Mutt Day

As a special gift to my two mutts today, I decided not to take their picture. It's actually nothing but torture for all of us and let's face it... if you follow this blog, then you know what my guys look like. I also gave them extra treats today so they could enjoy the celebration. This was also one of those rare days when I had absolutely nothing to do. Love it! I played computer games, worked on my ongoing jigsaw puzzle, finished a book, and watched a movie. And now I'm ready for the coming week. Yay!

Dance Day

This one was fun. All I had to do was put on some 60's music and dance around the house. I should actually do it more often because it's good exercise to dance... especially when no one's watching!

I visited Brianna this morning and we colored away. She really loves it and so do I so it's really a win-win situation. Plus she really opens up when we're concentrating on something else.

Then one of my four travel buddies in the neighborhood had the rest of us over for dinner tonight. It was the first time all summer that we've been together because they've been especially busy with grandchildren while they're out of school. So we drank some wine, had some delicious food, and got all our ducks back in a row. It felt good!

Lasagna Day

I had some Trader Joe's eggplant lasagna in the freezer as it's a quick, tasty meal when I'm in a hurry. No rush today, but it made a good lunch. And as a matter of fact, since I never eat a heavy meal at noon, I had to cancel on our dinner group tonight in favor of a light salad. Penelope Pig Wiggins cannot rear her ugly head ever again!

The photo has no significance whatsoever, but I took it at the Memphis zoo some years ago and it's always been one of my favorite shots. And in his defense, it was a little chilly that day. Funny monkey!

Milk Chocolate Day

I'm not really a milk chocolate kind of girl and don't keep it at home, but I remembered I still had some chocolate covered peanut butter Girl Scout cookies in the freezer, so was happy to get them out and have a few. I just needed a good excuse and this was a great one.

It's also National Refreshment Day and so I shared my favorite refreshments with the wine ladies. Our poor little waiter had too many glasses on his tray and spilled it all right down the backs of another woman and me. The manager offered to pay our cleaning bills (there was some red wine in the mix), but we assured him that wouldn't be necessary. So our wine and appetizers were free! And that's the best kind of refreshments there are!

Take Your Pants for a Walk Day

I wish I liked scotch because this is also National Scotch Day, but alas... no can do. However, I did take my pants for a walk this morning and plan to again in an hour or so, as I do every day. Actually in this heat I wear shorts, but let's face it, they must count as pants.

Two more hours at the dentist this morning to get fitted for my permanent bridge and other stuff I don't even really ask about anymore. Four more weeks and this nightmare that began on May 29 will be over. I swear this has been the longest summer of my life with doctor and dental appointments and foreign crap in my mouth. It's hard to believe that a few falls in the middle of the night could have caused all this torture. Ah well, it will all be over soon(ish).

After the dentist, Kay and I went to the picture show, but my, how they've changed since we called them picture shows. We sat in reclining seats, ordered lunch, and watched Ghostbusters. Even though it didn't get great reviews, we loved it... perhaps just because it was an escape from the real world. No, not really... we thought it was damned funny!

Aunt and Uncle's Day

I had some great aunts and uncles when I was young and am grateful for all of them. But all are gone now except for my favorite, Aunt Amelia, my dad's youngest sister. Even though she had twelve children of her own, she has always made my brothers and me feel like we were just as special as her own kids. And she still does. Every time Joe and Rob come to visit, she takes us all out to lunch and still laughs at all our dumb jokes. Her husband, Uncle Tommy, was also a gem. He was my confidant and friend when I moved to Houston in my 20's and I will never forget him. He and Kitty (Amelia) were the parents I'd have wanted if I couldn't have had my own. I am so blessed and lucky, let's face it, to have been born into the Wiggins family. I love them all!

Thread the Needle Day

Metaphorical meaning: Finding a path through two opposing views, often used by politicians. What a coinkydink! I just bought this tee shirt and wore it for the first time on our morning walk before I even knew that I was celebrating the day. And this is EXACTLY how I feel. I do not like either presidential candidate and still am on the fence about how to vote. As I see it, the choice is between a crook and a time bomb... not happy with the odds either way.  But I sure do love my dogs and am happy that they keep my mind off this horrendous election. As a matter of fact, I think I'll take them for a walk right now!

And thanks, Sissy and Judy for your comments yesterday. Cousins are definitely important in my life, especially since I don't have children. And that was just one side of the family!

Cousins Day

This photo was taken at Grandmother Wiggins' funeral and includes two Wiggins cousins (Debbi and me), three Flanagans, and 11 Lyons with only Cathy missing, although I'm sure she'd been there. The front row is all of Grandmother's children and only Uncle Charles had no children present. I really love all my cousins and feel blessed to have so many. The Lyons family is probably the biggest reason I came back to the Houston area... they are some of the happiest, most loving people I know and how proud I am to be related to them!

And since it's also National Tequila Day, I had a margarita before dinner and toasted to all my cousins... Roebucks and Wiggins!

Vanilla Ice Cream Day

I decided to cheat just a tad today because I saw vanilla caramel swirl and thought that sounded much more exciting than plain ol' vanilla and since it had the word "vanilla" in it and was fewer calories than the others, it was a go. When I got home and tried it, it just wasn't as good as I had hoped. Since of course I was eating right out of the carton, I looked at the name again and realized I'd bought gelato. And just so you know... ice cream is so much tastier!

I visited Brianna this morning and took all of my coloring supplies. She really enjoyed it and said she wants to color every week, which is fine by me. I read when I first started teaching that when you want a kid to talk to you, it's much easier if you're doing something together rather than just trying to talk face to face. And I realized very quickly how true that was. So we talked the whole time and I'm happy to say I felt she was pretty open and honest. I asked if she believed in God and she said, "Not really." With the hand she's been dealt in life, I can certainly understand that. I told her that I'll never try to inflict my beliefs on her, but did add that life is really easier if you believe. That was just dipping my toe into the water and as time goes on, I'll slip things in little by little. Can't hurt!

Spoonerism Day

I had to look this one up although I knew it at one time. A spoonerism is a phrase in which some sounds are mixed up, either accidentally or intentionally, named for the famous Oxford don, William Archibald Spooner. This absent-minded professor was born on July 22, 1844 and became known for his habit of mixing up sounds. A good example is "Is it kissstomary to cuss the bride?" However, my favorite that I found refers to a playing card... whore of farts.

This morning I had my hair cut and colored and should possibly take a responsible adult with me the next time. I let the stylist do what she wanted and now I've gone very short and much darker. So far I'm avoiding the mirror as much as possible because I can only see a different person. Not ready to post a pic yet, so just imagine.

Junk Food Day

Granted, my junk food probably isn't the same as most of the American population, but I did it regardless.  For lunch I had guacamole and hummus with chips as well as sunflower seed snacks. And I did double duty in that it was all salty.

My tire was flat again this morning, so spent several hours (again) at Avis. I'm going to be really pissed if it goes flat again, but I'' let you know.

And I discovered this evening why Glory's "licking her privates" condition has gotten worse. I give her a pill with her dinner every day and as she walked away tonight, I noticed that the pill was still in her bowl. And I even drench it in coconut oil to make it more appetizing. I intended to watch to make sure she came back and got it, but got sidetracked doing the dishes. And the next thing I knew,  I could hear Simon licking her bowl and when I looked up, he had gobbled it down. And who knows how long he's been doing that? Bad dog!

Moon Day

Forty-seven years ago today Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. At the time I was going to summer school at Centenary in order to get a teaching certificate at the last minute. Mom had tried to convince me for several years to do it, but I had rebelled because I didn't want to teach. But let's face it, a bachelors degree in math wasn't very valuable unless I continued my education. So second semester of my junior year I succumbed to her wisdom. And those of us in the dorm that night went outside to gaze at the moon. It's a good memory.

Today I went to Krause House to officially meet Brianna. I'm very afraid that this girl is going to rip my heart out. She's pretty and seems very sweet and unfortunately, is in special ed. But the sad part is that she's been in foster care since she was two. She's been in numerous types of homes and is now at Krause for trauma therapy. She told me she started cutting herself, but that she doesn't do it anymore and of course, wants to leave. She's 15 and wants to be a pediatrician because she had a brother who died as an infant. There's also another brother who's 10, but was adopted by a family friend. She told me she's seen her mother occasionally and the most recent time was last Christmas. Naturally at this point I have no idea if what she's telling me is true, but as we get to know each other, I'll have a better idea. I told her I'd be back on Saturday and may even try to see her more than once a week. Or not... this will be a tough one.

New Friends Day

This morning I took the rental in to get the flat fixed while I waited for a couple of hours. Justin at Avis is now a new friend just because he's such a nice kid. Otherwise I might have gotten a little testy.

This afternoon we colored at the clubhouse and Mary Helen's high school friend, Patti, was there. I've only been around her once or twice before, but today I could tell she'll definitely be a new friend. So much so that I invited her to join our wine group even though she's married. I decided we could make an exception since her husband still works and she's single during the day. And besides that, I'm the one who started the group so I can invite who I want. Good thing the others all like her, too.

Get Out of the Dog House Day

Okay, so now stay with me on this one. I went out to go to Tai Chi this morning and had a flat tire on the rental. Since I was only going to the clubhouse, I just drove my car instead. When I got back I called the rental's roadside assistance number and they sent a guy out pretty quickly to put the spare on. So then I had a dilemma... do I take the tire to be repaired and send Acura the bill or what? So first I called Avis and the guy said to just bring it in tomorrow and they'll either fix it or give me a different car. Now, I've been driving this Dodge Durango since April 15th and have no idea when the new airbags will be here for my car, so I'm kinda looking forward to a new one. We'll see what happens.

So after all that I was going to the store to buy candy for National Sour Candy Day and decided, what the hell? I live in a house with dogs, therefore it could be considered a dog house (albeit a damned fancy one) and I did get out today to go to my Tai Chi class, so there you have it.  I got out of the doghouse today.

Ice Cream Day

I lucked out on this one because I was really afraid I was going to have to buy a pint of ice cream and then probably eat it all in one or two sittings. But I had brunch with Allison and Roy and we always share a dessert... usually something very chocolatey and decadent. However this restaurant didn't offer such a thing, so we ordered pistachio ice cream coated in chocolate shortbread crumbs. It was actually way too small for the three of us, but at $12, we chose to just each have a few bites. Roy said he could eat 10 until I told him the price.

Fresh Spinach Day

Yes! Finally a healthy day that I love. Maybe I have selective memory, but I feel like this is the first time this year that I'm celebrating something I love to cook. Granted I don't like to cook, but spinach  sautéed in garlic is my favorite vegetable that I can make. So a salmon patty with spinach and couscous made for a great dinner with a nice Chardonnay.

This afternoon I went to Krause House with two of my neighbors to decorate cookies with all 60 girls. Fortunately we do it in four groups or it would be utter chaos. And I was happy to meet my new mentee, Bryanna. I'm scheduled to meet her formally on Wednesday, but was happy to scope her out ahead of time. She's very pretty and seems really sweet, but I'm no dummy... she's there for a reason. I probably shouldn't have said anything because when I told her I was going to her mentor, she was very surprised, but also visibly happy. Fingers crossed nothing changes between now and Wed. or I'll feel mighty awful.

Give Something Away Day

I always welcome the days when I don't have to eat or drink something specific. I've figured out that I don't like being told what to ingest, although admittedly, I've discovered a few good things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Anyway, my cleaning lady, Elia, was coming today, so last night, in anticipation of today's celebration, I went through my summer shirts and picked out four to give her. She's my size, except much shorter, so whenever I give her a shirt, she always wears it on the days she cleans my house. I think that's really sweet and lets me know she appreciates them. And she surprised me by saying that she wanted to do an extra job today since I've referred her to three other women in the neighborhood. She offered to clean the windows on the outside or do the refrigerator. Well, it's too damn hot to be outside, so I told her the fridge would be great. Hopefully she offers again in the fall!

I saw the retina specialist this morning and was a wee bit anxious because three months ago he said that I might get an injection this time. And the good news is that I didn't need one. It's not really a big deal, but as long as I can stave them off, I'm a happy camper. I still have to stay on a 3-month schedule, but since he's only 10 minutes away... no problemo!

National Hot Dog Day

I haven't eaten a hot dog in many years, not because I don't like them but because they don't agree with me. But I was in Costco this morning and I've heard so many raves about their hot dogs that I bought one. And damn, it was good! But the grease kinda got to me. However, I'm still glad I tried one and celebrated the day.

This afternoon I had an appointment with the electro physiologist to see what he thought about my low blood pressure/dizziness. He called it orthostatic something and said I definitely need more salt. So for two weeks I'm to eat much more salt and drink lots of water to see if I improve. If not then I have to do a tilt table test, which he assured me is easy but boring. I'll be strapped to a table for a period of time while my heart is being monitored and the table tilts to see when I feel dizzy. Either way I see this as no big deal. My biggest problem is more salt because I really don't like it anymore. My wine group went out this evening and they suggested margaritas with salt and dirty martinis. Can't do that every day, but I do love olives so that will be my first step. I'll figure this out and I know many of you are wishing you had my problem. The grass is always greener...

French Fry Day

I was nervous about this and even looked up calorie counts before I went to McDonald's for an order of small fries (230 calories). I figured that wasn't too bad so combined the fries with a hard boiled egg and more Jello for lunch. And to tell the truth, it was quite satisfying. Although I have to admit that the fries weren't as tasty as I remember and that's a good thing.

I failed to mention on July 1st that I was at that point halfway through this ridiculous goal. And had I researched it further, probably would have never attempted it. But by golly, I'm not a quitter (actually yes I am, but not in this case) and even though readership is down, I promise to see this through to the end. But thank goodness I've jumped over the hump!

Eat Your Jello Day

I couldn't believe it but when I looked in the pantry, I just happened to have one package of Jello. Seriously, who keeps Jello if you don't have kids or grandkids? I finally figured out that it had to be left over from my last colonoscopy and that was at least three years ago. I also had a banana, so put it in as well. And I couldn't help but remember my childhood with Jello and fruit cocktail. I'm pretty sure it was a staple in our household, although I remember when Mom started giving us Whip N' Chill (I had to google whipped pudding) with fruit instead of Jello. And I was in heaven... Whip N' Chill had it all over Jello and she had these little plastic cups that she put in the refrigerator, so we all got our own equal servings. Equal servings were a huge deal when I was a kid. If two of us were going to split something, the rule was one kid cuts and the other one picks. I NEVER wanted to be the cutter!  

All American Pet Photo Day

I can't begin to explain how difficult this was. It took lots of treats and lots of time and lots of pics. Glory follows all the rules and Simon is the wild child... he doesn't like to stay when he's close enough to smell the treats. But we did it! Now... there should be a new paragraph here, but for some reason I'm having technical difficulties., so don't judge.  A new Tai Chi class has started at the clubhouse and today was my first day. I loved it much better than yoga, mainly because it moves faster and you don't have to hold every position. It's going to take a few classes for me to feel comfortable (and maybe a few YouTube videos), but I think this is my new thing. And it helps with flexibility and balance, both of which I've proved in the last year that I need help with. Here's to a new year of no more accidents. 

Clerihew Day

Gotcha there, huh? My only other choice today was Pina Colada Day and I have to admit, I'm not a fan. So let's learn about clerihews. Invented by Edmund Clerihew Bently, a clerihew is a whimsical, four-line biographical poem. It's meant to be funny and about a famous person. I promise that I tried to make one up myself, but poetry is so far out of my wheel house that I had hang it up. So I'll just share one of Bently's, which he wrote in 1905.

Sir Christopher Wren
Said, “I am going to dine with some men.
If anyone calls
Say I am desigining St. Paul’s."

Charles, I'm guessing you could do this. Joe just said last weekend that you're the funniest person he knows. So I'm throwing down the gauntlet...

Sugar Cookie Day

I'm going to play Trivia tonight at the clubhouse. Our team is named Guys and Dolls because we have two husbands. But we'll only have one tonight, so I guess we'll be Guy and Dolls. Anyway, everyone brings a snack to share with the whole group and I was worried about risking whether or not someone would bring sugar cookies. And believe it or not, it took me about half an hour to realize that I could bring the cookies (from a bakery, of course). So when moving them from the bakery boxes to another container so that people might think I made them, one accidentally (?) broke, so I've already had one today. And I loved every bite!

Chocolate with Almonds Day

Can you believe it? Chocolate again today! These are very tasty and have all kinds of other good stuff in them.

I went to the dentist this morning to get my Bugs Bunny front teeth filed down a bit. I couldn't understand why my lower lip wasn't healing until I figured out that my teeth were too long and biting into the lip. Sometimes I feel so stupid and this is one of those times. I feel like the old joke: "Doc, I have headaches because I keep banging my head against the wall. And the doctor replies, Stop banging your head against the wall." Duh!

World Chocolate Day

I am loving all these chocolate days because basically, every day is Chocolate Day for me. Right now I have some delicious dark chocolate with sea salt which is really my favorite. I bought a bar in Memphis and am still enjoying it.

This wasn't a scheduled wine day, but we decided to go drink anyway. We went back to the place where we went two weeks ago. Remember the adorable waiter from Mexico? He waited on us again and told us he's going home next week to start university. So the first time I overtipped because he was so cute and today it was because he's going to college. I even hugged him as we were leaving! I'll miss that kid.

Fried Chicken Day

Now I love fried chicken, but quit eating it years ago because it doesn't like me as much. Granted I've had the occasional splurge, but almost always regretted it. I was ready to go all in today until I remembered that I can't bite into a good drumstick like I could before the big fall. So I drove through Chick-fil-A and got eight nuggets (Glory and Simon shared one). It didn't disagree with me, but nor was it real fried chicken like I remember. I just might have to have a do over for this one at Popeye's after I get my permanent bridge.

It's so hot here that on our morning walk at 7 AM, I had to cut it short and even had to sit on a park bench for a short while. Fortunately, I don't think the dogs love the heat either, so I don't feel guilty. Pretty sure I'll get to water aerobics before the week is done. It's the only way to survive this.

Cell Phone Courtesy Month

As my contribution to cell phone courtesy, I received a call from a friend while waiting at a crowded gate at the airport. I briefly considered answering it and then turned it off. No one wants to hear my conversations (nor do I want to hear theirs).

The trip home went smoothly and then when I went to pick up Glory and Simon, I got to witness first hand Dig Dog Camp. Seven dogs all barking like crazy when I walked in the house and that alone would have been enough to drive me nuts. But Hannah, Cathy's youngest daughter, is a trooper. She said she was exhausted but hadn't done anything. What? I told her I'm pretty sure seven dogs qualifies as a full-time job. Even though she told me Glory had played a lot with two of the others, both of mine were very happy to head for home. And mama, too.

Independence Day

The beer can in front of Rob is actually Joe's. It said America on it (although you can't really see it in the pic) and Rob was the only one dressed for the holiday, so I put it in front of him. We had to move our big meal up to 1:00 as rain was threatening. I grilled some beautiful ribeyes and although they were a little overdone, still delicious! And we timed it perfectly because then the rains came. And we spent the rest of the day doing nothing. My kind of vacation.

Chocolate Wafer Day

In my book, this was a great day with family. We went out to lunch to one of Rob's regular eateries... a pizza buffet (not exactly my kind of place). But the food was good, even though I ate too much. This afternoon we watched Jim Jefferies on TV. He's a very crude comedian who makes me laugh regardless of his nastiness. After each show I even felt a little guilty for laughing at his humor. And by that I mean he's really bad.

Mary Jane had made chicken salad and baby ham sandwiches for dinner, after which we sat outside by the pool for most of the evening. And that's when I enjoyed my chocolate wafers (or possibly not exactly wafers) with some red wine. More fun to come tomorrow!

Ice Cream Month

Well, as luck would have it, I'm at Rob's house for National Ice Cream Month. And God bless Rob, for he always has ice cream. I had a small bowl of Triple Brownie, even though I was about to go to bed when I remembered I needed to blog. So... mission accomplished (and it was dee-lish).

I was surprised when I landed in Memphis and Joe had come with Rob to pick me up. We made our usual liquor store stop before heading to the house. Mary Jane had a great dinner for us and then we sat outside for our usual drinks and witty repartee. I'm so happy to be with my bros, minus one. We miss you, Chas!

Trifexis Day

Okay, admittedly this is not an official holiday (and many of them aren't), but the first day of the month is the day the dogs get their heart worm preventative. For the first two years I gave it to them, it was a nightmare. It smells bad and they hated it. So I used a mortar and pestle to ground it up, then mixed it with all kinds of people food. Simon did a pretty good job, but Glory was 50/50. And then I discovered coconut oil, the magic elixir! I can put it over anything I give them and they gobble it right up. And there are added benefits for their skin and many other things. Bingo! So if you have a dog who doesn't like to take pills, I recommend coconut oil... one of my new favorite things.