Max and I Need Hot Chicken Soup



Max, Gracie and Zoe



Brent and Max

Post # 210  This is my oldest son, Brent  and my oldest dog, Max.  When Max is glad to see someone or feels "love-y" he gives hugs.  That is what he is doing in this picture.  He hadn't seen Brent in a long time so he tackled Brent and gave him a big ole doggy hug.  He firmly presses his cheek to ours and puts his arms around our neck.  Max is 11.  Becoming a senior citizen in the doggy world.  Like me.  Last night he scared me.  Max was asleep in a doggy bed next to my chair when he started jerking violently and flopping over like a fish, sort of a sideways somersault, at least 3 times.  You have to understand that Max has not used any energy unnecessarily for several years.  Probably 10 years ago I would tell Max stories to my boss and he always said that Max is a basset hound born in a schnauzer body.  He is just a pretty laid back dog.  Flopping around for no reason is not something he did even as a puppy and what he did last night was not a playful thing.  Bless his heart,  once he stopped flopping around he ran between a big potted plant and the wall.  Also something that is not normal behavior for him.  My other two dogs ran over to him, obviously concerned for him.  I quickly put the girls outside and Max walked out from behind the plant but sort of sideways, wobbly, slow.  He was not well.  I picked him up and held him on the couch and he stayed there the rest of the night.  Before bed I sat Max in the floor and tried to get him to go outside but he just walked a few steps over to another doggy bed (I have them all around the living room for the 3 dogs) and stayed there all night.  He did get up and go get a drink but he stopped and laid down and rested a bit in the maybe 8 feet from the water dish back to his favorite doggy bed.  I think he had a seizure or something.  This morning he went outside but spent the rest of the morning in his doggy bed.  I gave everyone a doggy bone (we call them cookies) and Max wouldn't have his cookie----he never turns down cookies.  A sure sign he does not feel well.  This afternoon I convinced Max to go outside and I went with him to watch him walk and he was walking just fine.  Later Casey came over and brought her dog, Andy.  Max loves having another boy come over and he always plays with Andy.  

Casey's dog, Andy and Max's friend

After awhile Max got up and played with Andy for a bit so that made me feel better.  When Max's time to pass comes it will be very hard on me.  I hope it isn't any time soon.  I hope he just passes away in his sleep and doesn't suffer.  He has been an excellent dog and friend and he deserves to go easy.



I had a good week with Taylor. She and I have a real good time together.  She is getting to be such a big girl.  Friday she and I ran up to KFC to get me something for lunch.  She had already eaten her baby food lunch but I gave her a bite of my mashed potatoes and gravy and that little stinker proceeded to eat the entire serving!  Kept opening her mouth like a little bird and I kept feeding her.  She loves real food!  I was starting to feel like I was getting the same "flu bug" her other grandma Nana, aunt, momma, and daddy have had so I thought oh goody, she will have such a full tummy she will take a long afternoon nap, and I will lay down next to her crib and take one too.  She always takes a pretty good afternoon nap.  Guess what?! Friday she took NO nap!  I guess all those potatoes gave her lots of energy because she was too busy playing to take a nap.  I went home and went to bed since I felt like I was getting sick.   The only thing I got accomplished today was I had my mammogram.  It was a nice surprise, not as much compression as they use to do.  Wonderful, caring people at the Women's Imaging Center at Northwest Texas Hospital and I am really grateful that I was able to have one for free since I have no insurance....and yes, I told them I felt like I might be getting sick but they let me have my mammagram anyway.  This evening I feel like this guy:

I have had my flu shot so I know it is not really the flu but I have that headache, bodyache, sneezing, coughing, eyes hurt, throat hurts, totally exhausted, dizzy feel like I have a fever bug.  When I was getting ready to go get my mammagram this morning I thought it hurt to just brush my hair.      If I didn't feel this way I would have gone to our local bookstore today to meet Ree Drummond, better known as Pioneer Woman to blogging fans and food network viewers.  Well, that is probably not true.  I am not real star struck and wouldn't really get that big of a kick out of just walking up and saying hi to someone.  I mean, you can stand in line, buy a book, get her to sign it and say hi but that doesn't really appeal to me.  I would have loved to have been able to attend the rodeo that is taking place here in my city though....and sit next to her, and get to talk to her about the rodeo, etc.   Her family is here in town for the 16th annual WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo. Her husband, brother-in-law and the other cowboys from their ranch are the Oklahoma Working Ranch Champions for this year and here to represent OK.   She is going to blog about it here... http://thepioneerwoman.com/   In fact, when Casey came over tonight we talked about how fun it would be to go see her family compete in the rodeo but we decided the way both of us feel we would have to have 1) someone to drive us to the rodeo and 2) pick us up at the car with a golf cart and haul us into the civic center and to our seats because there is no way we could come up with the energy to walk that far.  Keeping us awake might be something else, even though the rodeo would be exciting.  Dang it, the first time I really, really want to go to an event....  Maybe Amarillo will get to hold the rodeo again next year and they will come.  I read her blog every day and they feel like extended family.  Later----OMG----I just found out that rodeo tickets were $18 to $30----way out of my budget, and sold out anyway, but there is no way I could afford that.  I don't ever go to movies, plays, events although sometimes there are things that I would really like to get to do.  I hate being fiancially challenged. (I know, it could be a whole lot worse, but sometimes I would just like to have some "fun" money)  I don't know how families afford to go to anything, I never could afford to take my kids to anything like that way back in the day but sure couldn't now.  I really think I should have been born with money :)
     I am still trying to read this book:  I have read the first 36 pages or less several times now.  That I can not concentrate enough to just pick up a book and read it cover to cover is a continued stress and thorn in my side.  When you go from reading a book a day all of your life to reading a book maybe every 4 months or so it is really, really heartbreaking.  I have so many books I want to read (I have a notebook full of titles that I haven't even added to the lists over there on the right yet...as I hear of new titles coming out that sound interesting I jot them down)  I have 6 more days before this book is due so maybe tomorrow.   Right now I am going to go to bed and hope I wake up full of energy.  My youngest son is coming for lunch tomorrow to celebrate his birthday.  I have been gargling with hot salt water and drinking hot green tea with honey, taking tylenol and when I get the energy I am going to get up and find the humidifier and get it going.   I think Vicks Vaporub should be involved.  When I was little I remember my mom rubbing Vicks on my chest and then pinning a hot washcloth to my pajamas over my chest. My son and daughter-in-law were taking Thera-Flu yesterday.  My daughter went to the Dr Friday and got a prescription cough syrup and antibiotic.  She has bronchitis.   I think I just have the crud.    What is your home remedy for the flu bug?