Retreat, Race, and Gotta Go

Whee, it’s been a whirlwind of fun and games around here. Every weekend has been packed. I’m taking a class that I have to keep up with. Work has been busy. I guess I sort of like that. In a way. It makes vacation so much more rewarding.

Since last time I ran a race called Women Run the Cities with my friend Mary Bronk. It’s our yearly girls weekend in the cities and we stayed up by the Mall and did a little shopping. Although I didn’t buy one thing!! AND I didn’t take any pictures. Jeepers. I did get a shot of the shirt--

Nice Swag

So, since last time the next big thing was Retreat at Eagle Bluff. It’s my most favorite time of the year. My best friends are all there, Marcia, Suzie, Connie and her sister. I love to see them all and sew and sew.

I was working on my Paradise in Blooms--

That is the appliqué part which is merely a small amount of what is going to be a huge quilt. I got a bunch of border done today. I am almost to the last and final borders. Jeepers. I was also working on my double wedding ring. I vow to have both done my Christmas.

The weather was beautiful. A little cool but not bad. I had some super nice walks with Suzie and Marcia and one by myself.

Morning Fog in the Valley

Leaves Falling on the Trail

Sun in the Trees.

And this weird little tableau I found in the woods….

It was wooden figures dressed up. Spooky.

Inside lotsa sewing going on--

 

 Ready to sew

It was the best. Really. I wish it could go on longer….and I‘m already waiting for next year.

The weekend after retreat I ran another 10 K called Nerland Big Woods Run. It was partially a trail race. The weather was very nice-but very windy.

Very Very Windy. I’d never run this race before. I ran pretty quick for a trail race so I was happy about that.

Big Woods and Big Church.

They had a delicious bake sale and we bought some delish baked goods. Then Lil Puss decided to chew through the plastic and munch down on a couple of them. Jeesh.

No. I. didn’t.

The NEXT weekend we drove down to St. Louis for the Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon.

Gosh, it was so fun. I’d never been there before and I found it very fab. I went with my friends Cathy and Tiffini and their families. And Dave too. However, I did not get one group shot. I am really slipping. Really.

I got a group pic of Cathy and her girls—they ran the 5K on Saturday.

And their finishes--

Ellie beating Cathy!

Anna’s finish--

Oh, and our group at the Expo

Don’t ask.

Tiff and the hydrant

Me and the Sumo

 

And my bud Big Boy

We get a little strange when we are out of town. What happened in Vegas is still staying in Vegas. Just saying.

St Louis had lotsa cool stuff though--

     

 

And that’s not all of it. I loved that town. I saw my niece and her girl Kim-and of course, no picture. I’m ashamed of my blog skills right now.

Sunday we ran---we did get that--

The after show was Eric Hutchinson. Man he was good. Tiff’s daughter got a little video of him and her picture and an autograph. I was busy VIPing in the special tent. Oh, and getting a massage.

Really, one of the best RnR concerts yet.

Oh, and the music the day before was pretty good too.

Made me wanna dance.

We got home yesterday, Monday, and Dave and I are taking a couple of days off at home. Laura, bless her heart, took care of Biscuit and of Beta and we owe her a LOT. (Beta had one of his head shaking fits, fell down, AND pooped in the house…and yet she still said he was good-what goes on over there that THAT is considered good??) Anyway, once again my blog muse comes through.

No one was worse for the wear. Except maybe us.

I’m so tired. 

Thinking of the next thing…….

Next weekend I’m off to Tacoma and to see Cody in SoCal—Carlsbad. Checking out our venue for San Diego RnR relay next June.

Then—off to Tulsa to see my old old friend Machelle who I haven’t seen in 20 years. It’s going to be EPIC. (Oh, and we are running the Route 66 half.

Get ready. At least when I get to Tulsa I’ll be on a school break. Then home till Stitches in Feb. At least I think so.

I have to say the common theme in all my trips and fun has been the amazing time I’ve been having with my friends. There is nothing better. Except for maybe a cat. Sometimes.

Really, you call this work?

Other Stuff that Happened to Happen

So it’s still pretty quiet around here except that we have 4 cats, and Beta and the Giant Dog Cody.

I am big  

This cat really annoys me

I am mad all the time. Don’t take my picture.

So, it’s crowded. We sort of like Cody better than Beta right now. But that’s a whole other story.

Either way, before the Labor Day weekend Dave and I went to the Minnesota State Fair. We got there sorta late so we had to pay 20 bucks to park. Jeepers. Seattle prices. Although it was all day so maybe not quite Seattle prices. But still, you get in MN and you start to get cheap.

I ate a grilled cheese sandwich—only ok. A chocolate shake. Really good. A banana bar. Yum. And had a bit of Dave’s Braut. There was so much more. One really needs to get there earlier and scope it out before making choices. It was a nice day and we were there for about 2 1/2 hours before the crowds started getting to be too much. I would have spent wayyyy more time looking at knitting and quilting and crafts. But Dave. Nuff. Said.

We saw lotsa other stuff though….

Sheep getting ready for show. I found them to be a little Klannish.

  I’ll scare you on Halloween.

And some giant horses

You can’t tell but this horse is super large and is being held back with a little nylon rope.

It’s only by choice I don’t crush you…….

And my favorite--

Do you have directions to the Mix farm? I’ve heard it’s nice there.

There were some rabbits too but no chickens or avians because of the avian flu.

I’m spotted

Oh, let me digress. The week before was the last Thursday on First and I went there with Nancy P and Dave--

See ya next year TonF

The boys came over the sad Labor Day weekend. We did have a rousing Poker Game--

The Aftermath…(maybe this is why Trivial Pursuit didn’t go so well)

 

We tried to go to a rummage sale sponsored by Mayo. We went to the Plummer Building-

It was at the Plummer House..oops. I got a nice pic of Blane and Melanie in front of my favorite statue—the flying boy and dolphin.

The next weekend Ilan got married and we were up in the cities.

 

All grown up.

Cody was the officiant. And yes, that’s a beer in the groom’s hand.

 

I’ve been home and having busy days and weekends since. (Was that only LAST weekend???) Yeah. Well, it seems like last month at least. Next weekend is up to the cities with Mary for Women Run the Cities. And the following weekend is quilt retreat. Can. Not. Wait.

In my spare time, I’m just a crazy cat person taking pictures of the pets….

I’ll cut you

Blane? Melanie? Hello?

   

 

Ouch-

I’m giving that thing a wide berth….

Seriously, do not disturb

  I’m naughty and I don’t care.

Princesses and peas……

And lastly, Abby’s flowers--

RIP Girlie. We still miss you.

Because Abby

We had a dog and her name was Abby.

I am not amused.

She was a very special dog. Oh I know, everyone has very special dogs, but this dog was a force of nature.

Abby was rescued from a lab in Tennessee  by the Beagle Freedom Project. I won’t go into the ins and outs of animal testing here. Let’s just say it’s a cruel punishment and labs mostly use beagles and hounds for their docile personalities. Abby was around 12 years old when she was rescued in October 2014. 12 years in a cage is a long time. But she survived.

Where’s the bathroom? Oh, right here?

Abby went to foster care for two months before coming to me, December 4th, 2014. Although she was a sweet dog at heart, she was nervous, itchy, and only sort of housebroken. She was on steroids which made her crazy for food and somewhat aggressive. She went into heat within three weeks of arriving.

 Three weeks in…..

Abby and I started down a path of butting heads, almost to the point of thinking I just couldn’t keep her.

Merry Christmas (I chewed the tree)

But in true Abby fashion, her skin cleared up, she got spayed, I was with her every single day all day (working at home and babysitting Abby) and suddenly out came this sweet dog who, just because, might, just might, do what you wanted her to do. Or not. But she was always sweet about it.

 

We got up with her at least 3-5 nights a week, somewhere between 2 and 4 AM. She had to go. We cleaned up a million messes (we bought a carpet cleaner). We walked her, we babied her, we got mad at her, we forgave her. Sometimes within a space of a few hours.

I forgive you for the next 5 minutes…

When I think of Abby here, in our house with us, I see a picture of Abby standing still while we are all a blur, rushing all around to meet her needs.

We had a phrase we used around the house. Because Abby. Why did you put that there? Because Abby. Why is this gate here? Because Abby. Why is there a wet spot in the hall? Because Abby. We said it all. the. time.

Life isn’t too bad

She ate two socks and the arm off a monkey. Then she threw them up, intact, two weeks later.

They never look here.

She never ever barked for 8 months until we got a kitten. We didn’t think she had a bark. We got the kitten as a get well for Abby. Then she barked. At her kitten.

She loved to walk but spun around in circles, doing what we called the Crazy Ivan (made up by another BFP rescue owner). Sometimes she spun so many times her leash had to be unwound. But she loved her walk. We’d say, let’s take a walk so Abby has a better day.  Because a walk for Abby was a good thing for us.

I’m staring off into the void……

She was the hardest dog I ever had and the most unforgettable. She was a morning person of a dog, always got up in a good mood. She ran around the kitchen, she played in the yard. She learned to go up and down stairs and she wagged her tail when we came home.

At the end of the day I loved her up, gave her a good night cookie, and waited for her to wake me up at 3 AM so she could go outside. Because Abby.

Do.My.Bidding.

Of course, everyone by now knows where this is going.

Abby started to get sick the beginning of August. She had a huge spleen and so had a spenectomy. The pathology was benign, and we thought this would fix her anemia and she’d get right back to peeing on the carpet.

And she did. She tried to play with Beta (which is a challenge because he usually just falls down), she wanted to walk, she ate her food. She barked at her get well kitten.

Then in week two she started to fall off. I took her stitches out and she was happy about that. But by the weekend she wasn’t eating and she was definitively not well.

We went back to the vet this past Wednesday where she was diagnosed with an agressive form of leukemia. Very very agressive. Like pretty good three weeks ago and terminal now. It did explain her chronic anemia. I think she probably had some sort of bone marrow neoplasia and in her usual fashion fought it off.

But this wasn’t a fight she could win.

I brought her home and she was weak and tired. Cody and Blane and Melanie came on Friday for the long weekend. Along with Good Kitten, and their two dogs. So that was something.

On Saturday Abby rallied and took a bone away from the big dog and carried it around all day long. She was swaying and stumbling but she chewed on that bone. Because Abby.

Sunday she didn’t know where she was, could barely walk, couldn’t get comfortable, and was in great distress. By that afternoon, when Cody was leaving to go to the cities, we left too.

  Biscuit said good-bye

We, me and Blane and Melanie  took Abby to the vet in her bed and she was put to sleep. Up to the very end Abby didn’t go quietly. But she went with dignity.

(Cody is very special for babysitting Abby when we went out for a bit and for helping out with some doctorly advice. Blane and Melanie are very special for going to the vet at the end-there wasn’t a dry eye in the house)

At the end of the day, we went to bed and brought in Beta’s bed, and gave him a good night cookie. And he stood, looking at the door, and waited for Abby. He’s still looking around for something but I don’t think he’s quite sure what it is he’s missing. Just something.

Me too.

 

And we wake up around three in the morning now.

Because Abby.