Lovingheart

Happy Halloween! Grateful that this year Marlon was well enough to go out trick-or-treating. During Linsy's visit, this was the one day our family could have dinner together.  Then Linsy, Mina, Marlon, and I went out and walked the streets.  Once again, Mina amazed me.  She trotted along with us, following Marlon to most front doors.  Nothing seemed to scare her. Mina is not very strong and can't always go up and down the front steps of the house.  She has limited energy and lately that has been even more apparent.  Linsy and I were surprised to see her keep up, even going up and down some stairs, though closer to the end she just put her front paws on the first step.  After a couple of streets boy and dog were done and so happy to get home and rest.

A group of us had a Halloween walk in Elora yesterday.  I wasn't sure how it would go with Mina and imagined I would end up having to carry her most of the way.  I was surprised that she happily trotted along with us.  She was a little nervous but was ok with people and traffic.  At home, she normally stays close by, without leash or collar, and hasn't walked too well when leashed up. In the car, she is happy to rest on Marlon. Linsy's friend came along for the walk as well and Linsy was happy to get the chance to catch up with her. I'll need to keep a close eye on Linsy and Mina otherwise Linsy will head back to Montreal with the dog who will willingly follow her wherever.  In just a short time they have such a strong bond.  Mina adores Linsy. It is nice to have Linsy around and I could easily get used to it again.  It is hard for Linsy though as she has the appeal of being back here and isn't sure where home is right now.  This home is a holiday and makes it that

  This was all ready to send last night and then Linsy came home!  I hadn't seen her in a couple of months.  So nice to spend time with her. October 28, 2021 After throwing up tonight, Marlon was saying he has kind of gotten used to it.  He went on to say he figures in the last year, he has thrown up more times than all of us combined.  Entirely possible.  The medication still affects him. Today, I took Mina to see her brother and mom.  She was happy to see her birth family again and play with her brother.  Her dog mom was jealous of the attention she got from her human birth mom.

Marlon had an appointment for orthotics today.  Though I left plenty of time, we were late.  One wrong turn after another.  A place in Hamilton we haven't been to before and I don't know how many times I turned the wrong way, missed a turn, took a wrong one, and turned around.  In the end, once we finally drove past the building, which is on a one-way street, and we were on the wrong side, I just found parking on the street and we walked. It reminded me of the day of his diagnosis when I first drove him to MacMaster.  Full of such frazzled emotions, the closer we got, the slower I drove.  Then I was following the big 'H' signs until they stopped and we were on a residential street in Hamilton.  Eventually, I got us turned around and we found our way. Today, I was ready for this appointment and feel something needs to be done before Marlon has other, compensation problems. The orthopedic doctor checked Marlon's legs and fitted him for a brace for his left leg and rec

I got an email from Jason at Amazon saying the email I received was a mistake and I will get a refund.  I laughed and cried and raged.  All that stress, chaos, the many emails, the phone calls, and they claim it was a mistake.  That shows what can be accomplished when you raise a stink.  Let's just sweep this under that carpet… Sometimes when Mina is eating, Mojo will come along, hiss and growl, and the dog will step away from her food.  She will go hide by me or leave the room.  The cat will start eating the dog's food.  I will often let him eat a little under the belief that if he can see a benefit to having the dog here, he may soften up (I know, wishful thinking). This evening, Marlon and I were on the floor, playing cards, playing with Mina, and trying not to get bitten by her.  I noticed a different bump on her back.  As soon as I felt it, alarm bells went off.  We looked and weren't sure.  Brought Mina to Thomas to look at with his magnifying glass.  It wasn't un

Mina and Stella, Josephine's dog, have slowly been getting to know each other.  Little bits here and there.  At first, Mina was quite afraid.  Now, as long as Stella isn't barking too much or too loud, she wags her tail and they share sniffs.  Mina wants to play but when Stella joins in, she gets nervous.  Interesting to watch the process of gaining trust between the two dogs.  As far as the Amazon scam is concerned, I received an email from the Account Services saying that Jeff Bezos received my email.  They ask for a week to look into it, so I'll sit back and see what happens before pursuing other avenues. Marlon is happy to be without cast or brace.  I believe he has been on the computer a fair the past couple of days so not doing too much physical activity, however, he has enjoyed a decent amount of Minecraft with friends.

After my cry for help about getting scammed by Amazon, I received much support and many ideas, some of which I have started following.  I did get an email from Amazon that sounds like it may be a human.  We'll see where that goes. Hospital visit this morning for Marlon at the fracture clinic.  The doctor recommended using the brace at times when Marlon is being more active or playing, otherwise, his arm is free.  What a relief, as anyone who has ever had a cast knows. Wednesday, the day after the chemo/LP hospital visit is often a lower day for Marlon but those lows are getting higher.  In other words, he seems to be recovering better.  After this visit, Marlon has started another round of steroids so both dog and boy are taking them. Mina does have another sore that is oozing but her energy levels are good and she is a pretty happy puppy.  She is sensitive and does best if she is treated gently.  I accidentally kicked her (not hard at all) and she ran off and sat on her blanket. 

I have been scammed by Amazon.  I lost $576! My son bought a used truck.  It needed a new bumper. He looked all over, it looked like it would cost over $1000 and take weeks to get here (none in wrecking yards that he found). Lo and behold Amazon had exactly what he needed for just over $500 and we could get it in a couple of days. We ordered it and as soon as the box arrived I was suspicious.  How could a bumper fit in a box this size? Size 7 woman's shoe on box. Turns out it was a tow hitch.  We contacted Amazon and returned it.  A while later, I received an email saying we did not return a bumper so we will not get a refund ($576 including tax). I have emailed them back many, many times and I have called several times.  I called the bank to dispute the charge and they need an expert letter but I need the product to get that and, according to Amazon, the product I received and subsequently returned has been discarded. Amazon calls the case resolved and I am SOL! I have cried, I ha

My dad was in WWII and often considered himself lucky.  Lucky that he was a prisoner of war at this camp rather than another.  Lucky he went in this line rather than that line.  And I suppose he was lucky because he survived and went on to live a full, rich life.  I am sure the experience may have scarred him but he chose to see it in a positive light and an opportunity for growth. And in the past year, I have been so aware of good fortune as well.  Sure it may be a bumpy, scary road but when I see and hear of what some others are dealing with, especially within the oncology ward, it is easy to see we have been lucky. Visits to the hospital are a sobering, humbling experience and I am usually affected for days afterward, thinking of the people I may have seen or spoken with. The long line of bravery beads slung on a backpack, the cry of a baby, the sweet, verbal two-year-old, and so much more… This morning, Marlon kept repeating how lucky we are that we got the puppy we did.  Though Mo

It's early morning, not quite 6 am, I am puttering away in the kitchen, with the dog nearby chewing on her bone.  I hear a rumbling and think it is too early for the construction to start already.  Then I realize the cat has walked into the room.  He growls a little more, hisses, then leaves the room. Mina really wants to be given a chance.  She was actually sitting in front of the chair watching him sleep.  Sometimes she will cower in the face of his growls, sometimes she will just sit and watch, gently wagging her tail. On the plus side, she is much better.  I had stopped giving her the steroids for the strangles disease on Friday as it should have been enough time.  I guess it wasn't. After just one dose on Monday, she started to perk up again.  The sores are not weeping and she is more mischievous and ready for occasional play.  She'll stay on the steroids a while longer. Marlon had a hospital appointment today.  Chemo and LP (sedation).  It ends up being such a lot of

What an emotionally exhausting day!  I am listening to a book by Brene Brown which has me feeling emotion.  I was at work on the till with the malfunctioning scale.  I was dealing with it but then an hour and fifteen minutes into my shift, I was sent on my first break.  I felt triggered by that.  Just one thing after another with emotions tumbling.  I made a mistake with a customer and she called into the store to complain, thinking I may have been trying to steal from her.  Also heard yesterday of a suicide from someone I have known through the store.  And another person is still struggling.  Just so much, so many emotions. I got home at 640, Mina was on her blanket, and there was food in her bowl.  She wasn't eating supper??  Then Marlon told me it was her lunch and I felt even worse.  Apparently, she had not been doing well, hardly able to stand.  Marlon and I hugged and cried.  He went into this thing that he gets into about bad things happening.  Cancer always leads the list. 

Must be a fungal year.  Mushrooms everywhere.  Big and small, coloured and neutral. Tired today but blissed out.  So happy to have Mina around.  She loves to play a biting game which isn't so bad now with her baby teeth that have been dulled down but it could get way worse.  I tell her not to bite and try to redirect the play. I am smiling so much.  I watch her running in the tall grass, playing, chewing on something she isn't supposed to, walking beside me, and then running ahead, turning around to make sure I am still following. I brought her along to take Marlon to outdoor school.  Taking for drives to get used to being in the car.  She is definitely calmer.  She was very happy to see her boy again when we picked him up this afternoon. The cat stood near the kitchen and growled and hissed at Mina.  She was scared and hid between my legs.  I had to carry her outside and then back in again when we returned. Her turkey legs and posing by mushrooms.

Opalamina seems to be adjusting very well to her new life.  She likes the people she is living with and ignores the cat.  The other day she walked a little too close and Mojo lashed out at her.  She squawked and ran off. It was getting late and I knew she needed one last trip outside before bed.  I figured I'd do one more thing and then I noticed she wasn't in the kitchen anymore.  I scooched her outside but she didn't pee.  I was crawling around looking for the wet spot on the carpet.  She went by her crate and sniffed and sure enough in the middle of her blanket was the evidence.  I threw it in the wash and got her something else to sleep on.  I haven't discovered any other misses but that doesn't mean there aren't any. We took her to Guelph today for a park day.  She was ok in the car but not relaxed.  At the park, she was nervous and so she curled up at Es's feet (friend) and slept.  I was concerned that she hadn't peed since we left the house but sh

Dang.  I had it all written out, hit the wrong button, and replaced it with something else. I realize I am in the puppy honeymoon phase and I can see we'll be in for a fun, sometimes turbulent ride. Last night was good, surprisingly so.  I put Mina in the borrowed crate, turned out the lights, and got into bed.  She whimpered a couple of times and was quiet the rest of the night.  I got up at 630, took her outside, she peed and I put her back in until it was light out. The more comfortable she feels in her new home, the more she is finding things to chew: hair scrunchy, mask, plastic handle from a basket, a book, paper, and whatever else she can get at. And she is a delight!  Friendly, curious, and playful. I worked today and I think she missed me but Marlon took grate care of her, feeding her lunch and taking her outside.  They get along well together. The other day I came in to a bouquet of parsley.  Pretty.

A couple of days ago, Marlon and I took Opalamina for a little car ride.  Today we took her for another car ride but this time to her new home. We were nervous and excited.  She was nervous but has done very well. The top one is her crashed out beside me right now.  Bottom right is her lying like a flattened chicken.  She came with a knuckle bone and that has served her well. She is very food-focused.  Made me feel like I didn't give her nearly enough supper. The cat is not impressed but Mina has been good and stayed out of his way. We'll see how the night goes.

What a day of frustration! Anita found me a number with which to call Amazon.  I did and had ease to get through to a real person.  He listened to my rants, said he'd open another appeal, and I believed there was hope.  Ha!  The first email said that I didn't send them what I ordered so I wasn't getting my money back.  At this point, I might have considered letting it go if it was around $20 but when we are talking close to $600, it's a different story. So I contacted BMO to put a dispute in on the charge.  I was on hold for a full hour, spoke to a person to explain my situation, and then was put through to hold for the dispute department.  A half-hour later, I hung up because I was at work and it was time to start. After work tonight, I finally got through and forwarded them the many, many emails back and forth from Amazon but it didn't sound extremely promising.  Mercury is in retrograde, communication is backward, and never have I felt it more.  Wahhh. I let Mojo

Paco has bought himself a used truck.  It needed some work before being safetied, including a new bumper.  Finding a bumper for less than $1000 proved to be a challenge and often delivery could take a month.  Finally, he found one on Amazon of all places.  Ordered it and when it came, I took the box and thought there was no way it could be a bumper. I sent Paco a picture of it, using my shoe as a reference.  When Paco came home and opened the box, I was at work.  It was a tow hitch.  Not a bumper at all.  Darn!  We returned it. A little while later, we got a message from Amazon saying they would not refund the money as they didn't get the bumper back!  What!?!  We didn't get a bumper either.  The past several days have been extremely frustrating as I email their returns department saying it is ridiculous to think a bumper could have come in that box.  I get some generic email saying nothing except they won't honour the refund.  I tried to chat with a customer service person

The clap starts with a steady beat and then many more hands join in.  Nurses come round and people poke their heads out the door and join in the steady beat. The nurse that started it says 'i have an important announcement to make,'. 'What is it, Jo-Ann?' A patient steps out of the room.  'Name has just completed their last round of chemo today!'. Three cheers and clapping.  I stand by and clap with tears streaming down my face (actually into my mask) and a smile on my face.  Today was two different ones, both teenagers.  I have only seen a few 'last chemo chants' during our time at clinic but it's always so emotionally charged knowing they have had a bumpy road but they are walking out the door, leaving cancer-free.  Even remembering the chant brings the tears and emotions back again. Still a year away but Marlon will have his turn. Marlon's blood counts are good.  Even his neutrophils are up.  The doctor did have a chat with me after I admitted

Marlon has had a cold for a couple of days.  Sniffle, sniffle.  Not sleeping the best and feeling kinda miserable.  He was supposed to go to a class this afternoon but decided he just wasn't up for it. At work today, puppy human mom, Anita stopped by to buy marrow bones.  In the parking lot, hanging out the back window of the truck were Teddy and Rosy, puppy and his mom.  So cute and distracting.  Mina was sitting in the back seat but Anita carried her up to the store window for a quick peek. A light shining through the field in the night sky.

Today would have been my mom's 93rd birthday.  A day to honour her and memories.  I have missed her support and feedback over the past year especially. Marlon was eating Doritos and we started talking about the company that makes them and how big it is.  Reminded me of a sort of parent company family tree I saw many years ago about the few companies that own so many of the big names in food.  We couldn't find it but did find out that Monsanto owns so many big food companies.  It was shocking to see how much they control in the everyday food market and even in the natural one. We said hi to Opalamina today.  Her birth family is happy to keep her, take good care of her, and I think they are as attached to her as she is to them.  She is extremely food motivated.  Marlon said that is because of the steroids but to be fair she had always been an eager eater even though she was skinny and small.  Now she is plumping up. Grapes!  We cooked some up to see what the juice is like.  Not b

The last couple of weeks at the store there was a fundraiser for children's mental health with funds going to four local children's foundations including McMaster.  It is needed.  I heard that with the pandemic, the mental health wards are overflowing, eating disorders are up 90%, and digestive issues are greater in all ages of children. But it is people of all ages.  I am thinking of a person I know who has suffered big losses in the past year including a close friend and the last remaining family member.  And this person is struggling and I think 'gee what can I do?'. I am not good at following through on thoughts. There are so many good people out there.  So much love and so much pain and suffering.  Can't we just heal the world?  But somehow that is not what life is about.  We appreciate the highs by weathering the lows. And we learn and we grow.  And we send love and light and prayers.  And we receive the same. Fill up with universal love.  We all need hugs.

Even with his cast on his arm, Marlon was back at outdoor school yesterday. We were supposed to go to the fracture clinic today but they called to change the appointment so now we go on Tuesday. He got his new mouse and was pretty excited to try to set up the extra buttons to simplify Minecraft play. When our puppy became sick, we were close to taking her home.  I did not want her be feeling bad as she experienced her new home.  Though she still has sores, she is feeling a fair bit better and I thought we may be able to take her home.  The vet advised against it as the stress of the change could set her health back.  It makes sense but I was so sad and disappointed to hear that.  Her human birth mom is taking such good care of her, the puppy is getting more attached to her so the longer she stays there the bigger the stress.  For now, she is better off with the consistency and safety. Found a nice puffball mushroom.  My foot is there for size reference.  A customer showed me a picture