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

They Call Him "Drake"

He's a hunter in training.  Start'em young!

If that isn't the cutest little duck hunter I ever saw!  And yup...it runs in the family!  Well the duck hunter part, not so much the 'cute'!     BURN! :o)

My brother sent me these photos and I just had to share them with you.  Drake goes to watch and carry a duck occasionally, but he has accomplished the art of breakfast very well!

Lip Licking!

Breakfast of course is what duck hunters do when the birds aren't flying.  Personally, I think it's an excuse to eat lots of bacon...

Drake and Papa

And BS with good friends (translation: hide from the wives)...

Enjoy your weekend friends!

A Sweet Shot

Over the summer, Pig Pen's buddy, Lloyd, from work went on a vacation and we kept an eye on his pooch.  Now, Pig Pen tells me this the day the dogger is supposed to show up.  Was it a planned sneak attack?  I think so.

Yet Boomer came!  And ya know what?  He was such a good dogger that we were sad to see Missy's best friend go. 

For those of you who have never seen the difference between a Chocolate Lab and a Silver Lab, maybe this will help:

Our silver is on the left, Lloyd's chocolate on the right.  They look guilty as sin!  The nose prints on the door are never ending...

Last night, Lloyd brought one of his two-legged critters over for a visit too.  She's much cuter and drools much less...

Here she is after Dad tucked her in his truck with a 1 oz honey bear:

Yup, she was drinking it! 

A Sweet Shot in more ways then one.  :o)

The Winter Spread

This time of year, some of us put on "the winter spread".  Nothing like sitting in a good chair helps that along.

And by chair, I mean this one:

We did some rearranging of our tiny house.  The small corner I claimed as my sewing area has been moved to the front bedroom and I did a little spreading out of my own.  

I love it!

It's a work in progress.  There are still many bugs to work out as I go.  Part of the process is actually sitting down to sew.

Which I did a little of.  Not much, but it's a start to the winter sporting season!

Mama Pea insisted that she see these photos.  I thought a bright, sunny morning would be great, but seeing as how shades of grey are the norm lately...this is as good as it gets.

My MIL gave me a table from her 'old' sewing room.  I finally have enough space to use my little iron for piecing and my folding Omni mat is perfect for that trick!  It is so handy!

And I still wouldn't trade my SewEZ table for nothin'!

Here is my "Cutting Station".  Above it, I have a now secondary design board.  Also recycled from my MILs house.  As you can see, not much designing, more like...pin some crap here.  :o)

Tucked in the corner is my cabinet where I store a few bigger pieces of fabric and another design/crap board.  Like I said, I will eventually tidy it up with some good use.

And of course...you HAVE to have puppy beds.  Otherwise they stand at your feet and whine. 

Now the "white dog" is the worst perp  (that's what we call her so she doesn't know we are talking about her). 

She even got a throw to lay down on...this other one makes her butt look big or err, ya know...spread out!

So there you have it so far...my spread.

What are you all planning to do for that winter spread?  Any great projects brewing?

Rib Rackin' 2011

It's that time of year again when the hunters hope to fill their freezer for the year.  I have been in touch with Jody and I know he is hoping for the same!  Best of luck, Jody!!  Above all, be safe!  I know you will be.

Around here, the season is pretty narrow for shotgun.  No rifle allowed.  However, if you bow hunt, the season is pretty long.  Luckily, Pig Pen bow hunts too, so we have our first of the year.  Neither of us "caught" a deer as my MIL says during first shotgun season down in Southern IL.

Well, I did shoot...but those dang eyes shut on me!  I could have kicked myself!  That's how we learn though, right?

Here's the part where some of you may want to close your eyes...ooook...I warned you!

As you will see, several others had a great season!

My nephew won the "Big Buck, Big Doe" for his 101 lbs doe.  He was pretty excited about that!  Great Job Kid!

My brother came in second with his buck.  I am pretty darn sure he wont go hungry this year!

We were joined again by a friend who couldn't make it to last years Rib Rackers Deer Camp because he was deployed in Afghanistan with the Army Reserves for a year.  He got a nice buck his first trip back!

Great job, Joe!  Most importantly, thank you for your service!  Glad you made it home safely!

It was a great season and even though 'the girls' are still waiting for their first deer, it's alright!  We sure do enjoy just being out there!

Thanksgiving quickly followed and since we do things a bit different around here, some of you might enjoy this little clip:

She may not have gotten her first deer, but she sure hit that target!

After we got done horsing around, my little brother (ya...the big guy) exclaims "Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!".  Soon thereafter, AL the-neighbor-dude texted Pig Pen asking what the heck we were up to now!?

Ya just never know!

I hope all your Thanksgiving and family visits were wonderful and that Christmas is off to a good season as well!

Been seeing some pretty darn nice aprons coming from that challenge Susan put out there!  You guys are awesome!  And seeing as how Erin did a post on her sewing area deluxe, I am going to have to do a little sharing on my new area as well! 

Eventually ;)

Sighted and Saggy

No, this is not my target:

My niece sighted in her new gun.  My brother, Pig Pen and I got it for her Birthday.  I would say she did very well!

She sent the picture via text, to which I responded that it must have been her Dad's target (hehehe)!  I added that she did very well, and better than I did with my new gun and scope.

I also told her that she did better because I was older and have poorer eyesight.

She laughed at me and said "Haha, I did better than U!"

To which I responded, "Yeah, well, well, my boobs are bigger!"

And she said......

"But like you said, u r old, so they are saggy!"

WHAT?!  Can you believe these PUNK kids these days?

Ahhh, who am I kidding...I was proud of her for the quick and lethal comeback!

She's still sleeping outside at deer camp!

I Remember Liver Pills and Jelly Beans

Did you ever wonder the who, what, where, when and why of your (don't even know what to call it really, so will just throw it out there) "political mind"?

I pretty well remember little tidbits of each President throughout my younger life and of course, what the history books taught me in school.  But did you ever wonder what shaped you?

Is it our parents?  Our faith?  A certain issue?  What is it?  Was there a point in your life that you realized it matters?

I think the natural evolution of 'growing up' may have something to do with it.  The older I get, the more it seems to matter.  Yes, for me...there was a catalyst that popped my eyes wide.  I think her name was Mona or Veronica or ooooh yeah...Monica.  Just sayin'.  From there on out, I paid much better attention.

For the record, here, it doesn't matters which party you lean or candidate you support.  I think there is -or can be- something good in most of them.  And that sorta irks me too...because sometimes, voting for the lesser of the evils is aggravating!

So yup - I remember Liver Pills, Jelly Beans and Monica.  How 'bout you?

If ya can't find at least one good thing in your every day, then ya ain't lookin' hard enough.