Almost summer

It's 8:30 a.m. and I've been up for a little over two hours trying to shake off the morning bronchial gunk that settled in my chest during the night.  I'm thankful I'm able to sleep in my bed again but will be much happier once the final residue phglem is coughed up once and for all.  From past experiences, I know this next phase of healing could take weeks.

I still have to sit and rest often so household chores continue to go by the wayside.  I'm talking to myself more and that's usually an indication I've reached another plateau.  And isn't that a sad state of affairs?!  Knowing you're on the mend because you talk to yourself more.  Ha!  I sound awfully hoarse and croaky so I suppose some of this bug has settled in my vocal cords.

The temperature gauge with a suction cup that I stuck to the outside of the window in front of me is registering 101 degrees.  I'm thankful that's just the morning sun  heating that spot. If I was having to deal with high temps on top of this bronchitis, I'd be in a fix. I set all three dogs outside for the day. It's going to be nice and sunny and there's no reason for them to be in the house.  Birdy and Miah are used to being inside so they're not entirely thrilled witht his arrangement.  Anytime I go outside, they immediately run to the sliding glass door in anticipation of when I go back indoors.  I've set them up with toys, pillows, blankets, food, water and you'd think being able to run in a large yard would tickle them. Nope.

Before our stupid cable company took away Nat'l Geo channel, I used to watch the Dog Whisperer.  He was always lecturing people about treating dogs like dogs and not people.  That's a hard thing to do for some folks--like me.  I'm always trying to think for them.  I watched Miah as she followed Sammy's activities out on the lawn and I got it in my head that she wanted to be out there too so I lifted her up (not easy) and placed her down on the grass.  I didn't think she could get down the steps as she's so old and fat.  She immediately limped back up the steps.  I couldn't let it go at that, however. I figured she just didn't know what she really wanted so I took her large overside sleep cushion and laid it on the steps so she could get up and down throughout the day.

Birdy, meanwhile, has contented herself with going under the porch to lay instead of frolicing out on the sunny lawn.  I'm determined to keep them all outside today.  I need a break.  Even though I already know I have to shampoo the carpets once they're gone, I'm still fretting constantly to keep an eye on Miah and her bathroom ediquette--or lack of, I should say.

She's real slow moving but this morning I noticed she could run if she wanted to.  She was trying to outrun me as I attempted to get her outside as soon as she crawled out of bed.  I wanted her to pee on the potty pads I had placed on the porch.  She took off running around the kitchen island and would go in the opposite direction if I tried to head her off.  I finally got a leash on her and led her outside.
I watched her ignore the potty pads and go directly to a throw rug I had out there (drying out).

My goal for today is to quit trying to read their minds and remember that I'm the human here and I'm the boss.  Not sure how I'm going to spend the day.  I'm not really in the mood for cutting out quilt squares, reading, surfing the net, writing, watching tv, or even running errands.  A good day to just go with the flow, I suppose.  Definitely have to work on my levels of patience.  I only add to my stress when I expect my energy to return quickly. Could just be I only need a morning nap to snap out of this funky mood.  Lack of sleep can send your personality into the depths of despair.  Oh brother, talk about drama queen!  Ha ha

Guess I'll go look at the pictures I haven't posted yet...

Here's one of me and Shirley Thomas taken at the Elks Club Saturday before last.  Shirley lives in Silverdale and was Class of 1966.  She was always the younger kid sister hanging around when I visited Jean Tyler out on San Juan Avenue behind the Catholic Cemetary.

Here's all the tulip bulbs I dug up from the raised flower bed a couple weeks back.  They sure did multiply.  I'll replant at the end of fall.

This is a shirt I bought on Ebay but unfortunately, it's a little too small.  I wasn't totally surprised but kept hoping the XL listing would be extra large enough for my extra large stomach.  I figure I have two choices--lose the damn weight so I can wear the shirt or....make it into a pillow.

Not sure if you can see this flying pig that well but I'll post it anyhow. I stopped at Wild Birds in Discovery Bay and they had the neatest magnetic birds and such. I bought two even though they won't work on double paned glass.  I fixed up this one in a picture frame and taped a sign saying "WHEN".  That got me to wondering about that saying 'when pigs fly'. Found this on Wikipedia:
of Lewis Carroll:

"Thinking again?" the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.
"I've a right to think," said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.
"Just about as much right," said the Duchess, "as pigs have to fly...." — Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9.

American literature author John Steinbeck was told by his professor that he would be an author when pigs flew. When he eventually became a novelist, he started to print every book he wrote with the insignia "Ad astra per alia porci" (to the stars on the wings of a pig).[3]

Here's a picture of the other magnetic bird I bought. This one I attached to a fish bowl.  The little red bird sitting inside was another purchase. I'm a sucker for red birds.

Today is the last day of school for the twins. Not sure how well this will post but here's a clipping Linda sent me from the PA paper of Maddie's softball team. She's kneeling third from the right.

One reason I decided to take Joe's dogs for the week was because I JUST KNEW Sammy would be thrilled to have playmates.  Sigh...... they've been penned up outside for over two hours now and Sammy is asleep in one spot, Birdy under the porch, and Miah, standing at the sliding glass door whimpering to be let in.  I can't stand it!  I'm letting her in.  She's old.