Before I had left to go visit Nevada to welcome baby Mimi, my sweet Piggy Boy had started limping on his front leg.  A visit to the vet and the thought that it was arthritis and so meds to help with that.  Upon my return he was so much worse and would not even use the leg.  Another vet trip with X-rays and the vet saying no idea go see a specialist.  The specialist was booked out 3 weeks so I jumped on the NWBR site and asked for recommendations for local vet.  I also began to consult Dr. Google and did not like what I saw.  We were given the worst diagnosis possible, osteosarcoma.  An aggressive and nasty bone cancer.  The vet got him set up on a pain protocol and we will just take one day at a time.  I have been doing more research and will reach out to my vet again and see if it could possibly be a fungal infection in the bone….prayers prayers!!  I would have no other breed but a boxer, but oh the heartbreak as so many get cancer by age 9!  However, the joy that a crazy, silly, goofy boxer gives far outweighs the grief that always comes in the end.  I am so heartbroken over this and have cried buckets.  But I am so very very grateful that I am able to be home with him full-time.  There are lots of cuddles and hugs and yes I admit I have slept beside him on the floor a few times….dog lovers understand this all too well.  So I will spoil him and coddle him and savor every minute until he lets me know it is time to say goodby.  I pray it is an infection and if not, that I have numerous more months to love on him.

With all the at home time, I am enjoying knitting and stitching to my hearts content.    I am trying to finish up a bunch of UFOs and clean out my knitting and stitchery baskets.  And of course, I am busy organizing and going through everything once, twice, three times…ever the perpetual organizer I am.  A few of the projects I finished up this past week…

With a 10 year old boy in the house there is also a great deal of playing cards and games. Between Jackson and Bruno, I really have learned to slow down and relax.  I have also managed to get in time to watch my favorite Brit TV.  I am currently binging on Vera.  Love love it! For those who are Vera fans, were you aware that Brenda Blethyn is 73!  She is definitely an amazing role model for those of us in the over 60 crowd!  To be doing a full-time detective series and most all her own stunts is just so inspiring.  I do love my Brit TV for so many many reasons; 1) the characters are human not carved up look alike Barbie dolls, 2) there may be death and mayhem but they do not feel the need to film the gruesome gory details of the murder with blood and unnecessary violence, 3) who doesn’t love looking at all the gorgeous green countryside and dream of living in such lovely locations, 4) the humor is spot on, 5) oh those accents those lovely accents, 6) where else can you find such amazing period drama with clothing that is amazing, oh I could go on and on.  It is my guilty pleasure to scout out a new series and bing watch while I knit or stitch.

Comes the day and it is the New Year.  However, I have just always registered the new year as beginning in September.  That is when the summer ends and nature begins her rest to renew in the spring.  September is back to school and refreshing cool weather after the long heat of summer.  However, the calendar does not agree with me, nor does the yearly diary.  I took advantage of the day to begin some serious decluttering.  I picked the sewing room and managed to fill a large box with quilting and knitting books, patterns, and magazines I will not use.  It offered up space to better organized my closet and allow me to have everything I need in easy reach.  I am not a huge one for resolutions, but I do like to take stock of the past year and plan the new.  That is why I love Susannah Conway’s Unravel the Year workbook that I shared a few post ago.  One new thing that I do plan on adding this year however, is card writing.  Now that I am retired I fully have the time to sit and do some handwritten letters.  I already send a lot of care packages to my girls and grands, but I think a monthly handwritten card or letter would just be tops.  I remember so fondly writing to my grandmothers and how I looked forward to their letters all through my teen years and into adult and motherhood.  I have so many of them tucked away and they are treasures dear to my heart.

And now it is off to attend to my sweet Bruno and give him all the loves that I can while I am still blessed to have him here with me.

Patricia