Last night I went down to mom and Rocky's house to take the pictures I promised you. Rocky is posing here with his teacup poodle Amber and his new friend, the chemo bag. After a full day of treatment in the cancer clinic, he was sent home with the little black bag that will administer the chemo nonstop. He was feeling great here.

Meet Mandy! She had just come from the beauty shop and the vet, where she got a good going over. She was pronounced fit as a fiddle, and was real happy to be back home again.

After a week of sad news, it is good to report happiness. You can see in Mandy's face that all is well. Napoleon hasn't decided yet about her, but she seems to be taking him in stride. I will keep you posted as events warrant.

Until tomorrow,

Becky

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We are deep into what the locals call Blackberry Winter here. After Easter squall, which is also another cold snap and turbulent time weatherwise, Blackberry Winter blows in cold temperatures and rain. Local meteorologists are calling for frost by weeks end, so all of those who jumped out and planted annuals early will be covering them up to protect them. I have learned to plant flowers after Mother's Day, as I get tired of dragging all of my bed linens out each evening to keep flowers from getting nipped. After running the air conditioner all last week, the furnace is running again.

I was able to talk to my dad on the phone last night. He is still in ICU, but doing well. The doctor is very pleased with his progress and the blood flow to the leg has already given relief of the pain dad has endured for months. If all goes well, he will be moved to a regular room today.

My daughter and her husband are leaving on a business trip today, so will be busy for a few days. Hopefully it will help them deal with the pain and grief of losing Smokey. Those of you who have lost a beloved pet know what I am talking about. I talked to them both last night, and I was able to get Jennifer to laugh. That is the first sign of healing.

Today while Rocky goes for his chemotherapy marathon Mandy will be fluffed and groomed at the vet. I will take a picture of her this evening when I get home and post it in the morning so you can see Rocky's new friend. She is a real sweetie.

Well, I guess I will see about some breakfast and get my coat out for the day. Blackberry Winter always comes after we go into short sleeved uniforms. Without a jacket it makes for a miserable day. I hope you have warmth and sunshine in your corner of the world. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers on behalf of my loved ones. Bloggers are the best!

One last thought. Monday spring turkey season started. We have been holding our breath that no one shoots Napoleon by mistake....here on our country road.

Until tomorrow,
Becky


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I am glad to report that my dad made it through the bypass surgery well. The arteries in the left leg were totally blocked, which was causing the terrible pain he has been having. The plastic artery that had been in place for several years has been replaced by a vein taken from the abdomen. The doctor was very optimistic that dad would have a full recovery and regain the use of that leg. Currently he is in ICU, but doing as well as could be expected. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on his behalf.

Brady continues to improve. He can motor around in his little walker, rolls all over the floor, and is happy until the sun goes down. Aimee and Jonathan are getting no sleep, and look worse than Brady, but that is what being a parent is all about. Hopefully each day will bring a little improvement for them.

I had a call from my daughter in Connecticut yesterday morning while I was at work. That is never good news. She was in tears, and it was hard for me to understand what she was saying with her so upset. Smokey, her black lab had become ill and was having trouble breathing. Living in a metropolitan area, she and her husband loaded him up and took him to the emergency center at the vet hospital. He quit breathing as they pulled up, but the attendants were able to revive him and give him a blood transfusion. They stayed with him through the night, but they lost him. I am so sorry for the loss of their beloved pet. Having lost one myself, I know the pain they are feeling right now. It is times like this that I hate the distance that separates us. Your thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.

Per all of the requests, I will go down and take a picture of Mandy, Rocky's new pup. She is a real sweetheart. I was mistaken about her appointment at the vet and groomer, it will be tomorrow. If you can wait until then, I will get her picture and post it Thursday.

We have been enjoying some rain, which is so welcome. I hope that you had a great kick butt Monday and are ready to move on with your week. Today is trash day, so I have to get around. I forgot last week, so I have an extra bag to sneak out for the trash man.

I want to thank my brother John for helping get my blog posted yesterday. Blogger was down here and I couldn't get it posted, but a quick email to the wiz kid took care of the problem. Thanks, John. All systems seem to be back in working order this morning.

Until tomorrow,
Becky



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This weekend was a good one. I hope it was for you as well. Spring blessed us with a beautiful two days, and though we didn't get the promised rain, it was wonderful to see sunshine and blue sky. I got many of the small jobs I haven't had time to get done accomplished. My new mailbox now has shiny gold letters on it with my new address.

One of the best things to happen this weekend was a surprise for Rocky. I had found him a little Shih Tzu that he could befriend while he is recuperating at home and undergoing chemo. Her name is Mandy, and yesterday she came to surprise him. I was shocked that mom said he could have her, but because she came from a good home and needed a good situation it seemed like a match made in heaven. She is a sweet little dog, and is right at home there. I think Rocky is still trying to comprehend that he has a new buddy. Today she is going to the vet for a booster shot and grooming. Her tail wags all the time, so I know she is happy.

My dad was to have had bypass surgery last week, but it was postponed until today, and I am unable to make the trip to KC for it. I talked to him last night and he is upbeat and ready to get it over with. He has had an ongoing problem with the left leg from a previous surgery, so today they are hoping to correct the situation. Work is work, and we are shorthanded so I will wait for the call this evening to let me know how he made it. Your thoughts and prayers on his behalf are appreciated. I told him I had many friends all over the world that are wonderful to pray, and I will as always keep you posted.

Brady continues to improve, although the little guy doesn't sleep much. Pain is the culprit, but they couldn't keep him on codeine forever. Hopefully next week they will get the casts off and he will be more comfortable.

Well, it is off to the salt mines for me. It is kick butt Monday again, so I need to get out there and accomplish something. I hope that you are up and ready to greet the day. Give 'em heck.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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This morning Rocky and mom go to the hospital for the procedure to "install" his port. Once that is done he can begin his chemotherapy and Avastin treatment. I believe that he will finally feel that he has engaged the battle at that point. Up until now he has just been waiting. And waiting.

Every now and again Rocky walks up just to visit. I mentioned that he had been here the other night, and we had a nice chat. I have been through the port thing, so was able to show him scars of where it had been and answer his questions. I know this is all new and worrisome for him, so it is good to have someone to talk about it with.

I have to work, so won't be able to be there for the procedure, but my thoughts and prayers go with them. His appointment is for 7:30 CDT, so will appreciate your prayers. Dr. Eck is going to be his surgeon, and we all like him really well.

Have a wonderful day, thank goodness we have finally arrived at TGIF. Is it just me or has this been the longest week ever? Enjoy your weekend!

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Even though the full moon was a week ago, there has been a delay in all of the strange, odd, and different things happening. All week it has been escalating, but yesterday was a day for the record books. Every difficult and challenging applicant in the surrounding area darkened my office door, pushing and demanding satisfaction.

Add to that the normal oddities that occur in the course of the work day, Napoleon keeping me awake screaming into the night, and stress, and I am just like the rest of you. Needing a vacation! This all came to a head yesterday around lunch time. I was enjoying my salad and chatting with my coworkers when a terrible feeling of dread settled over me. I had gone into work early to retype an employee evaluation that I had a typo on. They are private and confidential documents, and since one of them belonged to the person that I have had so much difficulty with this past two years, it was even worse when I remembered not having the file when I left the office. In my mind I could see it laying right next to the computer where I left it. Since I had an issue with my vision machine and had to have that worked on, and I had a pile of supplies to take out to the van, I left the box of study guides I was also going to load on the desk. Like a bad movie, it all kept replaying in my mind. I swear stress is going to be the death of me. Thank goodness for cell phones. I put a message through to a friend at the office, but as luck would have it, he was also having a bad day and couldn't get back to me. I had to wait several hours, but at shift change I called a friend that I knew could help. She walked back to my office, where she finally found the file stuck down in the box of study guides. Thank goodness I hadn't left it in plain sight. Disaster averted, I had one easy hour before I could go home. You can be sure that I went straight in and retrieved the file and it is now safely filed away in my home office.

Hopefully today I will have a rebound day, for the past several have indeed been a trial. Friends are such a blessing. I will take a few days off soon to rest and recoup, but for now it is good to have friendly faces who greet me with a big smile. I wish that kind of day for you. Give a smile and it will come right back to you.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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No, it wasn't Santa Clause.

I was reading last night before bed when I heard a strange sound on the rooftop. I walked out on the front stoop and looked around, but couldn't see anything. I had just settled back in my chair and picked up my book when I heard it again. This time I sat still and waited. Sure enough I heard something or someone walking along the back slope of the roof. I set my book aside and opened my front door as quietly as I could manage. Stepping out on the porch, I waited until I heard the steps coming back toward my end of the house.

Making my way along the side of the house, I looked up as I rounded the end by my garden bench. Imagine my surprise when I saw Napoleon looking down at me as startled as I was. No wonder it sounded like Cox's army! He has the biggest feet, which were peeking over the edge of the roof.

I had just a few seconds to laugh at being so silly when he lifted easily off of the rooftop and flew up into his roosting tree. He has a little ritual each evening, so I watched as he groomed his feathers and settled in. I had just picked up my book again when he began screaming into the night.

Napoleon settled, I turned out the light, took my book and went to bed. All is well....here on my country road.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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I have a personality that believes in impossible dreams. While some make fun and shake their heads, I am rarely without a goal or a purpose. It is important for me to always look forward, beyond the mountain top or the bend in the road.

I have been stuck. Not that I haven't had goals, dreams, or hope. Sometimes I get mired down in the impossible and lose sight of that silver lining. I guess that's life. It isn't odd for others, just for me. There are probably only one or two people on the planet who appreciate this quality, but for me it is just the way I am.

I have been told that I can get excited about a paper clip. Well, is that such a bad thing? Part of what attracts others to me is that I can see what others don't, and can lead the charge over the hill. There is joy in simple things and laughter bubbles up from a happy heart. I sit out on my little garden bench and watch the sunset every evening I can. That one simple thing energizes me flagging spirit and renews my commitment to reach for the stars and believe in miracles.

Many of you know by now that my brother John finished the Boston Marathon yesterday in great time for him. That is what reaching for the stars and hard work can do. Good for you, John!

Go out there and grab the brass ring today. The world needs people who can dream big!

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Easter Sunday I went out to see Brady, my son, and daughter-in-law. They have had a rough week to say the least.

As you can see, Brady is just hangin' around. They had just given him his pain injection when I arrived, so he wasn't his usual animated self. Although he was a little groggy I still got lots of baby smiles and kisses. Jonathan and Aimee were still trying to get caught up on their rest, and were content to finish their dinner while I played with Brady.

The casts haven't slowed him down much. He is at the rolling stage and gets pretty much anywhere he wants to go that way. He also likes to sit in his walker and swing, but his favorite thing is being held. Can't blame him for that, and he gets plenty of that by all of us who love him.

Today his great uncle John is up and going through his pre-marathon routine. Boston welcomes the runners of the 110th Boston Maraton today, and I hope that you will be able to track John's progress. His bib number is 9345, and there is a link on his blog site to make it easy. Send out good thoughts and prayers for him today. Godspeed, little brother! Since this is kick butt Monday, show 'em how it's done.

Hope you had a blessed Easter!
Until tomorrow,
Becky
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I spoke with my daughter-in-law Aimee last night to check on Brady. I wanted to go out and see him, but I woke them up. They had been awake all night with the baby, as he is in a lot of pain. The Dr. had finally called them back, approving another pain medication and Brady had finally settled down to rest. Aimee is having to sleep while he is able to.

I will wait and go out this weekend after they are into some kind of schedule with Brady's medications and his care. His hands weren't nearly as difficult a surgery as this was, so there is a learning curve.

Please continue to pray for Brady, Aimee and Jonathan. The time moves so slowly when your little one is in pain. I will keep you informed of his progress.

Have a wonderful Good Friday and a blessed Easter. There is so much to celebrate. Enjoy your families and be safe if you travel.

God bless,
Becky
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Brady came through the surgery just fine, and am posting his picture here again so you can see his sweet little face. He now has ten toes like everyone else, and is in casts up to the diaper line.

My son said that he doesn't like having the anchors on his legs, and is very fussy and in pain. He is a tough little guy. The Dr. released him yesterday evening, and he is now at home here in Smalltown. It is too early for a prognosis. One day at a time.

At least Brady is happy now that he can eat again. When you are a five month old baby things are pretty simple. I plan to go out and take some pictures of his casts and visit this evening hopefully.

Please continue to remember them in your thoughts and prayers, and I will pass along all of your comments and good wishes to Jonathan and Aimee. They were so touched that all of you were praying for them. Bloggers are good friends.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Just a quick note to let you all know that Brady came through the surgery just fine. He now has ten toes instead of twelve, and is in casts up to the diaper line. At the time I talked to my son he was still in recovery, and if he had no complications, the Dr. was going to release them to come home.

I won't have any details until later tonight, but wanted to thank you all over the world who prayed and sent out good thoughts for Brady and his mom and dad today. Your faithfulness and kindness is appreciated, and hope that you will continue to remember them in the days to come. The recovery will be hard, but he is a tough little guy. He has proven that already.

Love to all,
Becky
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In an hour Brady will be being prepped for surgery. It will be a lengthy process to unravel the network of bones in the feet and remove the extra toes, but we are confident the doctors have the best plan of action for the little guy. He has been through so much since he was born, but he is such a happy baby.

My son and daughter-in-law are very anxious about turning over their little boy to the doctors and medical staff, but it is the only option they have. Knowing something in your head and understanding it is somehow not related to the anguish and worry they will go through over the next six or eight hours.

Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated, and when I told my son that people from all over the world will be praying for Brady, his eyes filled with tears. I am passing on that gratitude to you this morning, and as soon as I get home this evening I will let you know the outcome.

Until then,
Becky
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Napoleon has been very happy here for the most part, and has adapted very well. Although he has as happy a life as we can provide for a peacock, he has evidently decided that there is something missing in his life.

For the past two weeks, I have been hearing what I thought was a huge cat. A very loud cat. At first I heard it about the time Napoleon went to roost. He has begun roosting by my house again for some reason. Mom and Rocky think the new light on the neighbors garage is the culprit. It shines directly in front of the tree he was sleeping in at mom's house. For whatever reason, he is back again. About the time he flies up to roost I would hear this sound. More than once I went out on the porch to see if a cat was out there. Scaredy is still missing, so I thought maybe he was home.

A week ago I began hearing this loud screaming in the night. It finally dawned on me it was Napoleon. He now wakes me up several times a night calling for what I think he hopes is a Josephine. Poor guy. If he hopes to call up a mate here, he's out of luck. He landed here like Dorothy in Munchkinland, and is quite alone. I have always felt badly about him not being with other peacocks. He looks so lonely.

So for now I am being sereneded all through the night by a lonely peacock evidently lookin' for love, and in this case.....in all the wrong places. That's life today....here on my country road.

Brady leaves today for St. Louis, so please remember to pray for him. His surgery is tomorrow morning early. I will keep you posted.

Until then,
Becky
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Yesterday was a beautiful day. In fact it was a beautiful weekend. We were blessed with a visit from Brady and my son and daughter-in-law. They came by to get the new car seat I bought him for Easter.

Brady has grown a bit as you can see! He will be six months old next week. We had a lot of fun making him smile, which was easy once he saw my cat Chicky.

Tomorrow he travels to St. Louis for the surgery on his feet. I wanted to publish his little picture so you could see who you will be praying for. He is such a happy baby. The surgery will be a lot more extensive than what we first thought due to the way the bones are formed. Added to the problem of his asthma and the complications he had with the first surgery because of it, we are happy he will be up at a larger hospital where they specialize with children.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Today is of course kick butt Monday, so make it a good one. I'm already feeling like a winner as I didn't have to ask my brother John to help post the pictures for me! That's progress.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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When my heart is troubled and my spirit lagging, I look to nature. Therein I find rest and comfort. God has blessed us with so much beauty, and especially in the spring, Hope. Experiencing nature helps me remember Who is in charge, and that all will be well.

I have a little garden bench that I love to sit on. It isn't as comfortable as it is comforting. There I can sit and listen to the joyful songs of the beautiful songbirds indiginous to our area. Listening to them is a balm to my soul, and I love to watch them as they flit from branch to branch looking for food or watching me with curiosity.

Spring is a glorious example of God's handiwork. After a long winters nap the trees are bursting with bright new leaves, perennials are pushing through the ground to reach toward the sun, and the air is heavy with the heady fragrance of daffodils, forsythia and hyacinth.

God has kissed the earth with new life and painted the sky with a brilliant wash of blue. With the songs of the birds and chatter of woodland creatures as accompaniment, nature is the perfect inspiration.

Happy Friday.
Becky
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Normally I sleep very well, but since I have been on the meds for my tooth I am up several times a night. I wake up around 3:30am and listen to the sounds of the house. During the day they may also be present, but I don't notice. At night they take on a much more ominous quality. Paddy, my cat, goes crazy trying to figure out who, what, where and how to get at them. For the most part, aside from the usual settling creaks and groans that houses have, the gremlins seem to live in the duct work. When my dog Dara was alive she had a path worn between the floor ducts. Evidently she heard them too. Now that Paddy does the same thing it has aroused my curiosity.

Over the years I have decided that mice may be running back and forth in the ducts, and therefore must be the culprits. Whatever it is, I can't always hear but the animals can. Dara used to wake up from a sound sleep and look down the hallway. She would wag her tail with her ears alert, looking at me like I should know who or what she saw. While Paddy doesn't do that she does wake up from a sound sleep and proceed to track down noises I can't always hear.

I suppose that there are gremlins in every house, but I do feel the presence of grandma and grandpa here a lot. This was their happy home, and it is comforting to know they are near. Today while I am sitting in meetings at work, Paddy can busy herself trying to get at whatever she hears. Cheap entertainment.

Until tomorrow,
Becky

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I have a very trusting nature. Many would say gullible, others something more derogatory. The fact is, I choose to live my life in a very open manner. I expect the best and brightest from people, I trust them to deal with me in an honest and respectful way, and I believe what I am told. I find joy in simple things, enjoy people, and laugh openly and often. No one ever has to wonder what I am thinking, for if there is a thought in my head I share it. I wear my heart on my sleeve, so it gets battered and bruised a lot. I feel things intensely and passionately, and believe that every day is a gift. I have always felt an urgency to live life to its fullest for we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

That being said, I have found that when you live your life as an open book it invites a variety of things to happen. Mostly, people are drawn to happy positive people. To laughter. To love. They respond to happiness. Even in the face of pain and tragedy I find hope and encouragement.

For whatever reason, there are people who take advantage of people like me. They find joy in trying to ruin my day, because happiness irritates them. These would be selfish, manipulative, self serving people who plot to bring others down because they can. Then there are the good people who care, but still find joy in watching me take the bait. That usually brings forth my signature phrase, "Let them eat cake." I don't stay upset for long, and am forgiving for the most part. I laugh harder at myself than anyone else.

Harder to take are those I care about that hide things from me in an effort to "spare" me hurt. Believe me, if you choose to do this, let me just say right now that it doesn't work. Ever. Things always come to light, secrets are never kept for long, and when the truth finally comes out it is much worse. I would much rather know the truth going in than have it jump up and bite me. Hurt is a funny thing. It is bad. Always. If I feel happiness intensely, I feel hurt and pain even more so. On a scale of 1 to 10, betrayal is a 12 in my book.

That being said, I cannot live differently. It is just the way I'm built. I don't have to keep my stories straight, worry about what I've said to who, or keep a tangled web of deception from coming unraveled. Today, I choose to be a friend to those who need one, offer a smile to someone who is hurting, and look for that silver lining. Life is a circle. Good things always come back to you.

Have a wonderful day!
Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Two weeks ago I received the official notification of the name change for our country road. In this case, I suppose, it was our county road. At any rate, I now have to begin the long process of address changes. As names go, I suppose Shady Lane is okay. The name fits well. In the summer when all of the trees are leafed out, it is indeed a shady lane. The branches provide a canopy of shade for the road, and it is welcoming. Whenever I am rounding the bend in the road that leads to my house, it is always a joy.

I am not sure what has gotten into Chicky all of a sudden. When I went down to lock her up last night there was a mole in the middle of the garage floor. She ran right over to it as proud as punch. Good grief. I'd rather she went back to cool and aloof. I don't need or want her little displays of affection. In this way I suppose you can tell that I am essentially a dog person. I don't really understand the cat physche. I suppose that while Rocky is recuperating I can enlist him to remove all of the carnage each day before I come home from work and dispatch it to the big woods across the street. Easier on my nerves and my stomach.

Today it is back to work for me. Since I was unable to have kick butt Monday yesterday, today will be my day to catch up with the rest of you. It is also trash day....here on Shady Lane, which to me will always and forever be....my country road.

Until tomorrow,
Becky
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Saturday morning I spent two hours cleaning the garage. I misspoke a bit about the carnage there. Why on earth do cats take their victims to where they live to kill and devour? It was all I could do to remove the body parts, feathers and carcasses. Good heavens. Chicky is sure making a dent in the bird, mice, and mole population. I was feeling so good about getting that nasty job done until I went down to feed her and lock her in last night. She already had another unidentifiable critter in pieces on the floor. Face it. I just don't have the stomach for the reality of the food chain.

We did escape the rounds of severe weather that went through over the weekend. It hit all around us, we got rain and lots of wind, but no hail or tornadoes. We were in desperate need of the rain, so that was a blessing. The wind is still blowing hard this morning, as it did all night. March winds just catching up with us I suppose.

I am home today from work nursing another infection in the tooth that has been the bane of my existence for two years. Just the other day I was bragging that it had finally healed and was not an issue anymore. Up jumped Murphey. Since the antibiotics make me sick to my stomach, and my face is swollen, I am home with my inside kitty Paddy today. The bad thing is she has been sick for several days. (The after effects of trying to eat the flowers my daughter sent me for my birthday.) As my grandmother used to say, always something.

Since this is kick butt Monday, you all go out and give it one for me. Hopefully I will be up and about tomorrow.

Until then,
Becky
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