PATIO FIX-UPS AND PRAYERS FOR MY PUP

It's been a long time that a week has gone by in which I have neglected to write a post.  It's a matter of everything and nothing happening--at least as far as I can see in my pictures.  I have to keep that camera at hand. 

Today, and actually for a long time leading up to today, has been very emotional.  I took Milo at 8:00 a.m. for the  surgery to remove his tumor.  I didn't sleep a wink last night.  With the warm weather the Midwest has been having, we've spent as much time outdoors as we can.  It's his favorite thing in the whole wide world.  Just hanging out in the backyard chasing squirrels or just lying in the grass sniffing all the enticing scents blowing in the wind.  This is an older picture of him that is just a favorite of mine.  Totally loving that breeze!

Dr. B. called about 1:00 and told me Milo was in recovery.  As big as the tumor looked from the outside of his thigh, it proved to be much bigger under the skin than he anticipated.  He had to make a six inch incision.  Isn't that incomprehensible on a dog that is as small as he is, just 26 pounds?  And the doctor told me he has 4-5 layers of stitches, that's how far he had to go down.  He's hoping he got most of the cancer cells, it was just impossible to go too far around the tumor with the little area on the poor guys thigh.  But he's okay, in the surgical area and he'll spend the night so they can keep an eye on the incision.  I'll pick him up about 11:00 tomorrow.  I think it's going to be terrible for him to walk, to lie down...to even wag his tail.  I told Dr. B. that I want as much pain medicine that he can tolerate...I will not see him in pain.  I've moved the big chair he loves to lie in away from the wall as he likes to look out the window and bark at anything that moves, as well as the dining chair that he jumps on to harass the mailman.  He has to be still.  So that's the scoop on my BFF.  Sniff.

With great temps last week and wanting to spend time with Milo and Layla outside, I worked on the yard.  I planted grass seed in spots.  I had major damage where the picnic table was last summer--I need to move that around every two weeks or so.  I brought out some decorative things and made a few pots.  Emily and I went to Home Depot today and I bought some herbs for my little bed outside the back door.  I still have a lot of clean up and projects but sometimes you have to get out and get those flowers and plants before they are picked over.  We have rain predicted all this week so I'll have to make some mad dashes out to the backyard to get these pots done and the herbs in the ground.

Another big project we had almost underway was having the front porch, sidewalk and driveway demolished and re-cemented.  This was a job we had put off for a very long time.  Our driveway looks like a jigsaw puzzle and the porch was crumbling on the sides.  In the city your house is situated about 25 feet from the main sidewalk.  It's above and beyond curb appeal, people walking by can pretty much count ever weed and 4 leaf clover in your lawn.   I can't live by others standards or 'keep up with the Jones',  yet we have a responsibility to keep up the value of the neighborhood.  Anyway...with rain predicted all week long, the crew had to postpone the job.  We're better off, Milo would have been freaking out over the noise and activity.  I hadn't thought of that.

I had to mix in a flower picture!  The daffs are slowly dying off and I have different varieties of tulips coming up all the time.  I can hardly keep up with cutting them for vases.  The last time Abby was here she asked if she could "pick" some flowers to bring home.  That made me smile, the wanting to pick them, like a child.  

The never ending redo of the den is making some progress.  Charlie The Painter is coming next week to remove the 28 year old wallpaper and to paint.  I was never able to sell this furniture which is way too formal for the sort of casual and laid back room we want to watch TV in and read a bit.  I think I'll bring the settee up to the lake (when I don't know), and the chair I may give to Jeff and Deirdre who have 2 large guest rooms and this may be nice in one of them.  I have two club chairs picked out from Emily's shop and I think I'll get a simple sisal area rug and a Roman shade for the window.  I just want comfy.  And to get rid of this Victorian wallpaper.  I was totally into ferns and lace back in the 1980's

Here's a recent one of our Elsie girl.  Mary Clare keeps a shared album that goes out on texts to everyone in the family.  Isn't she a doll?  She is such a combo of MC and Kevin.  And this pose is definitely Kevin!  He stopped by with her yesterday, MC was at a party.  He was so cute with her, so gentle and making her smile and wave her hands with his funny faces and noises.  I said to him, "Can you really believe that she's all yours?"  He shook his head, never taking his eyes off her.  And that's the joy of parenthood.

It was a busy week now that I think of it...the three of them came for an impromptu dinner on Tuesday night.  I made a quick spaghetti dinner with a Bolognese sauce, a salad and garlic bread.  Thursday Emily and I had a little retail therapy at Homegoods and Hobby Lobby (I had a few gift cards from Christmas so it didn't cost me a dime).  I found a really cute birdhouse and a piece of metal artwork and a bright turquoise clock for the brick wall around the patio---pictures forthcoming.  We went to a communion party on Saturday afternoon and yesterday?  Well, I laid on my bed all day reading Little Bee and thumbing through a few magazines.  Heaven.

  My second article for the lake newspaper came out on May 1 and unfortunately I haven't seen it yet.  I have a dear friend who sent me the first paper and she's going to send this one.  It's so frustrating to have to wait to see it in print!  But it's such a wonderful opportunity, I take it all in stride.

Say a prayer for my Milo Guy, I'll be back soon I'm sure, with the rain and my canine infirmary rules! :)

Jane x