SPRING has finally arrived here in my corner of the universe.
And that means . . . it's All Hands on Deck getting the garden back into shape!
Tom does most of the heavy lifting -- or, in this case, heavy pulling of the neighbor's English Ivy off the fence. (If not for Tom's annual battle, the neighbor's English Ivy would be covering our house by now. It's the kudzu of the neighborhood.)
Brian (home for a week before starting his summer research position) took on the icky job of cleaning up my pond. (More on why it was particularly icky this year another day.) But, trust me, Really Icky.
Jenny was everywhere, enjoying freshly-turned nightcrawlers and fresh soil. She also ended up having a bath because she couldn't quite resist the lure of the Icky Pond Detritus -- rolling in it whenever we weren't watching.
is Jenny's birthday. Yes. Today, Miss Jenny is SIX!
And how, exactly, does a dog celebrate a special day (as opposed to . . . all the other dog days. . .)???
Long dog naps in her favorite, comfy spots.
A nice walk through the neighborhood with her favorite People.
(Jenny can smell SPRING in the air . . . and she is Most Pleased.)
A brand new toy. Jenny, who loves squeaky, plush toys best of all. . . was very excited about her new crocodile.
Until it was naptime again, of course!
The day was full of other wonderful dog-surprises, too.
Some new poop bags. (Lavender scented. Oh, joy!)
Sam's Yams. (Jenny's favorite.)
And a new chicken. . . the frosting on the cake!
What a lucky, lucky, dog!
Happy Birthday, Miss Jenny!
==========
And a quick P-Update: You can probably see that Jenny has healed up quite nicely from her surgery last November. She is still doing physical therapy every day with Tom, and going on nice long walks each day with me. She's now back up to walking a 2-mile distance, and is quite pleased about that - especially now that it's spring (well, allegedly. . . ). Jenny is no longer on a leash-restriction when outside, so she is free to patrol her back-yard territory and run around a bit. Life is good! (The next challenge will be keeping her from jumping off the dock and into the lake this summer. Yikes!)
So after a tough month, weather-wise (snow in March is never welcome, y'know?), it appears that March is . . . going out like a lamb! Fine by me!
Here's what's happening in my life . . . RIGHT NOW.
Watching . . . I'm re-watching Season 5 of Mad Men on Netflix right now in preparation for Season 6 (which begins on April 7). I love to watch little Sally Draper . . . who is roughly the same age in the show as I was in real-time. I'm always telling Tom . . . "I had those exact sheets!" "I had those very shoes!" "I had a locket just like that." (He humors me.) (And, of course. There is Don.) I'm also planning to check out Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece Theater this Sunday night.
Reading . . . There are so many excellent books out there! My to-read list is growing ever longer, and I lament my lack of reading time. Right now, I'm enjoying Frances and Bernard immensely (this is an epistolary novel - letters - based on the correspondence of real-life authors Flannery O'Connell and Robert Lowell), and I'm also reading David Copperfield, my favorite Dickens of all time. (Frances and Bernard is very short, and should be a quick read. I, however, am savoring it slowly. The writing is such a delight!)
Knitting . . . I'm doing an informal "knit-a-long" with some of my Kalamazoo knitting pals. We're each making ChicKnit's Elisbeth cardigan (short sleeve version). I'm actually a couple more repeats into the knit than the photo (above) shows. It's a bit of a slog, I'll admit. But I'm having fun with the cables. I'm also knitting a spring-color version of this shawl. And trying not to get too carried away with not-wool inspiration from this or this.
Listening to . . . Buena Vista Social Club. They just make it feel like the sun is shining . . .and you're enjoying a gin and tonic . . . on the patio.
Thinking about . . . Priorities. Setting them. Having them. Living them. Life is full of options.
Dreading . . . Some dental work toward the end of April. Ugh. But not really much else right now. (I'm in a good place this spring.)
Humming . . . Songs about sunshine. Good Day Sunshine. You are the Sunshine of My Life. Walking in Sunshine. But this is the one that is stuck in my head (enjoy it old school and original). . .
Planning . . . Gardens! I have Big Ideas right now. Some of them have been in-the-making for a couple of years. This year . . . It Is Time. (Get your diggin' shoes on, Tom!)
Celebrating . . . So very many things. My birthday is tomorrow. Jenny's leash restriction is over. I'll be picking up my Mac later today. Sunshine and mid-50s in the forecast. (I'm ignoring the snow that is also in the forecast.)
Drinking . . . Oberon. (The Bell's Oberon release date is always like a birthday present to me!)
Itching to . . . Dig. Not wear a coat. Get a pedicure. Wear my flip-flops. Sit outside in the sunshine.
Needing to . . . Finish my taxes. I have started. And, like they say. . . Once begun, half done. So I must be at least half done by now!
Organizing . . . The prime organization task on my to-do list is one I actually look forward to: Switching out my winter clothes for my lighter spring and summer fare. Can't wait! (And check out the little notepads I found at Target for my written organizational tasks. Love them!)
Inspired by . . . Surprises that are cropping up in my life. Just little things. . . that really ARE surprising, when you stop and think about it.
Delighted by. . . Sort of wish I hadn't found these. Because. . . YUM!
How about YOU? What's going on for YOU . . . right now?
It is Friday. Capping a busy week. Heading into a busy weekend. Leading to an even-busier next week. More snow. Muffler repair (Tom's). And a party to throw.
This is when I turn to . . .
poetry.
Join me.
The Storm
Now through the white orchard my little dog romps, breaking the new snow with wild feet.
Running here running there, excited, hardly able to stop, he leaps, he spins until the white snow is written upon in large, exuberant letters, a long sentence, expressing the pleasures of the body in this world.
Oh, I could not have said it better myself.
--- Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems, Volume Two
It's been a little over a month now . . . since Jenny had her knee surgery. She's doing quite well, and healing.
She's still limping, but that's to be expected. Recovery is long with this type of surgery -- months and months. The limp is still present -- but she's not in pain, and things are improving.
We do daily range-of-motion exercises (which she hates!), followed by deep muscle massage (which she loves!). We go on daily therapy-walks, slowly lengthening the distance we travel. We're up to about a half mile now. Jenny loves her daily walks.
The incision is healed; the stitches are out; the hair on her leg is growing back in.
It's funny . . . because the fuzzy undercoat (the "polar fleece" I'll be brushing out come spring) comes in first!
Initially, after her surgery, Jenny was not allowed to get up on any furniture. (Yeah. She's sort of spoiled that way.) It was hard for her -- because she has a few "special" spots in the house where she likes to relax. But now, she's able to get on "her" couch whenever she pleases.
The toughest part of the healing (for all of us) is the leash restriction. Jenny is not allowed to run. For 4 months. (Well, that would be 3 MORE months at this stage). So. She's on a leash when she needs to pee. She's on a leash going up and down the stairs (because Jenny does not WALK up or down the stairs; she FLIES.) And she's on a leash when playing in the snow.
She's learning to ignore the squirrels. . .
Jenny enjoyed Christmas. She got a new critter (some claim it's a squirrel; some claim it's a beaver) to disembowel. . .
It's been a week since Jenny's surgery, so I thought I'd give you a quick update.
Jenny is doing amazingly well, actually. Especially considering this nasty incision!
Yeah. She has a pretty funky haircut at the moment. It's kind of a cross between a poodle and a punk rocker . . . but only on her left side.
She's getting around very well, and already putting weight on her leg (which, according to the vet is exceptional and a very good sign). She is allowed free roam of the house, although she can't do stairs without a leash . . . and she can't crawl up in her favorite chair or the special corner of "her" couch for the time being. She can only be outside when nature calls (and I don't mean the squirrels!), and only on a leash. (No running or jumping.)
Jenny will get her stitches out in a week, and then we can begin doggy-physical-therapy, which sounds like a lot of walks . . . with intention! I can't wait; I have missed our walks for a very long time.
For now, Jenny just wants to get back to her treat! She's basking in our love and attention.
I've been remiss here on the blog. I have not kept you all up to date on the state of Jenny's limping situation. Despite our successfully keeping her quiet and . . . inactive. . . her limping has actually worsened in the three week period of healing.
Drat.
Begging at the Thanksgiving table!
A return visit to the vet yesterday revealed . . . a ruptured cruciate ligament in her knee. With possible bonus miniscus damage! (Not severe enough 3 weeks ago to catch on X-ray day; now. . . painfully obvious.)
Jenny is in surgery this morning. Her prognosis is good, although recovery is long. After a 2-week post-surgical recovery, she will have physical therapy AND a 4-month leash restriction. . . with 4 additional months of recovery restrictions I can't quite think about yet. All I can say is . . . thank goodness winter is coming! I can't fathom going through these severe restrictions in the warm months, full of light.
Very Expensive X-rays (a number of them; the Mother Lode of X-rays) revealed good news: no hip dysplasia; no torn ligament; no arthritis; joints and bones all in good shape.
So, why is she limping?
Our vet thinks . . . deep tissue injury. Basically, a deep and painful muscle injury - that is continually aggravated by overuse. Jenny is on a 3-week rest regimen. No jumping. No squirrel-chasing. No running in wild circles through the yard. No rough-housing with Tom. No jumping from the retaining wall. She can still go on walks with me, but leisurely walks. On flat ground. (This is going to be a challenge for Jenny. Too bad she doesn't knit. . .)
But, best of all, she should heal and be fit and fine again. And . . . next spring . . . she'll be flying off the end of the dock once more!
Also. She has Movie Star Teeth! (We had them do a teeth-cleaning while she was under anesthesia for the X-rays anyway.)
This week, Carole has us revealing Ten Things On Our Minds Right Now. So, here we go! Enter my mind . . . stream of consciousness style!
Jenny and I like to share Honeycrisp apples! She takes tiny, little bites right off the core!
I really need to vacuum up the shredding-detritus under my desk.
And I really need to Just Finish with my office reorganization. (So close!)
I hope Jenny's X-ray procedure goes well today. . . it'll be good to get a solid diagnosis and a treatment plan for her.
But, man! She is driving me crazy for her breakfast (which, of course, she can't have).
I need to make arrangements to have my iMac's hard drive replaced (it's been "recalled"), but I need to find my download information for a few programs first. (WHERE did I put them?)
Work Situation A . . . and possible Work Solution B. (But not my call to make.)
The election today. I sure hope it goes smoothly. While I appreciate the right to vote, I'm sick, Sick, SICK of the Election Hype Machine. (Make. It. Stop.)
Brown boots. Tall. Casual. For jeans or skirts. I need some.
I wish I could just curl up all day with Garden of the Evening Mists, which is shaping up to be one of the most beautiful books I've read in a long time.
All original photos, text, and content are copyrighted and the property of Kymberly A Mulhern. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce anything on this site without permission.
