Home / Blogs / Annette's Blog / memories /

bummer

Category: memories | Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:29 pm

---

it's been a rough week. on friday, i had to euthenize my cat, ricky. he had a seizure a few weeks ago, and i thought he was coming out of it, but after a week or so, he just started going downhill. he had a good life, was with me for 14 years, and the best mouser ever. was just catching my breath, when on the tuesday after, had to have my oldest dog (9), sonny, put down. he was the smartest dog i knew. just a big fluff. (he even helped me in the garden, i would be pulling dead stuff out and throwing to the side, and he would grab it and take it away.) i had noticed about a month ago that he had lost some weight, (it was hard to tell with all that fur), and these past couple of weeks was starting to have labored breathing. easter day he spent all day on his feet! (stubborn) and was even falling asleep standing up! he finally laid down about 3:30 in the a.m. it's always a tough call the the vet, thankfully, they are caring, understanding and compasionate people. i still have one pet left, ginger (6)...i can only imagine what is going on in her head.....today, we're going for a ride in the car...something i couldn't do with the two of them...sonny never sat still, could never make his mind up if he wanted to sit in the front or the back....lol...drove me nuts......have some adjusting to do in the household.....and i think i'll just keep the one pet for a while....if i had none, then i would have to get another, because i believe a home without a pet is an empty one.


This blog entry has been viewed 1233 times

---

birth of a garden

Category: memories | Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:23 pm

---

when i moved in with my late husband 10 or so years ago, the back yard was nice...huge lilac bush in the corner, a rusting radio flyer in the middle of the yard, and a shed (maybe 8' x 8') along side the fence. He had it decked out with a wood burner, windows, benches & a small tv so he could watch sports all year (mostly in the winter). his family & friends (mostly family) would join him, they would cook out & watch football & hockey. (first wife didn't like people in the house too much, so he fixed it so he could do what he wanted...the shed which was dubbed the chalet)
so, here i come.. i never minded company, and the use for the shed became less & less. i took one area on the side and started a flower garden...it was very small, but satisfied my need to get my hands dirty. (the shed had become a storage area for junk & was hardly used for anything but garbage)
one windy winter night...he wakes me up about 3 am & tells me..."you've got to check this out". looking out the back door...there is the shed....over in the next two yards, in pieces!! by daylight, we got to see exactly what took place...what a mess! so...after insurance claims, etc....it was cleaned up, and all that was left were railroad ties where the chalet had been anchored. ok...what to do now?..do you want another shed? or a big beautiful garden? i would have been ok if he had put in another shed, but it really was no longer needed..so, had a few people move things around, filled it with dirt, and proceeded on a journey that is still going.
the only thing that was saved from the shed was the wood burner, and it sits in the corner of the garden.
the lilac bush was destroyed by an ice storm, and is just a shadow of it's former size, the radio flyer now is half sunk into the ground, and now is home to my daisies.

This blog entry has been viewed 332 times

---

a gift

Category: memories | Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:25 pm

---

I have known my friend for all but six years of my life. We grew up on the same street, and were the only daughters in families filled with boys. We were sisters, even if our last names and mothers were different.
Through the years, we have managed to stay in touch, though, when we became adults, we were living on opposite sides of the country.
This spring she needed to return to the area to be with her mom, whom was in failing health and needed constant care for her ending days.
For a few days every now and then, she could arrange to take a break and she would visit me for a day or two. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding these visits, I enjoyed her company and was happy she could feel she was home and relax for a while.
The last days of June brought an end to her journey and she spent almost a week with me before returning home.
We spent time in the back yard talking about our houses, pets, gardens, and families, also what it was like caring for someone getting ready to go the to their next life.
The last time my friend had visited, she had requested seeds from the rose of sharon buses in the yard. Being the slow mover I am, I still hadn't gotten to them almost 2 years later. This time, I spotted two seedlings in my back flower garden, and potted them. I also put in a couple of foxglove and few sprigs of sedum.
I helped her pack her truck, put the pot with the seedlings in the back, and off she went. The plants survived almost 2 weeks in the truck, and are now doing well in their new home.
I feel we both received gifts.



This blog entry has been viewed 626 times

---

Home / Blogs / Annette's Blog / memories /