A Scooby Snack

Wow!  After logging in for the first time in many months, I actually had to teach myself the new layout of blog land...

That's what I get.

Where to begin?  Well, I haven't been in Witness Protection, nor did I eat a watermelon seed or anything of that sort.  Life just gets busy and before you know it, there ya are!

My own brother has been the biggest whiner at my lack of sharing, along with several other family members (all in good fun).  But Tim got me best when he said, "No blog?  Lazy.  All you did for months was send links and tell me to read it, then my 3rd grade reading level starts to read and you quit.  I will never see the 4th grade or Super Fudge!"

Well, in the spirit of advancing my little brother into the 4th grade reading level...here goes:

As with every winter/spring, I did my traveling job hop.  Only 7 weeks this time.  Not bad.  It was cut short to 5 for health reasons.  To make a very long story long, my boss/friend/Guardian Angel, JoWaWa (because she's a bit of a whiner too), came about as close as a friend can to being a true lifesaver.  When I noticed something was amiss, and being hours away from home in a hotel room, she rose to the occasion and insisted I go to the ER.  Not only insist, she drove way out of her way and swooped me up into her car and took me herself.  I think she knew I'd sit there and what...wait?  Well, Duh! 

Be that as it may, I was pregnant (see I really DID eat a watermelon seed Judy!).  Unfortunately, the poor little bugger got all plugged up in the fallopian tube...again.  Total bummer.  JoWaWa stayed with me until Pig Pen could make it there.  She even wore pj's that she wouldn't be caught dead in normally.  She ran photo enforced red lights, she cried when I cried and laughed when I laughed.  Cuz ya know I just have to laugh...

We opted for non-surgical treatment this time in an effort to save the only good tube I have left.  Always hopeful of what the future may hold!  Essentially, it was a chemo drug.  Chemo drugs attack fast growing cells and well, you know -destroy them.  It wasn't pleasant.  I have a now personal appreciation for Cancer patients and the much more aggressive and stronger treatments they receive.  May none of you ever know, that is my prayer for you.

So that happened one week into my spring job fling!  Can ya believe it?  I took two weeks off and then back I went.  I could have (and hindsight says should have) taken more time off.  But I don't work much thru out the year and sometimes the saddle is just the best thing to get back into.  And my little JoWaWa, as much as she tried, couldn't hold me back this time...I love her and thank her always!!!

That my friends, was part one.  We are mostly all good now.  Physically that is.  Emotionally, I have done great...you know me!  I don't let things get me down!  And I have had a little too much practice in the area of miscarriages, it is what it is!

Now onto the blessing behind it...Because there is ALWAYS a Blessing:

See that?  No, it's not a boob shot!  Eyes up higher people!! 

What it was; is that nasty little thing called skin cancer.  Now how the heck can there be a blessing here???  Remember that chemo drug they gave me to dissolve the pregnancy?  It actually made the spot on my chest respond "oddly".  I made quick work of getting it looked at and sure enough a biopsy turned up Basal Cell Carcinoma.  Which is actually "the good kind of skin cancer".  They got it ALL.  After roughly 12 external stitches and 6 internal ones...they dang well better have!  See...always a blessing.

My twist on the story -

I had a boob job. 
On just one side. 
Cuz it's all I could afford. 

Heheheheee!  (that of course is not true, just messin')

Let's see about the more mundane in quick form:  Garden is in, weather is unseasonably warm, weeds are unruly at an early rate, lost 2 chickens to hawk attack (Kelso is safe!), bees all made it thru winter, got rear-ended in my truck, been doing some sewing, made a road trip to see some friends, acquired another four-wheeler, getting ready for Greek Easter this weekend, and I bought my very own (and first) handgun!  Woohoo!  I was very excited about that!   :o)

Now for the worst part - the hardest part... 

Of all the things that could have gotten us down these past few months, but simply didn't, there is one final chapter here that truly tore my heart apart.

We lost our little Ami.

After fourteen years of being my dearest and most faithful companion, she died at home, in my arms.

I do not recall the last time I wailed so hard.  I did not cry, as I am even now, I wailed.  A grown woman, brought to my knees.

When I consider my life and the relationships in it, I have realized since her passing, that the only person (or little being) who has been with me longer than Ami, is my Mom.  I never had the chance to live 14 or more years with anyone else.  Not Pig Pen, my Dad or brothers even.  Just me, Mom...and Ami. 

Me, Mom...and Ami.  What a trio the three of us made! 

I guess all jokes aside, Ami got the last laugh on us.   She was very ornery when she was a puppy and I quickly chided her that she would live to be 15 just to tick me off!  She fooled me!!  Fourteen...and what I wouldn't give to have that extra year with her.

My Father-in-Law, Pops, put this together for me.  It's pretty awesome...

That has to be one of the best songs in the world.  So fitting.  Thank you Pops, we all certainly loved Ami and she is missed terribly.

Isn't it a tragic love affair we have with our pets? 

Hey Ma...it's you and me now.  I want way more than another 15 from you!

Hope this finds you all doing well.  Thank you for the emails and comments in my period of MIA.  You are all pretty darn great in my book!

With much love,
APG