April comes with sunshine, the hills of the desert are green and the few wildflowers pop up here and there. Nothing like the wildflowers we saw in Arizona but then all around us use to be irrigated fields of corn, potatoes, wheat, alfalfa or other crops. Now the land lay fallow waiting for industrial development while the sagebrush tries to come back. Thankfully the industrial development is moving slowly. The did put a city road behind us and about a half mile away built a huge cold storage facility. Rumor is McD's and 'Chick fil a' will be storing french fries there.
When I take the dog out first thing in the morning the meadowlarks are singing away out in the sagebrush. Sometimes in the background the train whistle can be heard (love trains). The same when I take her out at midnight especially the clear night the stars and moon are bright, it is quiet and peaceful out. If we go off road we have to keep an eye for any signs of her getting those stickers in her paws (always forget their name).
My friend moved away so I have no one to go visit or talk to. Yes, I know others in the park, chat when we meet but they do not live within eyesight to go visit. I feel like a fish out of water now. Here most of the discussions are centered around those who are working their way back after their spouse has died or their spouse is place. In fact, there are a lot of post on Facebook regarding articles about dementia - they are the last thing I want to read.
Me, I sit here bored waiting as he slowly progresses. The dog is the bright spot in my life.
Another excitement is waiting for the next windy day when the tumbleweed goes 'flying' through the park. This time of year the finches will 'date' in the tree next to us. Funny to watch them chase each other and they are noisy.
Cardinals are dive bombing my windows again. I have tried everything to stop them-to no avail. They fly from the mango tree to the window starting at 4am. Gracie sits in the window enjoying the birds.
Well, Spring must be on it's way....this morning I looked out our front window and saw that a pair of mallard ducks was swimming in the pond! I love seeing them; usually a mated pair stays for about a week this time of year. Last year was the first year they didn't come. And one year only a male showed up so I'm guessing he lost his mate. It's nice to know they mate for life.
Big fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky on this Easter morning in western New York....so typical for us...Spring is really taking its time coming here! I saw a few robins yesterday while walking the dog through our neighborhood, poor things....guess they ventured up north too soon?
Bella, same snowflakes falling here north of Lake Erie. Everything is white.
And a big shoutout to my Wisconsin Badgers who beat the wicked witch of Kentucky and yet is no cinderella. I can hardly wait for tommorrow night when they play Duke for the campionship.
Happy Easter and a happy spring sunday to everyone else.
I live and die the "wicked witch of Kentucky"! We have had a historical season. I was very afraid of Wisconsin as I felt they would match up with us well. Congrats to the badgers (what is a badger anyway???). I truly hope they win it all as they have only done it one time before...back in '41. And, if you know anything at all about UK basketball...we would NEVER root for Duke! Wolf, this is one time we will root for the same team.
Just wanted to wish a very Happy Easter to those who celebrate it…and to those who don't, a vernal equinox filled with happiness, relaxation, and thoughts of renewal.
Charlotte, Your post was beautiful. It painted a sorrowful, almost nostalgic picture of the landscape. It also conveyed a great sense of loss, both for the land and for you personally. It reminds me of descriptions of fall, rather than spring. Can you tell us why the fields are fallow and why industrial development will be replacing the agriculture. Does this have something to do with the drought in the West?
I used to tell people that I loved nature but as I got older, I realized that I actually did not love nature in the raw. What I loved was the cultivated landscape – what you describe as being gone from the land around you.
Based on what you had written about your friend, I knew her loss would be hard on you but it sounds like it’s worse than that. It must be so hard to go through this alone, especially when your road is so long and you are traveling at such a slow pace.
the lady that moved is miserable over at her son's. Before agreeing she made it clear she did not want to move and be abandoned. He said she would not be. According to our conversation today, that is what has happened. He works long days and is on call 24/7. He also has a girlfriend. They will go out when he is home and not invite her. She has friends over on the west side of the mountains but they all work. She will be by tomorrow on her way to a spend a couple weeks with friends she met in this park that live in Montana. She said she has to figure something out because she will not spend the winter there. She is a sun worshiper - if anyone is familiar with the west side of the Cascades it is not a great spot for sun lovers.
The land behind us use to be zoned agriculture and they grew corn and potatoes on it. The city rezoned it industrial to build an industrial park on this end of town. Right now the cold storage is the only business. Yes, the desert can be a lot different. Where it is not irrigated it turns back to desert. It is a beauty in itself. I never thought I would like the desert. I love trees, mountains and green. But, after the summer we worked in Pahrump, NV (60 miles north of Vegas) where the temp averaged 106 all summer, I fell in love with it. Down there a lot of Joshua Tree grow. I worked two summers in Prosser which is about 30 miles from here and that is when we decided we wanted to come back and settle in the area. The winter I worked in Fernley, NV (30 miles east of Reno) - it is a different desert but still desert. As long as I can see my mountains in the distance I am fine with the desert. Well not Death Valley - it is a barren desert that has its own beauty but could not live there. There is still a lot of irrigated around here. Across the road there are alfalfa fields; up the road potatoes, wheat, corn. Plus, all the vineyards and orchards around.
When I was doing laundry today, there was a lady in there finishing up. We got to talking and find out her mom has AD. They placed her last year. She was telling me the facility has an AD support group. It is closer than the other one I went to plus it is at 3:30 instead of 5:30 which is a bad time when it comes to feeding hb. I may go. She said they have a mix of spouses and family members taking care of ones with AD.
The only negative of the desert here is we have no cacti. One would think all desert had cacti but evidently not. I did like that about the Arizona deserts - they have a big variety of it. When they bloom they are gorgeous! There is a garden, I think outside Tucson, where they take you on guided tours explaining all the different plant life in the desert there. They advertise for workampers - one I wanted to do. Maybe after he is gone if I am still young enough and able to travel.
A badger is a small furry creature that is kind of a cross between a raccoon a skunk and a Tasmanian devil. It has long claws used to dig with and is reputed to be vicious. I live in Wisconsin and have all my life. I've seen a wild badger and just watched it walk away because you don't want to mess with them. That's why the Badger is Wisconsin's official animal. We're tough. Anyway, I have a halfhearted interest in the basketball games mostly because Wisconsin is doing so well, but I live in Green Bay and am more passionate of the Packers. Mostly I don't care about sports. I've been to Kentucky once or twice and it's beautiful there.
Our spring this year is typical in that the snow is all melted and we are starting to green up. The tulips and daffodils my husband loves to plant and tend are sprouting up around our house. I pray his love for and energy to keep up our yard stays around for a long time. That would be something I would have to pay for if he can't do it. I haven't the strength or desire to do the gardening.
I do pretty much everything else. Jerry is 74 and has been diagnosed with AD for over 2 years. He is mostly off in his own world and I have stopped working to care for him. I am 57. I try to stay in the moment because pining for the past or trying to anticipate the future just makes me depressed. Sorry, I am so down today. I just needed to say something. I'm grateful for this spot where I believe people understand what I am going through. I've been crying all day and can't seem to find the sun.
Aunt B, I'm sorry about Kentucky. By coincidence, I attended an Easter brunch yesterday. Also in attendance was a small long-haired dachshund, which went for the jugular of a larger dog who was also guest. It was explained to me that dachshunds were bred for one thing only - to go into badger holes and kill badgers by ripping out their throats. Maybe if the Kentucky team had been named the "Dachshunds" instead of the "Wildcats" . . . ?
carolj, Having to stop working to care for your spouse is tough, even if you are not crazy about your work and especially if you are not crazy about care giving. I feel much the same way as you do. Living in the moment does not help me too much ("the moment" is not really a nice place for me) but I have successfully used mindfulness practices to deal with anxious and scary thoughts. Somewhere on another thread, marche posted a really excellent comment about compartmentalizing. It's not mindfulness but has some similarities. I realize that is what I do most of the time. It allows me to block out a lot of stuff and to almost completely avoid crying. I'm glad your husband can help in the yard and also that it gives him something to do.
Hi Carol, welcome aboard. Sorry you are having a rough day. But you have come to a place where lots of new friendships will be forged. You and I are the same age. I just lost my husband this past Jan. I have visited Wisconsin 8-10 times while doing some training for work. All but one of my visits were in the winter. The first time I deplaned it was 32 degrees below zero. Needless to say, I was not crazy about that! It was 5-6 years ago when everyone there was talking about the unpresidented record snow fall. Then the next summer, I went back 2 times in June. That is when I fell in love with it. I was able to visit downtown Madison. The lake was gorgeous and I was energized by all the folks out sailing, bicycling and jogging. June was perfect....I just could not do your winters there. I also retired early to take care of my guy. I have been out of the workforce for 4 1/2 years now. Since his passing I have been very restless. Considering maybe going back PRN or part-time just to feel productive. I am a RN and always worked in critical care. If I go back, it will be something less stressful. 25 years of critical care and then care giving have just about used up my stress receptors. Time for something a little lower key. Anyhow, welcome!
Welcome Carol- having to put our life on hold to become a full time caregiver is very tough. Day ins and outs become quite tedious. Any holiday can trigger loneliness and saddness. It's the way of most of us who have walked this journey. Mine is over since December but I find my life continues to be much the same. I am not as ready to be a social butterfly as one would think after the years of isolation. We all know how it is and many of our feelings are like yours. Take one day at a time. Divvi*
Hey, I made a casserole and it was good! I made Mac and Cheese two days ago and it came out like noodle glue. I used old cheddar and 10% cream but I put the cheddar on the drained noodles and then poured the cream on. Next time I'm going to heat the cream and melt the cheddar in it and then pour the mixture on the cooked noodles. I could hardly get..my..mouth..apart to eat them.
Like housework which I hate, I'm trying to embrace the zen of leftovers so today I pried the cold noodles apart with a crowbar and had already hunted up several casserole bowls. I layered the cold glue noodles and then some diced ham and green onions and then another layer of the super-glue noodles and then poured half a jar of four cheese alfredo sauce mixed with cream all over it, sprinkled bread crumbs and some finely chopped green onion and baked it about 40 minutes. To me that was delicious and more importantly it was new!
Spring is taking hold around here. Even the nightly lows are above freezing now. The sun is setting well north of my window already (faces due west). I saw a science show a few days ago where the scene was way up in Svaalberg or something and there in the summer the sun doesn't rise or set for months. It just goes around the whole horizon in almost a straight line day after day for several months. The flip side is it doesn't show up at all even once during the entire winter. The snow that fell two days ago here is long gone and with any luck so is winter.
What the future holds around here I can't say. I suppose one day I'll stop tearing up over unpredicatable things. It hasn't even been two months. Ten years of our lives living a tragedy we're all powerless to prevent. For all that time I was incapable of doing anything to heal or solve. All I could do was tend. I'm finally released as is she, and this time I'm not powerless and instead everything in my time is up to me. I will never be passive in this second chance whatever happens.
Wolf, I suggest you try the Crusty Macaroni and Cheese New York Times recipe that was in the paper Jan. 4, 2006. Just use all sharp cheddar--don't bother with the American cheese. And do add the cayenne pepper--about one-eighth to one-fourth of a teaspoon. This is the only mac and cheese that we eat anymore. I couldn't get the link to work, but if you key in the words above, you should get some hits on it. It freezes well, too.
Thank you for all of your comments. It helps to know others understand. I am sorry for those of you who have lost your loved one. I think it must be such a bittersweet parting in the finality of it because the loss begins long before then.
The hardest part is when we're caregiving and enduring what that brings and as you say the loss does begin long before then for both them and for us. And even though someone here said "when you've seen one case of Alzheimer's you've seen one case of Alzheimer's" because they're all different, one further part of the disease is that the caregiver has to try and get back up on their feet afterwards and, in my opinion, that's the most neglected part of Alzheimer's of all.
My cat is very timid. I took her to the vet today and he said there was nothing wrong with her - she is just a scaredy cat and might have been additionally frightened by the young children who lived in her previous home and also by being taken to the shelter. He said to give her a few months to adjust. She is still furious at me for taking her to the vet, although she seemed to like him OK.
....Going through some old files, I found this blog which I had written a few year ago in response to a topic about "Being Alone". It was marked ... ..........NEVER SENT.... ....I think The reason that I never sent it was that I thought It might offend someone, But now that I'm more familiar with this site, I'm thinking that it should be OK.....So here it is..... ----------------------------------------------------------
Hi Everybody... ....I've been following this thread as I do every thread and wondering if I have anything of value to offer here. So here are my thoughts about being alone. ....Actually I really can't understand the problem, because in all my 92 years I've never felt alone. Both Helen and I come from big loving families, but other than relatives, We had so many friends, and this discussion got me started thinking about where they all came from. ....First there was the church friends. We were not very religious in our later years but we had fun RV'ing and camping with the Trinity Travelers. Some caregivers here have mentioned the church as a wonderful source for friends ....Next, was the Lion's Club. I was a member for almost 60 years, and after many years of social activities, conventions, fund raisers and such our families grew very close. Our club always had a sunshine chairman who would keep track of anyone ill or in need and even introverts never lacked for Lions friends. Service clubs are a great source of friends. I don't think anyone on this site has ever mentioned belonging to a service club. ....Next, are the friends I've met through my work. Our families did everything together. And as an electrical contractor, I made friends with everyone I worked for or worked with. ....Next, are our neighbors. Over the years, Helen and I treasured our neighborhood friends and even now that I'm living here all alone, some of them keep bringing me food and want to take care of me. ....Next were the friends I made at the long term care home where I had to place Helen. They need me now and I try to visit them often. ....Then of course, I can't say enough about all of you wonderful friends on this site who have helped me so much when I really needed you. ....And I could go on and on but I think I've said enough....I can understand being alone, but I can't understand lack of friends. Naturally, at my age, most all my old friends have died but I'm making new ones and having fun doing it.
George, you make my heart smile. Like you most of my friends have died but I am making new friends along the way. I try to keep a smile on my face. Most of the people who live here are in the 90's and have aches and pains but they are fun to be around. And, yes, I play bingo. Who would have thought I would do that but I like being around people and joining in the conversation.
My laugh for the day: hb received a jury summons. I called to find out if they really did need a note from his doctor to get exempt and yes they do. It has to state his illness and that he will not recover to be eligible for jury duty later. I laughed and told her that is funny since it is a terminal illness. She said "I know but we still need it'. Last fall I got a 2 year exemption for being a caregiver.
My FIL is moving my wife's IRA from one broker to another. They need her driver's license number. Whoops, don't have one. She had an identity card but since you had to show up at the DMV to renew it we didn't, it would have been a major hassle. I guess I will get her ID card number even though it is expired and give that to the broker.
The irony is that you can renew a driver's license over the Internet in Virginia but not an ID card.
As I race down through the gates barrolling towards senior citizenship and one presumes the mature part of my life I'm reminded of Dylan Whatsisname who said we should go kicking and screaming or words to that effect, and I so heartily agree. My friend, or it might have just been someone standing within earshot, said I seemed unusually calm and I stood up shouting "acting!", and took a deep bow. I might have just made that up. The point is, well the point is, I haven't been that happy lately. There, I said it. And now I'm going to get blue hair and false teeth and start shuffling ...and those are the good parts. Oh please. I have a mole that's having a mole. My hair looks like a skunk in shock. My arms are like long toothpicks. My fingers look like I've been in the pool too long. My knuckles look like little basset hounds. I pull so many hairs out of my ears I could knit a sweater.
Tomato lady came out of her hibernation. She came over as I got out of my car in the garage with her handkerchief dog who somehow didn't blow away in the wind and let me know how sorry she was that Dianne had passed. I bit my tongue that I was suprised she was still living there herself because I haven't seen her since late October and hoped we wouldn't be too long because the six course chinese food order sitting in bags in the passenger seat which is so heavy my car insists I put a seat belt around it, isn't getting any warmer standing here talking actually. I realized going into the house with the three bags that I was going to be eating tomatos again this year.
Take my feelings. In fact if you've seen my feelings please call this number. I asked my other neighbour how he was feeling when he knocked on the door about an hour later. He had shuffled over with birthday cake for me in his pajamas and slippers. He's 90 something and he just got back from two months in florida and it's his birthday today (happy birthday Jack). He did have a morning coat on and I don't question that I live on a weird court with a bunch of characters. That's perfect symmetry.
That's what I told secretary lady when I got my eye exam and she asked me my occupation. Recluse. That would have been the answer if either of us was listening to ourselves. Retired, I answered choosing in the magazine rack between which starlets were aging badly and who had a tummy tuck gone horribly wrong. I wondered what I would look like if I injected gel into my lips and botox in my face. A pouty statue with skunk hair in shock but with suprisingly stylish glasses I decided. "The doctor will see you now" she said waving her hand at a door around the corner. No he won't, I thought, otherwise I would spot him and there's only bored you bored me and these terrible magazines.
Glamour magazines. Self immoliation into the ideal skeletal b*tch with heroine eyes and perfect thigh gap. Perfect symmetry with truck ads where the baritone announcer is so low (and so manly) that he's close to shattering crystal if there was any but there's only the chintz and all the marketing departments who will do absolutely anything to get you to buy. The doctor had the brandenburg concertos playing though and he told me good news I'd worried about for years about my eyes and when I bought the eclairs at the hungarian bakery just two doors away afterwards there was almost a spring in my step.
That didn't last. Nothing lasts. Mountains don't last. I wasn't happy before either. I have incredible moments but I don't know what feeling happy all the time is. I don't even think that way. I would be miserable without my low self esteem and self loathing mixed almost perfectly with the sheer lunacy of what goes on and garden of delights around me. I know exactly who I am which is the perfect court jester in the twelfth century which with great relief isn't much in demand so I went into accounting.
Which isn't a segue anywhere and I'm ok with that.
Wolf, you are too much. Hair like "a skunk in shock" ??!! Hahahahahahaha. I sure wish we could post pictures on this website.
And the journey continues. I had a rough day myself yesterday (yeah, I know--whine, whine, whine), just missing him and not feeling like doing anything. DD and I drove down to West Virginia on Saturday to the homey, backwoods, still very rural place where one of my grandfathers was from--we went to the little, deconsecrated church cemetery where one set of great-grandparents are buried. The old home place is still there, although the house, used for a barn for years, has now fallen down. There is still family on the place…they've built something new, and use it for weekend breaks. And one of my second cousins still comes to the cemetery once a week. It was beyond soothing to see flowers on the grave of a couple who died in 1898 and 1943.And still a friendly, neighborly area--one-lane, gravel roads where people wave at you when you drive down the road. (I've only seen that in one other place--Saipan in the Northern Marianas.) Anyway, I'm glad I took a run down--it's only three hours from where I'm living now--but it threw me into a nostalgia funk of looking backwards instead of forwards…Larry's dead, Mother is dead, brother Mike is dead, Father is dead, grandparents are dead, great-grandparents are dead, etc., etc., etc. I am wrestling with the fact that I need to form new relationships, but don't really feel like it. I am still reeling and trying to come to terms with the fact that DD is trying to exploit me right, left, and center, and that I am not comfortable with this babysitting/cooking lifestyle I've committed to for the next 14 months. (Yes, I'm counting.) So I spent yesterday just reclusively in leggings and grubs, not eating much, only brushing my teeth once, and just glued to the Internet for most of the day. Didn't even go to church, which is a big no-no for me, but I was genuinely sick…although it was emotionally sick, not physically.
By yesterday evening I was a little better--I walked in the park for 45 minutes, and did my Convict Conditioning (wall push-ups, squats holding the footboard of the bed, etc.). I downloaded a book on my Kindle, and after I played the harp for awhile (which really helps), I just went to bed and read until late. This morning I slept in, but have jumped in the shower first thing,opened all the windows to a warm, sunny morning, and am having coffee on the screened porch with my forum friends. Now I'm going to make my bed, eat some oatmeal, and head out for the list of errands I made for myself last night.
I think I see where I'm going,moving forward, but the trouble is, I don't always really feel like going there. When I first met Larry, my world changed from black-and-white to technicolor. Now it's back to black-and-white, and I can't seem to get my life back into colors except for very brief flashes.
elizabeth, You don't have to go to Saipan to see drivers wave when they pass each other on the road. People in the country towns near here still do this.
I love that statement - "When we have no view of the future we turn to the past". I never really thought about that, but totally agree. You gave me something to think about - thanks.
On a positive note, for those who have gained weight during the caregiving experience, Joan's home page has a link to an article that says obesity has been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
Myrtle, you must be from the Berkshires--what a beautiful area. I've been to Tanglewood once, and to Stockbridge a couple of times to sit on the porch of the Red Lion Inn and then have dinner there. Nice memories.
I think for the most part that I'm looking forward, not back. It is nice here in the Heartland, and I'm going to make the most of the next 14 months or so, but there is a firm exit date and exit plan…and DD is aware of that. For now, I'm taking full advantage of that beautiful park across the road, and of the time I have left with my fantastic harp teacher. Also, I'm determined to be 30 lbs. lighter and in good shape by the time I get back to NY, so I'm working on that while I'm here. And of course Mim and I will be sampling the coffees of the Midwest from time to time. :D
One thing I'm finding out is that this whole grieving thing is not linear. I'll be going along doing pretty well, and then something brings it all back, and I'm a mess again. It doesn't seem to be too predictable. I think that I'm just going to go with the flow--if I'm sick with missing him…lethargic, apathetic, anxious, depressed…whatever…I'm giving myself permission to just vegetate and stare sullenly out the window thinking about him for hours. Or retreating into DVD land or browsing the Internet for hours. Grieving really is a burden…like that saying "the burden of grief." It is genuinely heavy…it makes you tired. Sometimes I have to shelve it, because I have childcare or shopping/cooking to do (like this week--sick kids with me yesterday and today…and a little one to take to a swim lesson after supper tonight)…but I'm going to go easy on myself when the sadness hits. If I need to spend the weekend in grubs doing nothing but thinking about him, well, then that's what I'm going to do. I'm realizing that that's OK, and that in fact it's probably necessary. And it encourages me to think about how Larry, after deep, deep sorrows in his life, was able to re-invent himself and move forward to find happiness. (He had lost his wife at age 48 in a car accident, and his only child, their son, died of a heart attack at age 36.) So, if he could do it, I can do it.
myrtle, thanks for the statement. I think it's perfect for many situations in life but particularly as a dementia caregiver. I find myself wondering when I'll have a normal life and then I get very very sad. Because that would require that my husband would no longer be alive.
It's snowing. Everything's white. It's almost May. We could have gone to the USA. Dad worked for the American state department and had the job of chauffering Mamie Eisenhower around one day (he LOVED telling that story). Well, he could have gone to Chesapeake Bay for instance. Maryland has nice weather. But noooooooooooooo. It's whale blubber and igloos. Or at least it is a few miles north of here. If we'd stayed, I could have been skiing in Gstaad and maybe have a little place on Lake Constance and been hanging around with people named Dieter and Hans and Gertrude and Waltrout (I kid you not).
I'm not complaining really. I'm just window shopping. Or I could go out and mow the snow. It'll be gone in a day or two anyway. I was just thinking that if I DID live in europe how many great places I could drive to. Instead Dianne's mother (born 1909) moved from Edinborough, Scotland to Toronto where she met Dianne's father (born 1908) who came from Manchester, England and after having 3 children they had an accident named Dianne (born 1951) when her mom was 42. My father came from Prussia (born 1928) to marry my mother (born 1927) who came from Sweden where they met in Frankfurt (in 1948) where I dropped in (1950) and they bundled us off to the new land so that I could go to highschool here and meet Dianne and against absolutely everyone's wishes - we could marry each other.
All the events that unfolded in so many people's lives just so that when Dianne got Alzheimer's, she had her soul mate there to help her go through it.
I would have thought there'd be some kind of award or something, but all you get is a broom to sweep up the pieces and an impressive CV of mental and emotional baggage. I can't help but think that it's better I go through this than her. I don't think that's clear cut. One thing would be how much these ten years in reverse would have taken out of her because as we all know, they take a lot out of you. It doesn't matter because it's me that is here looking out the window at the snow falling and patting the cat sitting here by my leg. They miss her terribly. No they don't.
I am scheduled for the fun colonoscopy next Monday. I had pre-op today. I arranged through Medicaid for transportation because paperwork says a taxi or bus is not acceptable. Well, they said someone has to be with me for the next 12 hours just in case. I told them my husband would be at home but not there with me. He or someone has to be with me when I leave the hospital. So guess husband will have to go and wait in the waiting room. Oh well, hopefully won't be more than a couple hours. I would not be having it if not for the uterine cancer last year and a brother who had colon cancer. Plus, uterine and colon often appear together. This will be my first and only one as far as I am concerned!
Charlotte, I think the prep is the worst part! There will be no more for me though - colon was removed almost 8 years ago (no, not cancer, but chronic ulcerative colitis, with abscessing & close to perforation, plus a pretty bad family history of colon problems). Maybe this is too much information, huh? :D
I wish you well with your hubby going....no other choice, I know.
Your comma was absent and close to perfection? And your colon comes from a bad family? Of what? Punctuation? Am I reading this right? Is this thing on?? Hello?
(resigned, Wolf sighs realizing once again something's gone terribly, terribly wrong because this isn't the planet he ordered)
marche made a comment on another thread that "the dog will look lovingly into my eyes (I know it is for food, but want to believe it is love)." But it turns out that she may be wrong, it may really be love according to a recent article in Smithsonian Magazine -- dogs have seemingly evolved to bond with their human owners by looking into each others' eyes just as babies do. You can read the whole article at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dog-gazes-hijack-brains-maternal-bonding-system-180955019/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&no-ist if you're interested. Cats and other pets evidently couldn't care less, according to the article -- it seems that dogs are the only creatures who share this unique bonding with humans. (You may have gathered that I'm a dog lover -- we were adopted by a stray gentle female Lab during the last few months of my DW's life, and then she vanished just as mysteriously a few days after her death -- like a ghost or angel or something....)
If you are knocked out for the colonoscopy they want a friend driving you home. I insisted on a mild sedative so they allow for a taxi (bus or walking home were no-nos). I was escorted to the cab and they watched me get driven away. The hospital people did not screw around.