found via Weird Universe), and recently got this reply:

"The tradition of hiding names or faces on Cascadian Farm packaging began over a dozen years ago," said Leah Giovanni. "It was unspoken tribute by the package design department to the friends & family of Cascadian Farm. The faces won’t be included on our redesigned packaging."

I had to rush down to my local Food Emporium, and see it for myself. And I could hear the little heads laughing at me. I handled the package so long, I felt compelled to buy it.

You win this round, Cascadian Farm. Guess what I'm having for lunch.

Photo ©Cascadian Farm

http://weirdnews.about.com/b/2008/11/18/found-little-heads-in-the-broccoli.htm

TOO FUNNY!!!
Now go eat your veggies!

XOXO
Anne

Over the River, and...

 

Miss Milly, spying the rabbits

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Good Morning All;
I hope you had a 'wunnaful' weekend!
And to those of you who shared my dinner last night, I thank you!
(I also must thank Jenny Mella who made it all possible)!
CLICK HERE if you missed dinner; (see comment section)...
hehehe

Another night that I could have slept all the way through had Punk not been a very persistent child at 2AM. Sitting up, taking note, I hear her Mama Milly out in the entrance... So out they go.
I wander out with the dogs, looking up and seeing the stars; and wondering if once more the weatherman had been wrong.
They had predicted a bit of snow; beginning as that slushy mix, and ending with a little snow on the ground.
But like I said, it wasn't going to happen, after all the skies were clear.

Back to bed. Woken once more by the dogs about 7.
Punk generally gets fed at 5AM and 5 PM. (7 was pushing it for her fat little hungry tummy).
But outside first.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear...
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Certain that I am sleepwalking or dreaming, I look northward
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Then southward...
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My back hurts just THINKING about it!
What a difference a few hours makes!
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So out I go to shovel the snow!

Have a grand Monday!

XOXO
Me

Free Hit Counter

Originally posted on my Y! 360, Monday November 24, 2008 - 09:29am (CST)

Another Saturday Night...,

 

This is what I woke up to Saturday morning.
WAY too early for these temps...

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Good Morning, (in a very literal sense);
Did the title bring back a song to your mind?

I had to run to town today. Dog food, (and a few groceries for me too). When I take my Xanax to go anywhere, it always leaves me so completely exhausted when I get back home. I came home, ate a bite, and slept for 3 hours. Probably needed it though, as I'd woken up about midnight last... and stayed up.
Here it is, middle of the night once more, and I am wide~eyed and bushy~tailed.

Speaking of tails... (Let's go with "white" tails). This is the first weekend of (gun) deer hunting in Wisconsin. I am under strict orders to make some venison sloppy joes, some roasts, and some steaks.
(Yeah, but first I need to see the darned venison)!
hehehe
Gee; how come Randy didn't see the humor in that?

And so, the dogs are fit to be tied. There will be no trips to the woods, and very little running around outside for the next ten days. Safer that way.
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Some 300+ pounds of pooches here.
And they think I can just reach over them and open that door?
And yes, there IS a pecking order. (Me first).
hehehe

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Because they have learned that I cannot run in three directions at once; I have learned now that one, (and only one), of them goes out at a time.
(So there).

Casey had an appointment on Wednesday afternoon to discuss her transplant procedure with her doctor at the clinic. This went extraordinarily well. And finally to have one doctor in town up to speed about this all. He has spoken at length with Dr. Sutherland in Minnesota. Kinda nice to talk to a doctor that is at least briefed on the surgery. As you know, we have dealt with some highly ignorant doctors.
Not all their fault either because the standard rule of thumb (anywhere); is to treat the pancreatic pain, in the hopes that each attack will be the last.
We all know it hasn't happened that way for Casey, and that her attacks just keep steamrolling on her- Closer between attacks, and more painful each time.
Her Fentanyl 50 µg/h do seem to do a nice job keeping her pain down to a more manageable level; though she still must take the vicoden for her breakthrough pain.
Onward to December 18th

She came out to the house after her appointment. Punk wanting to ride back home with her.
Mr Miller stayed in my little truck with me.
Miller didn't pay any attention, (not knowing where Punk had gone to). But check out Punk as Casey was following me down 54.
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Mirror shot

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When I'd fallen asleep earlier, I had not yet let Miss Milly back inside for the night. She was even a bit upset with me for that...
...She wanted her dinner and a bit of "liquified" water.
Well, OOPS.
She is much happier now.

Time for me to close, and maybe steal a few more Zzz's.
Have a 'wunnaful' Sunday!

XOXO
Anne

Free Web Counter

Originally posted to my Y! 360, Sunday November 23, 2008 - 12:41am (CST)

Do YOU have them all? Statehood coin series rolls to the end

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081122/GPG0101/811220605/1207/GPG01
Statehood coin series rolls to the end

Sorting through a week's worth of pocket change has been a decade-long ritual for Rick Steeber and his daughters Ariel and Libby. Their prey: new 50-state quarters.
Advertisement

That tradition is ending with the U.S. Mint's release of the 50th quarter in the series — Hawaii. The Steebers, of De Pere, only need Alaska — released in August — and the new Hawaii quarter to complete their collection.

"We've been working on it since it started in 1999," Steeber said. "I come home and put the quarters in my pocket into the box that the (coin holder) map came in and once a week or so we sit down and see what we've got. If we have a new one, we put it in the board a certain way."

Ariel, now 19, misses the sessions while off at college. Libby, 15, reaps the reward of the extra quarters, Steeber said.

The 50 state quarters are far too common to be worth more than 25 cents, said Mike Schiller, owner of Allouez Rare Coin Gallery, 2221 S. Webster Ave.

The U.S. Mint pressed more than 400 million of each state coin; some state mintages surpassed 1.5 billion coins. Wisconsin's quarter, released in October 2004, has images of a cow, a cheese round and an ear of corn along with the state motto "Forward."

The Mint made 453 million Wisconsin coins.

The state quarter program has sparked a renaissance in coin collecting, Schiller said.

"In 1999, I made more money selling albums and the plastic containers for the coins than I did selling gold and silver that year," Schiller said. He still sells 40 or 50 rolls of 50 state quarters — one or two at a time — after they are issued.

"A lot of people came in and started collecting quarters and have moved on to bigger and greater things," Schiller said. "We have dozens and dozens of new customers because of it."

The program has been a success because it is a cheap way to start a collection — $12.50 for a complete set, said Roger Bohn, president of the Nicolet Coin Club.

"I think it excited a whole nation … it's educational," said Bohn, of Ashwaubenon. "Just the other day I saw a gal at the golf course with her two children there looking for quarters to put in their books."

For the Steebers, treasure sometimes came in unexpected places.

"I got my Wisconsin coins in Indiana on the way back from Florida," he said. "It's really been fun tradition … a family project."

*AMEN* ~~Catholics and Muslims~~

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USTRE49T54420081106
Catholics and Muslims to fight terror and defend faith.
Thu Nov 6, 2008 3:31pm By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Catholic and Muslim leaders at unprecedented Vatican meetings vowed on Thursday to jointly combat violence committed in God's name, to defend religious freedom and to foster equal rights for minority faith groups.

After three days of meetings, the 58 scholars and leaders -- 29 from each faith -- issued a joint declaration that also appealed for respect for religious figures and symbols.

The meetings came two years after the pope gave a speech hinting Islam was violent and irrational, sparking angry protests in the Middle East. The Muslim participants formed a group to challenge that and seek better mutual understanding.

The joint manifesto, A Common Word, called for dialogue based on shared principles of love of God and neighbor.

"We profess that Catholics and Muslims are called to be instruments of love and harmony among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism, especially that committed in the name of religion, and upholding the principle of justice for all," said the statement describing the talks as "warm and convivial."

Religious minorities were "entitled to their own places of worship, and their founding figures and symbols they consider sacred should not be subjected to any form of mockery or ridicule," it said.

The Vatican has long defended minority Christians in places such as Saudi Arabia, where they cannot worship publicly, and urged safety for Iraqi Christians. Muslims in western countries say they face discrimination and suspicion by the majority.

The declaration's words about avoiding mockery or ridicule reflected continued Muslim concern about the 2005 publication in a Danish newspaper of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad that sparked violent protests in the Islamic world.

VAST FIELD FOR COOPERATION

Earlier in the day, Pope Benedict received the delegations at the Vatican and said the faiths should cooperate much more.

"There is a great and vast field in which we can act together in defending and promoting the moral values which are part of our common heritage," the German-born pope said.

"Let us resolve to overcome past prejudices and to correct the often distorted images of the other which even today can create difficulties in our relations," he added.

The Abu Dhabi-based Bishop of Arabia Paul Hinder said he discussed with Muslim delegates the Vatican wish's to build churches in Saudi Arabia for Catholic migrant workers there.

"I don't think we'll get any right away, but things are changing," he told journalists.

The Vatican has also participated in interfaith talks launched this year by Saudi Arabian King Abdullah, who will meet at the United Nations in New York next week with other heads of state to further promote his initiative.

These and other dialogues reflect a new urgency Muslim leaders have felt after the September 11 attacks, the "clash of civilizations" theory and the pope's 2006 speech in Regensburg showed a widening gap between the world's two largest faiths.

Benedict said the Catholic-Muslim Forum, the official name for this dialogue now set to take place every two years, was "now confidently taking its first steps."

The Catholic delegation included Vatican officials, Catholic scholars of Islam and bishops leading minority communities in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and the Gulf states. Three were women.

The Common Word group, an independent union of Islamic thinkers from across the Muslim word, sent Sunni and Shi'ite religious leaders and scholars from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and western countries, including two women.

Ingrid Mattson, a convert who heads the largest Muslim organization in North America, said the Common Word represented "the broad mainstream of the Muslim world ... Those who oppose us, their voices will become increasingly marginalized."

___

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___

Isn't it about time?

PEACE!

XOXO
Anne

If You Don't Like to Read, You Shouldn't Be Here.

Ahead? Behind?

 
High~Bush Cranberries

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Good Evening!
I am not sure if I am ahead of the game with this entry- or severely behind (most probably), but am going to post my ten thoughts today.
After all, SOMEWHERE it is already Tuesday...

1.

A bit of a complaint with the weatherman today, but otherwise no huge news.
He says we were only to get to 32° today, tomorrow too.
(But hey, the sun was shining so at least it looked nice out there).
To get down to about 17° tonight.

A good time for something spicy,
(and just a little hot)!

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Chili?
Smells good enough to eat!

(OK, so I cheated and used an old photo.
But "Mmm" anyway)!

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2.

I slept nearly until 11 this morning. (Forget the fact that I didn't actually fall asleep until after 4AM).
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Punk, quite young, in Mama Milly's house
Yeah, my sleeping was kind of like that!

And I wonder if I'll sleep tonight?

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3.

Dogs?
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Mr. Miller did not come over today...
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He is very sad about that...

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Miss Milly is in the entrance.

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Yeah. Not so sad!

And I didn't even have to fight with her (overmuch).
She piddled, and came straight in!
It is just So breezy out there, and I worry too much.

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4.

Oh I said "Breezie"
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May on the left- Breeze on the right.

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The teaser last week, about what had happened to her. (I am almost positive you may remember this photo.)?
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Seems Kelli's horse "Breezie" was a bit under the weather.

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And after seeing her sick, Kelli decided to call the vet...
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After checking Breeze over, front to back and top to bottom,
the vet mentioned some "high colonic"

OK, so that is not what she called it;
it's only my own loose interpretation.
hehehe
.
.
The teaser photo above (with the nasal gastric tube)
was to be able to put warm water,
down the poor horses throat.

.
.
Let's not forget that GALLON of Mineral Oil
That Casey and Kelli prepared.
.
.


.
.


OOF!..
(I don't think I would have drank it willingly either).

.Time to pump...

.

While Miss May (and everybody else) looks on...

.
.

Miss Breezie was NOT impressed though...

.
.

But all was well once again...
.
.

Incidentally, I took this picture a mere millisecond
before Breeze bit Miss May HARD
...and sent her scampering.

.
.

Casey and Kelli...
(Both of them sicker than Breeze too)-

.
.

A "job" well done Girls!

.
.
5.

Speaking of a job well done,
we now have our (Flintville Version) of The Bridge to Nowhere.
.
.

This was a lot of hard work for a Saturday too.

.
.

And we had just the right amount of help.

.
.

"Oh for Heavens sake boys,
A little to the south please?"

.
.

.
.

There always has to be some damn fool taking pictures too.
(What's up with that, I wonder)???

.
.

But Miss Punk likes it...
And that's all that matters.

.

.
6.

Following Photo borrowed from the Anne Geddes collection.
.
.

I am sure you all remember Baby Mariah?

.
Her mama Micki posted an update on her CaringBridge website a few days ago. In that posting, she shared that she had seen a medium to contact Mariah. Mariah came through loud and clear.
She has taken a bit of chastisement for it.
Please CLICK HERE to visit Baby Mariah's site, (keeping in mind that if you haven't anything good to say, then please don't write anything).


7.

If you are new here there are a few things you might need to know about me regarding the paranormal.
Please CLICK HERE to read of my own beliefs and experiences. (Yes, there are a few pictures).


8.

Also if you are new, and do not know me very well; please take a moment or two to CLICK HERE to try to understand where I come from, and what is in my heart and soul. (I have transferred all comments from my original posting on my Y! 360).
.
.
9.

Another thought crossed my mind today... All of the times that Casey has been hospitalized in Green bay, the hospital has ALWAYS asked what parish/congregation she belongs to, and if she would like a visit from them. She always tell them it is Celebration. (I thought it was called Bayside, but she has corrected me on that).
Anyway, NOT ONCE has anyone from that church ever even contacted her while she was hospitalized, let alone visited her or administered to her. That's plain weird, especially around here.

10.

It is chilly and I believe I would rather be in Alabama.

~~~~~~

Hope all is well with everyone!
I must go eat my chili now!

My love to all.

XOXO
Anne

Free Counters

Originally posted to my Y! 360, Monday November 17, 2008 - 07:34pm (CST)

Islet Cell

The islet cells within the pancreas are those that are responsible for producing insulin.
These are the cells they are hoping to find happy and healthy within Caseys diseased pancreas, and to remove them. Transplanting them into her liver.

(Photo courtesy of T.C. Brelje and R.L. Sorenson).

Roping A Deer-

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

This, from my email...

"Roping A Deer"
(Names have been removed to protect the UNEDUCATED!) --

*****



*

I had this idea that I was going to rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it.

The first step in this adventure obviously was getting a deer.

I figured since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), that it should not be difficult to rope one; get up to it and toss a bag over its head. (to calm it down).
Then I would hog tie it; and transport it home.


I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope.


(The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it).


After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up -- 3 of them.
I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope.

That darn deer just stood there and stared at me.

I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.

The deer still just stood and stared at me.
(But you could tell that it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation).


I took a step towards it...
...It took a step away.

I put a little tension on the rope; and then received quite an education.


The first thing that I learned is that while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.


That deer freakin' EXPLODED.


The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt.
A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity.
A deer? Not a chance.

That damn thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled.

There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it.

(As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined).


The only up side is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, the deer was finally tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. (It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the huge gashes in my head).

At that point, I had completely and utterly lost my taste for corn-fed venison.
I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slowly and painfully somewhere.

There was no love at all between me and that deer.
And at that moment, I hated the thing.
(I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual).


Despite the gashes about my head and face, (and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by violently bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground), I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in.
I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder.
...This was a little trap I had set beforehand, (very much like a squeeze chute).


I got it to back in there; and I started moving up so I could get my rope back...

What I got was even MORE "education"

Did you know that deer bite?
They do!

Never in a million years would I have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when I reached up to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist.


Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go.
A deer bites you and shakes its head, (very much like a pit bull).

They bite HARD (and it hurts).

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly.
I tried screaming and shaking instead.

My method was ineffective.

While it seemed that the devil deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, it was likely only several seconds.


Being smarter than a deer, (you may be questioning that claim by now?), I tricked it.


While I kept it busy with tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and finally pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final education in "Deer Behavior" for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet.

They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about your head and shoulder area. (Their hooves are surprisingly sharp).

I learned a long time ago that, when an animal -- like a horse -- strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.


This was not a horse.

This was a deer. Such trickery would not work.

In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy.
I screamed like a woman, and tried to turn and run.


The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that it paws at you and there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head.

Deer may not be so different from horses after all, (besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil).
The very second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

When a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave.
(I suspect that it does not recognize that the danger to it has passed).

What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you. (This, while you are laying there crying like a little girl, and covering your head).

I finally managed to crawl under the truck.
The deer went away.

I think now I know why, when people go deer hunting, they bring a rifle with a scope.
(It's just to try to even the odds).

Fear

Good Evening All;
1st of all, please do not share  this with Casey. She has enough on her plate as it is.

This next month of waiting to go to Mpls is going to kill me.

I know that I make it seem almost like no big deal; this whole thing about Casey's transplant. In reality, I assure you that could not be further from the truth.

I cry. (Been having a real hard time today with that).
Not even sure if it is because of everything that could go wrong; or if I am so relieved that maybe something will go right.

I am so freakin' afraid for her.
This is not a magical transplant.
It can bring with it years more of surgeries to correct other things. Her spleen may have to be taken out down the road.
The AIT could fail, and she would then need an ICT transplant (which is using a cadaver islet cells).
And yes, she knows all of this; and wants to go through with it.

I quit that pancreas group already-
So (too) many stories of continued pain and everything else too.
But if I wouldn't have joined, I wouldn't have found Dr. Sutherland.

Therein, (selfishly) lies my greatest fear.

All of her other referrals and recommendations have come from herself, or her doctors, or the hospital. Her personal, and God Given, strength has brought it all together, no matter where these referrals come from.

Still. if anything goes wrong, I have no one to blame but myself.
What an godawful feeling that is. And I am not even sure if it is selfishness or fear. Maybe a little of both?

So bear with me. I still am having one hell of a time trying to concentrate on your own blogs.
What the heck is that all about anyway??? Must be old age.
Know that I try.

For now I am going to go put my feet up-
Too much playing with the dogs, and I am ever so tired-
So is Punk (tired)... She lays at my feet, bless her furry soul.

My love to all.
:-)
Well, as long as you don't tell me that God only gives you what you can handle. (I truly disagree with that sentiment).
Forgive me if that angers you.

Have a good weekend.

XOXO
Anne

Casey's 22nd Birthday!

Start:	Jan 26, '09 12:00a
End:	Jan 27, '09 12:00a
Location:	(Unknown at time of posting)...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY~FACE!

Complete with a trip to The Olive Garden!
(And if you cannot get there yet, then I shall either postpone the celebration; or bring you a noodle with a candle, and a wee sip of wine)!
hehehe

Love to you!
ForeverLonger

XOXO
Mama D.

Hmm...
Is it just me, or does January seem SO far away at this point?

~

Casey's TP/AIT (Transplant) Edited 01-05-09

Start:	Dec 18, '08 05:30a
End:	Jan 10, '09
Location:	University of Minnesota

Transplant Surgery all day.
These surgeries generally take approximately 10-13 hours.
Please keep her in your thoughts, your hearts, and your prayers, during this most Holy Season.



Merry Christmas Casey!

XOXO
Anne

~

(Above islet photo courtesy of T.C. Brelje and R.L. Sorenson)

For more info...
http://www.surg.umn.edu/diabinst/treatmentspancreatitis/pancreatectomy.html


XOXO
And Forevermorelonger...

***
Casey's surgery went well. (Both of them)...
Her first, taking over 13 hours.
The 2nd (to remove 2+ liters of blood and fluid from her abdomen) also went well. During this surgery the doctors also removed a blood clot (larger than a golf ball) from her duodenum.
As of 1/5/09, she is also possibly facing a diagnosis of C-DIFF.

As always, your prayers and comments are deeply appreciated.
From your hearts to God's Ears.