A Makeover and a Medley

Hello my friends.....yes, I'm still kickin'!

I can't believe it's been since before July 4th that I have posted anything.

I don't really know why...I mean nothing earth shattering has happened to speak of.

Do you ever just get that way... and blogging almost becomes sort of a burden?
And steroid withdrawal didn't help matters either... the struggle is real, folks!

My excuse last week was that I took a week of "staycation".

All week long I was busy working on projects that I had been putting off for months and months needed done around the house...from early in the day until late in the afternoon.

Needless to say, the old gray blonde mare, she ain't what she used to be...

...at least until I am able to get my mojo back!

I actually surprised myself by not falling off the step-stool as many times as I was up and down it!

There's still lots to do, mind you, but getting that tiny master bathroom redo accomplished
was a big check mark off my list.

So before I get to the Medley questions,
I'll give you a little peek at my teenie-weenie bathroom makeover.

There are no before pictures but believe me when I tell you it was quite a transformation.




I used the same wallpaper (yes, I said wallpaper) that I papered our bedroom with

a couple of years ago....and you do realize that wallpaper is making a comeback, right?

It never really went out of style in my world, at least.
Anyway, unless I wanted to put up all new sheetrock, wallpaper was pretty much a necessity.

Whoever built and decorated this house back in 1985,

chose to put wallpaper in nearly every room...right on top of raw sheetrock...

...no sizing, no primer, nothing but raw sheetrock...and it and the wallpaper became one...

...impossible to remove without ripping layers of the that white chalky stuff.

So I have basically been re-papering the walls as long as we have lived here,

adhering any new paper to the original, irremovable paper!

The paper I replaced was a dark-ish, marble-ish, textured-ish looking paper.

WOW...what a difference this made in brightening up that tiny bathroom!

And I do mean tiny...another question mark as to why a master bathroom would be this small!

But if the room had been any larger, I may have actually died redecorating it! 😩

So now let's get on over to the Medley...

This week it's all about family...cousins, aunt & uncles to be precise.
So just copy and paste the questions from Terri's blog to yours...
...and well, you know what to do after that

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin?

Coming from a family the size of mine (8 kids) and since both of my parents also came from large families, I had so many cousins I couldn't keep track of all of them. Also, many of them lived quite a distance away from us, therefore we didn't see each other very often growing up and many of were not close. Oh yes, there were family reunions on both sides but it was really hard to keep track of that many people when you're a little girl.

Some of my older siblings among some of the cousins. I can't identify some of the cousins...lol!

My older siblings have a much better recollection of who everyone was and closer relationships as well. Since I was one of the younger ones, most my cousins were quite a bit older than me and I wasn't really super close to any of them. Of course I have many people in my life that are not actually "blood" family that I love dearly but comparing them to a cousin would be doing them an injustice since I didn't really have that experience.

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?

I can't remember when I last saw one of my cousins...isn't that sad? Of course many of them still live up in Ohio and the family reunions of yesteryear just don't happen much if at all anymore...but when they do, I am rarely able to attend. When the aunts and uncles who were their parents passed on (which they just about all have), many of the cousins didn't keep the reunions as a priority. I have reconnected with a couple of my cousins on Facebook and even found an older cousin who I never knew until she stumbled upon my blog a few years ago. You can read about it here.


My long lost cousin, Sharon.



3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you?

Out of all my aunts and uncles, I did have had a few favorites. Among them was my Aunt Clara, one my mom's sisters and I have written about her on my other blog. She and Uncle Bud lived out in the country but pretty close to us. Their children were probably the closest in age to me and my siblings and we visited each other often. I loved visiting them at their old farm house with the wrap-around porch and the cow pasture across the road.

My sweet Aunt Clara who lived to be 103 years old!

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them?

All throughout my childhood and beyond, family reunions were something I always looked forward to year after year. They were held every summer, always on a Sunday, at the same park in Troy, Ohio. This particular reunion was started by my mother's parents and was always known as the Davis Reunion. I don't remember any of my grandparents on either side but I do know they had LOTS of kids! The Davises had seven, each of the seven went on to have that many and more of their own. That gives you just a hint of how large these reunions were at one point.



My mom and five of my siblings at one of the Billheimer reunions.

My dad's family (the Billheimers) also had an annual reunion that I remember attending a few times but we were closer with Mom's side of the family. All of the Davis children are gone now and so are some of their children. Things change. For the past several years, my siblings have tried to keep up with our own reunion. We were unable to meet last year and of course we lost our dear oldest brother in 2017. We had a different kind of reunion that year...bittersweet as it was. Nothing has been planned for this year due to one reason or another but hopefully we can all get together in 2020!

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles?

Oh, they absolutely are! Our grandchildren range in age from 20 down to 10 and I can't remember a time when they weren't absolutely thrilled to be in each other's company, no matter what age they were. The older boys have always loved visiting the Tennessee Bunch...they LOVE their Uncle Adam...and Adam's two are always thrilled to see what "toys" their Uncle Aaron is tinkering with at any given time. The older ones even especially enjoy visiting the great aunts and uncles in Ohio and have frequently made those trips with us as well. And thanks to Facebook, my own two boys are probably closer to many of their aunts, uncles and cousins in Ohio and other states that they would not have had otherwise! So now, I shall bore you with some photos of my favorite group of cousins...

Cousins...when it was just the boys.

Cousins...and then there were four...finally, a girl!

Cousins just wanna have fun.

Cousins chowing down on some good grub and Parker's trademark silly face...lol!

Cousins chillin' in the pool.

Cousins with a moose.

Cousins/Uncle Adam group hunt.

The gang's all here!

6. Tell us something random about your week.

So I am back to work this week after my aforementioned staycation and it has been good to get back into my regular routine once again. To make things even better, the blood test results from last week's visit to my hematologist are coming back (there are a few still out) and so far, everything looks good. I think she took a dozen vials from me ...no kidding. Since the first of the year when everything started to go haywire, my blood platelets had been dropping like flies... BUT...these tests revealed that they are on their way back up! It's comforting to know that I won't bleed to death when I have my upcoming surgery! Also, we are currently experiencing a nice break from the heat after a dozen days of 90+ temps...a few days were nearly 100 degrees! It was in the 70s earlier today and is in the 60s as I am writing this. I am savoring every moment, as short-lived as it will be. Fall, I am ready for you!

*****

So that's it for me this week.

May your days be blessed until we "meet" again!

A Medley with an Attitude

A tom cat with an attitude...
...who would have ever thought that ol' Garfield
would have earned his own day to be celebrated??

NATIONAL GARFIELD THE CAT DAY
JUNE 19

It's Wednesday and once again time for Terri's Wednesday Medley. 
So hop on over to her blog and find out everything you always wanted to know
about that crazy cat with an attitude, Garfield.
Just copy and paste her questions to your blog post, answer them and link up.

See ya over at the Medley!

1.  If you have ever followed the Garfield comic strip, you know Garfield loves lasagna.  What is your favorite Italian food?  Do you over indulge when it comes to pasta?

I must admit that even though I am familiar with Garfield, I have never really been one to read the comic strip. I never was really into comic strips except when I was a really little girl and Blondie and Dagwood or Beetle Bailey were among the comics of the day...Garfield came along a bit later on. And until I read this, I wasn't even aware that he loved lasagna...see how out of touch I am? BUT, I do love Italian food and if I had to name a favorite, lasagna would be right at the top of that list. Of course I always over indulge, don't you? That is main reason I don't indulge in it often!

2.  Tell us about your very first pet.  If you have never had a pet, can you tell us about an animal that touched your life in some way?

The first pet that I remember was the family dog, Tippy. He was a mut/pomeranian mix and his tail curled up in a perfect "c" over his back. I remember him being a very sweet boy....well, except for that time when he was lying on the doorstep and wouldn't move out of my way so I could get in the house....so I stepped on him....and he had the nerve to nip me in the leg! I have always been an animal lover and have always had a dog or two in my life. It's hard to single out one precious pet from another but I will always have a special connection to this guy right here...

We got Hunter as a tiny pup and he was with us for 13 years. One evening about 4 years ago and completely out of the blue, he had a stroke-like attack and was gone within a couple of hours. I held him against my chest as he took his last labored breath.

3.  Garfield sleeps his day away, only waking to eat or sweet talk his girlfriend Arleen.  How many hours sleep do you normally get each night?  How much sleep do you really need?

I have never been one to sleep in. Even as a little girl, I remember getting up with the chickens even after going to bed relatively late. Over the years, not much has changed...if anything, I probably sleep less. I am up at 4:30 every morning whether I want to be or not. Occasionally I might be able to sleep a little later on the weekends....5 or 5:30... NO KIDDING. I normally go to bed at 10 pm so you can do the math....6 1/2 hours of sleep would probably be the maximum if you don't count the times I wake up throughout the night even though I am able to go right back to sleep most of the time. I really don't think I require those 8 hours of sleep that "they" say I should be getting. Who are "they" anyway??

4.  Garfield lets the mice in the house have their way.  When was the last time you had to chase out a little varmint?

Just let me say that we haven't had a mouse in the house since the feral cats started coming around and we began feeding them. I would guess it's been over a year...and when you live in the woods, having an occasional mouse in the house is just something you learn to expect...but I don't miss see their little beady eyes one iota! 🐭

5.  Garfield also loves his teddy bear Pooky. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were young (or now!)?  If you didn't or don't, what about someone you know?

I did have a special teddy bear that I pretty much wore out. I remember my mom sewing his eyes back on and stitching up worn areas many times. I had many other stuffed animals too and I always treated them gently...never did I throw them around or leave them in an "uncomfortable" position. Whenever I would see that someone else was being rough with them, I always put a stop to it and made sure they were all lovingly placed together so they rested well. In my mind, those sweet little stuffed animals had feelings too...and I must admit, to this very day, it hurts my heart to see stuffed animals that aren't treated kindly. You just don't even know how hard it is for me to buy a gently used stuffed animal at Goodwill to give to my dogs to play with! I know...I'm just weird.

6.  Please tell us something about your week, so far!

Dylan, grandson #2, walked the aisle to Pomp and Circumstance this past Saturday! Boy, it sure makes this Mawmaw feel old! Where did that chubby little boy go? We are so proud of him and are looking forward to him being able to fulfill his dreams of serving in the Army very soon. His daddy, Aaron, couldn't have been more proud of his baby boy!

And yesterday, June 18, marked exactly six years since I hit the "publish" button for the first time, sending My Favorite Things out into the blogosphere. I know six years doesn't seem like such a long time compared to how long some of you have been blogging. I never dreamed nor would I have believed it if anyone would have told me how it would be possible to "meet" so many wonderful and dear friends....many of them, kindred spirits, really. So Happy Blogiversary to me!

Until next time...

A Pet Lovin' Medley

Hey ya'll and Happy Hump Day!

So how did it get to be Wednesday again so soon?
I know that time flies when you're having fun and we had a great time in Tennessee.
The weather was cold and rainy most of the time but it didn't matter one bit.
I got to walk across the bridge and into the meadow where the farmhouse is going to be.
I have to believe that this will happen.
I've got to keep the dream alive or it feels as though I'm giving up.
I won't do that...I can't do that.



On Sunday, Parker's 12th birthday began with a birthday doughnut.

I was blessed to be able to witness this precious boy's entrance into the world
and just can't believe that in another year, he'll be a teenager!
Please.....make it stop!!!



We ate lunch at his favorite Thai restaurant but I missed getting a photo of his birthday cake pie...
...Key Lime, to be precise...complete with twelve candles!
Our visit to see the kids in Tennessee was just what I needed.
~
So by the time many of you may be reading this, I will be undergoing my third biopsy.
I was impressed by the doctor I met last week...he was very kind and answered all my questions.
He said that it's not uncommon to do a third, fourth or even more biopsies in cases like mine.
He told me that too many times a doctor will send the patient away to return in six months
or so to get re-scanned after an inconclusive biopsy.
Many times it's too late because a tumor could grow drastically during that time.
Dr. Allen plans to do all he can to keep that from happening.
I am prepared to do whatever it takes to get a correct diagnosis so I can get on with
whatever treatment is needed...and get on with my life!
Let's do this!!
~
So let's get on with the Wednesday Medley, shall we?

Terri, our friend from Florida asks the questions on her blog and we answer them on ours.
Just copy and paste the questions, put in your answers and link up to her blog.

FEBRUARY 20th IS NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY

On February 20th, pet lovers everywhere observe National Love Your Pet Day. This holiday is a day set aside to give extra attention to and pamper your pets. This is a good day to focus on the special relationship that you have with your pets.

Did you know that most households in the United States have at least one pet? While there are more cats than dogs in the US, more households have dogs than cats, but not by much. Pets are not limited to the canine and feline categories. There are quite a few who prefer the companionship of birds, reptiles, fish or rats. Whoever your pet companion is, we are sure you will enjoy spending a little extra time with them on National Love Your Pet Day and reap the benefits, as well such as stress relief and lower blood pressure. So on February 20 (and every day) show your appreciation to your pets!

HOW TO OBSERVE

Bring your pet a special treat, take an extra long walk or give them more attention on National Love Your Pet Day.  Whatever you decide to do, spoil and appreciate your pets!  Use #NationalLoveYourPetDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Love Your Pet Day.

1.  Have you ever had a special pet in your life?  Will you tell us about it?

Okay...you asked for it, Terri! My first reply to this question would be more like "When did I NOT have a special pet in my life?" The first pet in my life was our dog, Tippy. He was a Heinz 57 mix and basically a very sweet boy. I remember he had this very fluffy tail that curled over his back. 

There were several other dogs and a few cats as well but none of the cat's names come to mind. My mom didn't like cats much and they stayed outside, away from the humans much of the time. If I had to pick a favorite pet over another, Hunter would share the top of the list. Adam brought him to us when he was just weaned and what a smart dog he was! He was mostly Jack Russell with a little Feist mixed in. 

When Oscar joined the family as a wee pup, Hunter dominated but they got along well. Later on, they became best buds.

Hunter lived to be almost 13 and died suddenly and quite unexpectedly in 2015. We think he must have had a stroke and in a very short period of time, he took his last breath in my arms. So for a year, it was this guy who demanded all of the attention...

And then along came Tasha, very unexpectedly when we rescued her from the shelter. This is the day I picked her up. I'll never forget how timid and shy she was.

In a matter of minutes, they bonded....and the rest is history. 

2.  Did you grow up with pets in your home?  What did it teach you?

As I mentioned before, we always had pets but Mom never allowed them in the house. Occasionally one of the cats would slip in the door and she would quickly shoo them out. What did it teach me? It taught me that whenever I got big enough to have my own home, I wanted my pets to live inside with the rest of the family.

3.  Do you ever wonder what animals are thinking?

Yes, but most of the time I think I know. If you've ever had a dachshund, then you probably know that they have a way of being quite transparent.

4. Sometimes a pet gets out and doesn't return for a few days. What do you think happens to them when they go on a walkabout?

This happened when we had Hunter although he never ran away for that long. He was gone one time for almost 24 hours and I was absolutely beside myself as every scenario imaginable was playing in my head. I can't even tell you how many trips up and down the road I made as I was looking for him and calling his name, thinking at any moment I would see something white lying in the ditch along side of the road. That night, I slept on the couch in the living room with the blind pulled up enough at the bottom that I could see him if he came to the door, wanting in. He finally did show up in the wee hours of the morning to my great relief. There is usually another animal (or more) involved when they wonder away but all that really matters is that they do come home.

5.  With cats and dogs being the most popular pets, what is the most exotic pet you have personal experience with (didn't have to be yours)?

When I was a young teen, I had a chameleon named Cam. He would turn whatever color he was placed on and I remember him jumping on the living room curtains and blended in so well that we had a difficult time finding him. I also had a hamster who got lost outside during a photo shoot in my mom's flower bed. I never did find him, sorry to say.😞

6.  Please tell us something random about your week so far...

I went to the grocery store yesterday when we returned home and I noticed that I parked next to an identical black Honda CR-V as mine. At the time, I remember thinking that whoever owned the car would most likely come out of the store before me and be gone by the time I came out. Well, wouldn't you know that as I was exiting the store, a lady walking quite a distance ahead of me was heading in the same general direction as I was. I went ahead and clicked my remote a couple of times to unlock my car (of course the lights would flash too) and I noticed she was heading directly towards my car and she actually opened my door! I then hollered a friendly "Uhhh......you've got the wrong car!" and totally confused, she looked back at me and realized she had opened the door to my car instead of hers. Apparently she had clicked her remote at the same time as I did and when she saw my car (which was the closest one) she thought she was unlocking hers! We both got a good little chuckle out of it. How's that for random?

So I'll keep you posted...and I continue to thank you for your prayers.

I am just so grateful to all of you!

Much love,