Kamikaze LadyBugs.. and Other Stuff!

Good Morning, and Happy SunnyDay!

I have overslept... (not like me, but I sure am NOT going to complain about it either)!

As I tried to collect my dishes that needed to be washed, I had to soak a little bowl... As I ran the water, the dish was empty... Yet going back an hour or so later, one little ladybug had drowned.

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...and another one bites the dust!!!

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And removing her to her final resting place, (my trashbasket), I ran my sink full of hot water and soap... I generally allow it to cool down for a few minutes; and going back then to actually wash those dishes, I found her "significant~other"...

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This ones final resting place??? Ditto... hehehe

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And then I got curious... and checked on a few things about these nuisances.

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Here are some facts about ladybugs.

There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide and 400 which live in North America. (And all 400 kinds live in/near MY home)!

A female ladybug will lay more than 1000 eggs in her lifetime. (Also adding their male counterparts, that would roughly be about 400,400 bugs in/near MY home)!

A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies. (Not after I hit it with my shoe)!

Aphids are a ladybug's favorite food. (I have APHIDS too)???

Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do. (This is why they never choke to death on those damned aphids).

A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs. (Great! Kinda makes ya wanna go check all your ice cream jugs)...

Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them. (Yeah, and it smells like 'feet' so always use your shoe to hit 'em with).

If you squeeze a ladybug it will bite you, but the bite won't hurt. (If you squeeze it hard enough, your fingers will smell like your feet; but there will be no more flapping wings either).

The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older. (Maybe people with age spots and liver spots should eat these bugs)???

During hibernation, ladybugs feed on their stored fat. (Well, THAT explains why I saw the same one yesterday that I had already seen last fall)!

Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. (Time to turn the heat down in the house then)...

The ladybug is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee. (These states do not have mosquitoes)???

The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female. (Male ladybug? Isn't that a contradiction in terms)???

The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 2-3 years if the conditions are right. (Aha! The 'conditions' must be perfect in my siding and/or walls)!

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Does anyone else have these little buggars around their homes???

I look around, and see that already two more have entered the premises...

(Probably for their friends funerals)???

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They do NOT belong in my house!!!!

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It could be worse though, as they are clearly NOT spiders!

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Casey saw one of those 'jumping' spiders in the window yesterday.

Roberta quickly jumped to her baby sisters defense, all ready to kill that narfy thing... But she couldn't find it? As CaseyAnne was about to point out WHERE she had seen it, my darling Roberta let out a very loud "gasp!" ... (I do believe Casey actually leapt the entire length of the living room)! hehehe (Better her than me)!

Now usually my Punkster will step on the spiders... But as you can tell, she is still not feeling up to par.

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There is still pain in those beautiful eyes...

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But she did keep a very vigilant eye on Master Gabriel while we walked outside...

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And he couldn't go too far without being nudged to go back the right way by herself!

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Fast Friends, these two...

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We did walk about 2/3rds of the way back to the woods. Punkin was most happy that her little Gabriel has those short legs too; because then she surely didn't have to run or get hurt worse by doing so... And meanwhile, Master Gabriel was completely fascinated by every little corn cob that he saw. Each one was more appealing than the last, and he must have literally picked up 100's of those things during our little walk!

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"Grandma, I found ANOTHER one!"

(Actually, he just giggled... But I knew what he meant by it)!

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(I think we were playing "Hide~and~Seek" here)! hehehe

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Roberta came out as soon as their marriage seminar was done. Casey had errands to run; and one that had her stop for a bit of carry~out Chinese for lunch... Mmmm...

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And THIS piece looks like some prehistoric "Chick-o-Saurus!" ???

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***And didn't I begin to see those damnable flashing lights shortly after I had eaten... Yet they swear there is no added MSG in their food... (Not too sure about that). Perhaps the key word there is "added"... maybe some of their foods come already prepared?... Hmmm... But within 20 minutes my Maxalt worked so it is not important anyway. (I do love it when it actually works for me)! I shall steer clear of that... for as long as I can anyway...

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Once tasted, even Gabriel loved his food... No. We did NOT give him chopsticks!

(This is some "noodlie~like~thingie" that I REFUSED to put in my mouth)!

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Punkie was SO-o-o-o tired, and more than a bit sore too...

(She didn't even do a good job of begging for food)...

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Punkin slept for quite a while then. After everyone had left, I had to bring Miss Milly her nightly fresh water (Punk always joins me)... Hearing the water running, she tried to get up and off that couch... (My heart broke a bit more when I had to help her get up). ...She then walked about 10 feet, and promptly sat down again... When I brought Millys water out, she just stayed up by the house and waited for me to come back.

I am still afraid to be giving her that Rimadyl that the vet gave me to give to her twice a day. Checking into it a bit online, I didn't like that labs had problems with taking it... But after having to help her get up last night, I did give her one more after she ate a little something. I think it helped her sleep too.

A few of you are thinking that maybe Millys change of attitude is hormonal. Could be. She was just in heat though at the end of January. Punkie is 'fixed' though, so its not HER own cycling that is bothering her Mama...

I am still going to try to keep them apart for a while. Who knows? Maybe it will work, as in an "absense makes the heart grow fonder" sort of way.

Is that right? ~~(Or is it "absence makes the heart go wander")??? hehehe

Later, Derek and his dad came out on their Harleys... (notice the bright sunshine once again)!

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(Punk doesn't mind the bikes when they are not running... Otherwise, she HATES them)!

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The boys kidnapped CaseyAnne, and they went down to Shoots Bar and Grill for some food for the guys...

Casey got to watch them eat... She can eat a bit of food every now and then; but needs to eat small amounts many times during the day, and not big meals nor greasy fried things... (Guess those two things really piss off her pancreas).

And so, from bugs, to babies, to bikes, this was MY Saturday!

I do hope yours was as happifying!

XOXO
Anne

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Oh, after you leave your comment, (hehehe), please do not forget to recheck your dog food AGAIN.

More and more brands are still being recalled... (and less and less are actually being pulled off the shelves too)... ??? WHY?

Please CLICK HERE to double~check your own supplies. These lists change on a daily basis.

What IS This Anyway?

What is it???? (Methinks it might have been the sun, but I am not too sure if I remember what it looks like anymore)!!!! hehehe

Good Morning All;

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I have this Alien Flower to pop up and to watch over you all as you are reading!

hehehe

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And I shall have to type fast as Master Gabriel will be joining me shortly.

I am STILL working on my rummage sale here. Have many boxes and bags yet; and am hoping that I have enough tags to be putting on everything... Easy to run out seeing that I have collected so much "schtuff" over the past 2 years. Usually I have the sale every spring and summer; and open it up frequently as I go along and have the time available... But never did finish everything last year, given the fact that Casey was so ill, hospitalized and had more than a few surgeries.

I shall try to have faith in her doctors and surgeon THIS year that they will finally FIND and CORRECT whatever the heck is wrong. Or maybe I shall be relying upon your own faith too. (My own seems to be tried, and found wanting, every now and then)...

CaseyAnne and Derek, Jenny Mella, along with Roberta, are all attending a marriage seminar this weekend. It is entitled simply, "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage!" And the funniest of it all is the fact that none of them ARE married... (yet)... But forewarned is forearmed too! hehehe The bottom line there is if you cannot laugh at the little things that seem to go wrong, they will build into the big things that can threaten every marriage. The Pastor is VERY funny, and does this around the U.S. every month or two. the seminar started last night, and starts early this morning then... I think they go only until noon today... For more info; or for when he might be in your area, please CLICK HERE.

We were outside a long time yesterday; and no I never did pick up a rake, (although I still have much to clean up too)...

Much to my dismay, I found this...

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Crappy, huh? And not too sure how to go about putting it back up...

(maybe just with a hammer and a few nails)???? Hope so...

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Miss Punk played on the barngrade... behind "The Alien Flower"...

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Sniffing in an old snake hole... (Ick)...

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While Miss Milly and her sassiness was cabled to the willow in the backyard...

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No, they haven't come to fix the ground yet...

(But that's OK, I haven't paid my bill either)! hehehe

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And I will be checking her mouth and her tummy today to see if I can figure out WHY she has been so sassy and mean to Punkin lately...

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New Spring life; even AFTER being snowed and munched upon by the wildlife at large.

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and SOMETHING that chose to croak in the driveway too...

(or maybe simply did not make "The Dreaded Dash of Death" across it)!

Sadly, (and usually), the car wins...

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Have more than a few things to get done quickly here, so will be keeping this short for now.

I hope you are ALL having a great weekend!

XOXO
Anne

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Friday the 13th? Home Again!

 

Good Morning to All!

And let me be the first to say how nice it is to be missed!

I have heard from one of you that my page wouldn't load... Has anyone else had this problem? Please let me know if you have... ~Not that I would know what the heck to do about it... 'cept complain... to someone... (But to whom)?

We are back home once again. This makes 2 trips down to Froedtert Hospital now for Casey; (not counting how many last year?)? And she will be having surgery also.

Please do keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

I am thinking that since they cannot possibly remove anything else from her little body, that now they are going to do a face lift on her pancreas!
Not fair!!! (Heck, I'm the one that needs the 'lift')!!!

Case in point...

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See what I mean?

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That was taken after we had finally gotten down to Milwaukee...

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The snows began collecting on the fields right before they turned to ice on the roads.

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The roads began to turn slick just south of Fond du Lac, and so we slowed down accordingly. Many did not...

But for the Grace of God Himself, we were much luckier than a few truck drivers that got to see their trailers close~up... (Nasty, those jack~knifed rigs)... Both were in the median; (Casey and I finding ourselves thankful that we hadn't been witness to the accidents as they happened)...

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Here is just one, (of too many) "oopses"!

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A few cars in the ditches, off the roads, and in the medians too... And yes, to have heard on the news that night then, that there hadn't been any injuries... (except to drivers' pride, and pocketbooks, I would assume). Lucky we were to have left as early as we did... To find our hotel; and to be safe, warm and OFF those terrible roads for the duration of the storm.

We checked in early, and stayed put, 'til Caseys appointment yesterday morning...

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We both napped on arrival... (And yes, so did The Punkster)!

She was SO good on this trip...

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Note: Milwaukee has to be THE most "dog~UN~friendly" town in the whole world. (I have driven up to the Soo, and all the way down to Alabama with Punk, and I have never heard of any of the nonsense crap I just had to go through to take her along on this trip).

First, the place we stayed at last year wanted a $75.00 NON~refundable deposit for allowing her to stay (each visit)... (Correct me if I am wrong, but the actual definition of 'deposit' then fails to make any sense, doesn't it)?

The next 4 calls I made all had weight restrictions on the dog, of 20 or 25 pounds. (I thought of 'quartering' her, but didn't think Punkin would go for that).

I was originally trying to get as close to Froedtert Hospital as I possibly could, but THAT wasn't working...

So finally I started at the top of the freakin' list and wound up at a Best Western that I had no idea how to even get to. They did not charge extra for Miss Punk- only if she would have messed up the carpeting, or ate the darned bed, or gotten in a fight with the toilet or tub. hehehe I had then thought about diapering, hog~tying and muzzling her just to be on the safe side; (but was very thankful that she didn't have to be drawn and quartered just to come along with us)...

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But I was sorely tempted to do just that when it came time for me to lie down...

She stole my bed for cryin' out loud!

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So I just took my darned pillows and slept on the floor...

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...(NOT)! ...hehehe

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But it does bring to mind a poem that I had read (and stolen from one of you), last month...

The Happy Dog's Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep.
I sleep right in the center groove
My human being can hardly move!

I've trapped her legs,
she's tucked in tight,
And here is where I pass the night.
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Til the morning comes and I want food!

I sneak up slowly; ...it begins
...my nibbles on my human's chin.
She wakes up slowly, smiles and shouts,
"You darling beast! Just cut it out!"
But morning's here; it's time to play
(I always seem to get my way).

So thank you, Lord, for giving me
This human person that I see
The one who hugs and holds me tight
and shares her bed with me at night!

- Author unknown

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Anyway, knowing that "Snowstorm Felicity" had the ability to keep us from our own "appointed rounds", we had decided to leave on Wednesday... The weatherman had said the storm was to last until Thursday morning... (and THAT definitely had the possibility to interfere with us getting to her appointment on time). Froedtert had told her to set aside an hour, or maybe an hour and a half, for this appointment to meet with her anesthetist...

Arriving there almost on time, the nurse called us in. She weighed Casey (who keeps getting lighter and lighter). Then took her blood pressure, her temp, verified a few answers that casey had filled in on her questionnaire; and asked her if she had any questions before she sent us on our way?

Casey began to say, "This was an appointment to see the anesthesiologist..."

The nurse dismissed her and said, "well, you won't be seeing her today"...

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...um, ...(wait for it now)...

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..."*W*H*A*T? ?!?!!? "

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We risked life and limb to drive down to Milwaukee for a 10 minute consultation with a nurse???

(Time for that nurse to be taking MY blood pressure then)!

I was irate; and Casey was just plain fuming too. I will call Froedtert today and find out just what kind of insurance scam they are pulling... (More than a bit P.O'ed at this one)... I mean, we could have stayed home and shoveled all those 8" of snow that we didn't get! Just a bit up here while we were gone; guess the weatherman made a boo~boo. (Thank goodness)...

At any rate, we are home, safe and sound and I guess that is what is most important anyway... (but yeah, I am still going to make that phone call)!

A few of you might be asking why I haven't posted about this earlier... Casey would like this to be on the quiet side; so anything that happens, I promise to post about afterward. She has been through so much in these past few years... (and more~so, these past few months), that it is very much taking its toll on her now, emotionally, physically, etc...

I will also be filling everyone in (soon) on what is/has been happening within my own little family... (I believe it will be "The Rest of The Story" as Paul Harvey calls it)... I will be looking forward to your own thoughts and comments on that issue when I do post.

Only Caseys illness, and healing is that important to me now.

But as I have asked above, just to please to keep Casey in your own thoughts and prayers.

I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend, and that you have a wonderful one too! (Supposed to be warming up around here, so maybe it will even be nicer in Wisconsin)!

Have a good one, (and do have one for me too)!

XOXO
Anne

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Coming Our Way SOON!

hehehe

Good Morning to All!

Here I sit, calmly awaiting the arrival of "Snowstorm Felicity"

(NOT)!

(Who the heck is in charge of 'christening' these storms anyway)???

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fe·lic·i·ty (f-ls-t) KEY

NOUN:
pl. fe·lic·i·ties

1. 1. Great happiness; bliss.
   2. An instance of great happiness.
2. A cause or source of happiness.
3. 1. An appropriate and pleasing manner or style: felicity of expression.
   2. An instance of appropriate and pleasing manner or style.
4. Archaic Good fortune.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English felicite, from Old French felicite, from Latin flcits, from flx , flc-, fortunate; see dh(i)- in Indo-European roots

Thesaurus: synonyms for felicity

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They have changed the forecast since yesterday, adding upwards of 2+" more to the 6" they forecasted previously...

(How do you spell SPRING)?

Devils Claws and Wooden Drums...

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BEFORE....

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And then of course, the dreaded "AFTER" too...

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Uh~OH...

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Life goes on. (Just not for my tulips and daffodils or hyacinths... Not this year anyway)!

My Little Miss Punk is still very very stiff... And has been ordered to be taking it easy for the next week or so. (OK, so no more trips to the woods for a while. With all this snow, I would be hardpressed to venture there anyway).

I must keep this short this morning... Much to do to prepare for Miss Felicity! hehehe

"Felicity" my butt.

Have a good one!

XOXO
Anne

Oh, and one more link for you re: Pet Food Recalls. Updated daily too. CLICK HERE