In loving memory of Tashla Marie( Tashy)

at 2:30 this morning our lab ( named LaTasha Rene by our youngest, Tashala Marie by me ,aka Tashy, Tash, Beached whale, horse, snowdog,and snowangel)that would have been 11 on March 15th that has hip dysplasia fell while getting off the trunk that she used for a step to get off and on our bed.Her hind legs completely gave out on her and she didn't recover. I watched her for 2 hrs crawl thru the house from the bedroom to the kitchen door to go out.Hubby carried her back in when he got home from work this morning.

Her health had been deteratting as it was, potty accidents, ear infections one after another etc.We had already talked of letting her go the last time her legs gave out on her but she recovered with a limp but she did recover.This time she couldn't even stand after several hours.

Those that know me, know Tashy (along with Cookie) are more like my four legged children than just a dog. Tashy spent a lot of time helping me get up when I could not stand, lent a shoulder for me to weep on, put up with me cuddling her even when she really wanted to be left alone to sleep.

I get thru this day with memories along with the heart break. Of our last night together with her sleeping beside me with her head on my shoulder.Not something she usually did, that would have been her using my feet as a pillow and not tolerating me tossing and turning "her Pillow"

Cookie who will be 10 on April 15th has seizures so we also know our time is limited and precious with her.

I can picture Tashy now in heaven , and for the first time being able to run and jump like she could never do , not even as a puppy, in this life..Ten bucks says she still won't retrieve or fetch.

Blessed Be Tashy I love you I always will love you and miss you

catch up

Finally was well enough to go to store. Took 4 trips and 3 days but everything is stocked up again. Now if we can get the veggies ate before they go bad( I'll blanch and freeze them first)If there is room in freezer LOL

In celebration of me going to the store, of me being well enough to go to the store and the day AFTER our anniversary we had ribs from the local butcher shop that smokes ribs on Fri( they do other things M- TH)That feed us Friday and Sat since neither of us was home for lunch those days.

Sunday I made Anne Burrell's (food network) excellent meatballs to add to my own homemade red sauce.I don't really care that much for meatballs, Mama Marie's in Covington GA and my daughter Kate's is about the only ones I like( I don't even like my own).THESE are EXCELLENT.I did add more garlic to the recipe after tasting the taste pattie. I ate 6( maybe more) before I got them in the sauce and then 5 more on my plate and then 3 more while ridding up the table and kitchen even after hubby took my plate away because I was making myself sick BUT made myself sick sick sick anyways and it was worth every bite.Reminded of the commerical of "the best _______ I ever ate" and Neely says he ate and he ate and he ate...yeah that was me. I snuck two out of freezer the next day and nuked them YUMMMMMM.

Monday I had a procedure so I bought a fried chicken from Wal Mart for my lunch to go with the apple and unsweet tea I had. Good thing because the Hawaiian pulled pork in the crock pot was not done after 8 hrs like the recipe said it would be so we had the chicken for dinner also. Took the pork 11 hrs, made that note on the recipe because it was good pulled pork. I fixed it this morning for sandwiches for my bfast and hubby's dinner ( he works 3rd so bfast is actually his dinner)

cleaned up the kitchen, packages leftovers for the freezer, caught the laundry up, now it's time to loom until I leave for the doctor's to find out what is going on with this nasty cough I've had for 6 wks that comes and goes.I would like to take a deep breath WITHOUT hacking up the lungs when I do.

until the next time

Blessed Be

snow and sick...sick of snow also

Tashy our snow dog that we bribe to come in.She makes my joints ache let alone her own.We don't let her stay out long since she is so old and disabled as it is.

Cookie our house"cat" dog, the one we bribe to go out.She is old too but acts like she is 2 or 3

back yard that hubby snow blowed to get the dogs to use the yard to potty in instead of the drive way right at the kitchen door

the ice sicle that I watch grow daily while I sit on the couch sick with a head and chest cold. Wouldn't be surprised to see it reach the ground.

and that is how it's been since I got back from GA on Friday.I haven't made it to the store between me being sick and the weather. Glad I had a full pantry even though now we are out of fresh veggies ( except for a few carrots left)and fruit.I did have hubby pick up milk after his class on Friday since he got in before I did

today I feel better, not well, but could do things...right ...like do too much and collapse tomorrow and get even sicker than I have been. Old enough to know it, BUTTTT thankfully the weather is keeping me house bound or I would go anyways.

I have a really good menu for the next 4-6 wks and I want to pick up the groceries for it and get started on it...not eat leftover casseroles out of the freezer or hodge podge meals out of the pantry. I don't want my green veggie to be okra( sorry to my loved ones that love it).

I don't think I've had fresh brocolli in 3 wks...whine whine whine. LOL. Definately spoiled about not eating in season.Need to work on that, veggies and fruit in season cost a lot less.

well Time for next round of meds...

be careful, be safe, be blessed

on deadline and still have to cook

I am on deadline on a revision of a fiction novel I wrote back in Nov. Now deadline is April 1st but I know me.Worse I know revision is 10 times harder than the first draft.

I am also over due on finishing the afghans I made for Christmas last yr.The grandkids got theirs but I am still working on the adults. SO I am hauling butt trying to do that while working in GA.

My group here in GA have gotten together to work out a program to help people adjust to having less money for groceries than they normally have.

I went to Krogers and Walmart( as when you are broke you have to pretty much do one stop shopping) and priced out a weeks worth ( 7 bfast, 7 lunches and 7 dinners) for one person with only $20 for groceries for that week( paper goods and cleaning products not included).

Krogers had better sales ( reality is you have to use the sales to do this) than Walmart and they also had a better choice of smaller items.( something I noticed between here and Sidney/Urbana OH area ).I came in at $19.58.

Yes you have to cook and you have to plan ahead. You have to not waste, those veggies need washed before you peel them because you are going to make veggie broth with those peelings for a meal on down the line and that chicken carcuss( or just bones) are going to make broth also. That pinto bean soup is 3 meals so you have to portion it out so you don't eat 2 meals in one.

I did compromise and buy Bisquick. You can make pancakes, biscuits , dumplings and pie crust .

I would have bought flour, yeast,baking powder, baking soda, corn starch and cream of tartar instead to make bread and noodles etc but it wouldnt' fit in the $20.

Still with everything I have going on, even though I am giving a "food" allowence while here in Ga. I cook in my motel room. Electric skillet and crock pot does just fine. I use my steel bowl for washing dishes etc. As I sit here I know that I have a pot of soup (canned broth from home, chicken from leftover rotissere chicken, diced carrot and celery , sliced mushrooms, a can of Italian flavored diced tomatoes and a can of black beans in the crock pot. A "sandwich" of Italian slipper bread( also made at home and brought) spread with pesto, sliced left over chicken, roasted red bellpeppers, provolone cheese and lettuce is waiting to be cut and ate.I also know the leftover soup will have rice added to half of it for the next round of soup. the other half will get ramen noodles broke up in it.

so until the next time

have a great day,

blessed be