Lint Roller Dance

I know y'all have been wondering how it's been going with sharing our bed with the beasties.  

Well...

Josie's persistence is both infuriating and adorable.  She wants to get in the bed first, doesn't care how much of her is on the bed, and once a human is in bed with her, she tries to completely suck the life out of them.  A cuddlepire??

She also brings toys.  Waking up with a slobbery dog toy plastered to your face is really unacceptable.  Throwing the toy out of the bed only encourages the behavior. She just retrieves it, which is dumb as heck and makes no sense, right?  So we haven't really figured out a solution yet.

Josie loves some cuddles but usually dumps us after a couple hours. 

Margo gets so excited she dances around the bed in a fur frenzy.  This is a dog who didn't have the word, "dancing" in her vocabulary prior to this.  She does politely wait for us, then jumps up on her own (but refuses to get in our cars without help. SUCKAHS).

She only wants a couple cuddles before abandoning us. She has mastered the art of not touching us, sometimes for hours, which seems unusual for a dog who is a complete beggar for attention and almost as large as a pony.  I recently figured out her motive.  She knows our bed is the biggest and softest in the house.  She does not care that there are humans in it.  She just wants the biggest and softest bed.

And she stays the whole night.

When I wake up, I throw my body over her, only to see her expression, which is always the same: "OMGAWD why is there a human in my bed?!?!?"

As for letting them up once a week before we wash the bedding?  Well that went to hell after one night.  

Each night I use a lint roller to get some of the hair off, and naturally Margo interprets the sound of the lint roller as her formal invitation, and that's when she starts dancing.  

Coming home

It's been a little bumpy around here.  A lot of uncertainty, but also a lot of hugs and teamwork.

Robert's Grandma, Carolyne, was in the hospital the past month.  After a month of checking all the boxes and making her as comfortable as possible, she finally came home on Wednesday.  We are doing her hospice care here with the help of Robert's mom, Audrey.  

There are really good moments like this morning when she sang a few girl scout songs with Audrey. This was in response to their good attitudes about all my banjolele practice, which I do as far away as possible I promise.

There have been some tough moments.  She's very much ready for the end and spends most of her time talking about it.  Watching Robert's face during these conversations is tough.  

We are taking it a few hours at a time, learning an exhausting amount of information, and doing our best to make her comfortable and toasty.  Each time I find myself feeling helpless or struggling to respond to her pleas to leave, I remind myself she's home.  It's not a lot, but it's what we have to give.

I think she's happier here than the hospital.  It's in the way she reaches for Margo when Margo cozies up to her.  The way the house shakes with Jeopardy as she dozes to it, and during the long and never ending nights, Robert is only steps away when she calls.  He's such a huge comfort.

We covered her in gifts on Christmas, and she had the most fun folding the tissue paper.  Some things never change. 💝

I don't think our living room has ever had to work this hard at being a living room before.  

Margo and Carolyne have been buds since we brought Margo home.  Whenever Carolyne needs help in the middle of the night, Margo is the first one there in a rush of concerned clicky clacky toenails.  

Lisel

 Thanks to Evening Street Press for publishing my poem, Lisel.

What a lovely cover to see on a cold, winter day!

Reviews!

 The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada's Reef by Michael D. Beil (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade Level: 3-7.  Lark is a headstrong, empathetic teen with a sharp eye for detail. Her family is comprised of a sister, three stepbrothers, and a stepdad. Her mom passed away recently and she is missing her mom, trying to figure out her role in life and her family, all while growing up and striving for independence. 

The book takes place at the beloved summer home Lark and her sister, Pip inherit from their mom. It’s a special place Lark has been visiting her whole life, but this is the first time she’s spending a summer on the island without her mom. 

Lark quickly gets involved in a mystery that determines the future of the island. I enjoyed many things about this book. At the top of the list were the characters. Though her siblings could have been a bit more fleshed out, the island characters were interesting and provided plenty of connections. I enjoyed both the primary mystery and the smaller mystery of the bird, which does not get fully solved. Yes, spoiler alert, this book will be part of a series! I also liked the big moment of defiance and determination at the end. A lot of action for a middle grade novel. This is a great book for anyone interested in mysteries, family, quirky characters, and island life.

Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke and illustrated by Onyinye Iwu (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade Level: 2-4. Tola’s spunk, smarts, decisiveness, and love for her family are enough to make anyone’s heart melt. Her day-to-day life is very different than a lot of little ones I know. When her grandma is sick, they have just enough of a safety net to buy her medicine, but the kids need to work so they have money to eat. Their rice is even different than the rice I buy, and they need to pick the rocks out of it before eating it. But their family is also similar to lots of families I know. They have their tussles, and despite taking on adult roles at times, the kids are still very much kids with kid hopes and desires. They are also an incredibly strong family who will do anything for each other. Their love for each other brings so much warmth to these stories.

hugs & germs

While covering the desk at the library today a little boy approached the desk and asked for a hug.  I made eye contact with Dad who nodded, and hugs were exchanged.

His sister then approached me, asked for a hug, and after exchanging hugs, she sneezed.  She looked me right in the eyes and said, "I don't feel too good."

It took everything I had not to laugh out loud.  The best part was watching Dad's face.  

If you don't hear from me, you know where I'll be.  Sick as a dog from hugs of all things.

pancakes

 Thanks to Slab for publishing my ridiculously long library poem, pancakes. 

It's a library love story so there is much to get excited about.  Now excuse me while I go tuck into my copy!

a little bit of comfort and a little bit of kick butt

Reviews!!

Bedtime for Bo by Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold & Mari Kanstad Johnsen (Picture Book)

A cozy and imaginative book with lively, colorful, and uninhibited illustrations that will sweep you up into the bedtime ritual between a mom and her son. Bo pretends he is a parrot, and his mom jumps right in and encourages his imagination to take flight. He soars from parrot to hibernating bear to other animals as he gets ready for bed. The mom gives her son the freedom to take his time with each bedtime activity, encouraging his imagination and participating in the fun.

Every Day is a Gift by Tammy Duckworth (Adult Nonfiction)

Tammy Duckworth is a phenomenal woman with a fascinating life. Her hard work, determination, patriotism, sense of humor, and empathy are incredibly inspirational.

Unlike a lot of memoirs that are cowritten, this one was polished, organized, and didn’t spend too much time rambling. It was mostly chronological with only a few moments where Duckworth paused to make a connection to current issues she’s fighting for.

Her long struggle for her father’s pride and his battle with bravado that jeopardized his family’s safety at times is absolutely heartbreaking but also relatable. Duckworth was candid about her family’s issues and didn’t make an effort to smooth over troubles even when her father passed away. 

Duckworth also doesn’t let anything stand in her way if it’s within her ability to move it. And she moves so many mountains and has so many interesting stories to tell about each challenge and triumph. I found myself saying, “damn” a lot. This book is for anyone who needs a little kick in the pants or encouragement to continue fighting their own battles and kicking butt.

* I both read and listened to this.  The book has pictures, but the audiobook is read by Tammy Duckworth and is excellent.

feeling good (ish)

Yesterday I started feeling excited about life again hi-yah!  Like a lot of people, I get pretty down and mopey when I'm sick.  I stop being grateful for the small things like our never-ending supply of Kleenex thanks to Robert's concern about us ever running out of it.  Or the never-ending supply of ice cubes for a sore throat (and two pups who need some ice cube happiness because I can't walk them).  Heck, I even forget I have two fluffy love buns to cuddle almost any time I want (unless Margo is moping).  I also have family and friends (some who even read my blog and check in - thank you).  Yesterday, when I was finally starting to feel better I gave myself a stern talking to (it was more like a stern croaking), and I listened to music, and did just one small load of laundry (mostly for my comfort and because I lack self control when it comes to productivity).  

Yesterday was also Spotify Wrapped Day, which I love.  I love the weird genres of music that sometimes crop up and then listening to playlists that spotlight that genre.  My brother got some good ones, including Neo Mellow, which I dived into while working from home today.  

Here are some pictures of my Spotify Wrapped. 💛💚💙💜