Gonna Try Again...Don't Hold Your Breath!

Well, I'm gonna give this another go. Not sure how long I'll last, but I'm gonna give it my all.

So.....what's happened since my last update? Still don't have a job, but hubby got a new job in January with the construction company that his brother works for. They build roads and bridges, and they are currently working in the Melbourne area, redoing I-95. The fact that it is in Melbourne is the sucky part. So, he stays down there during the week, and comes home on Fridays after work. Sometimes Thursdays after work, just depends on the week, and what they have going on. Then he heads back Sunday evening, and starts all over again. He was staying with his brother, in his camper, but in June he got a camper of his own. With summer approaching, he didn't want to be in the way of his brother's family, so he felt he needed a place of his own.

My Mother-in-law has been battling cancer for almost 3 years now. We thought things were improving, and a recent scan showed the cancer almost gone. So, she held off of treatments for a few months, and then had another scan. This one showed that not only was the cancer back, it was growing at a fairly steady rate. They gave her 6 months, if she doesn't do any more treatments. The only treatment that they feel would even have a chance to attack this cancer, almost killed her last year, and it will only improve her odds by 10-15%. So, for now she's not taking any treatments, but she isn't quite ready to give up and admit defeat. She has held off on calling Hospice in, and she's just taking things one day at a time. It is going to be so hard when she goes. I never would have pegged my Father-in-law for the doting kind of guy, that would become a care giver in a situation like this, but he surprised me. He retired, only helping my husband when necessary, made easier when hubby took new job, and he has devoted himself to taking care of her. He is not going to take it well, not like the rest of us are either though.

Nana (Lynda) & Jon

My son is Nana's boy, and it is going to hit him pretty hard too. He's never known life without Nana, and they are very close. While there have been a few people die in his lifetime, they either died when he was very small, or were people that he didn't really have a connection with. My aunt died last year, on his birthday no less, but he didn't really know her that well, so it didn't have a fraction of the impact that his Nana's passing will have.

Nana & Jon picking "blow flowers" (dandelions)

Ok, on to more cheery updates!!!!!!!!!!

We have a new kitten!!

Tiny little girl-end of May 2009

Midge-7/23/09

Starting to look more like a cat and less like a kitten

She found us about 2 months ago, and she has now found her way into our hearts. We heard a strange sound while watching TV one day. The sound didn't appear to match up with what was on TV, and it persisted, even after I muted the movie. My son looked out the front door, and saw a tiny little furball, whining on the porch steps. He tried to go after her, but by the time he got across the porch and out the screen door, she was across the yard, and hiding under a truck that we had out for sale. We tried to coax her out off and on all day, without much success. She found her way into the motor of the truck, and without a way to reach her, I scouted around for an alternate plan. This type of truck, had access into the engine from inside the truck, so I opened the compartment, and pulled her out. She was sooo scrawny, and tiny. She appears to be a calico and she was only about 6-8 weeks old when we found her. Jon started calling her The Cuteness, but she didn't really have a name until a few days later. While I was peeling potatoes, she climbed onto the arm of the chair, and then proceeded to climb onto my shoulder, where she remained most of the day. She didn't even get off if I got up and walked around. Just kind of hung out on my shoulder, resting her head on my ponytail when I would sit down. So, I started calling her Polly, since she was like a parrot. But, that name didn't last too long either. Without knowing how old she was, or what she had eaten or hadn't eaten since she got abandoned or dumped, I fed her the only thing available, which was regular dry cat food, until I could get to the store the next day. I took a couple of days, and then the poor little thing had so much tummy trouble, that we began calling her Miss Sh*tsAlot. I took her off of the kitten food, and started feeding her chicken baby food. Seemed to do the trick, and she was feeling much better in no time. But, a week or so later, she ate a couple slivers of a potato chip, and she was Miss Sh*tsAlot all over again. Back to the baby food. Needless to say, with her tummy troubles, NOONE wanted her to ride on their shoulders, and by the time she was totally over all of her problems, she didn't like riding up there, and she was getting a little big for it as well. So, Polly just didn't seem to fit anymore, so we started calling her Midget, or Midge for short. Jon had been calling her that alot anyway, and since she barely fit in our hands, and our other cats are almost 20 lbs, she is definitly the smallest of the bunch. I know that Midget is soooooo politically incorrect, but it was not meant in any negative way. She was barely a pound, and our next smallest cat is about 16 lbs, so..... We do mostly call her Midge though, it just sounds more girly. She is also called Princess Fiona, cause she is more than a little spoiled. And she just has this look like we (the other cats included) are SO beneath her.

Jon and Midge napping

Midge and Cricket

He's the "small" one. She loves him, loves to play with his tail, chases him everywhere. He just rolls his eyes and puts up with her until he can't take it any more and they he either swats her with his paw, or just leaves. He's never tried to be "mean" to her, no matter how much she annoys him.

Mushu-19 lbs

Not the best picture of him, but it gives you an idea of how BIG he is. That was Jon's step stool that he had as a toddler. It's not exactly small, and Mushu takes up most of it. He wants NOTHING to do with our new little furball. She gets even remotely close to him, and he gives out a warning hiss. This is usually followed by Midge running the other direction. All though, she is getting braver.

Cricket & Mushu

A little brotherly love. They each had a bed, but they insisted on snuggling together in one. All though Mushu could just about fill one up by himself.

Really isn't too much else going on. My mother moved to Punta Gorda last month to live with her brother and his wife. She is at the point, where she really needs to NOT live by herself, and since neither my sister or I had room for her, she went to live with him. BUT, it hasn't even been a month, and she all ready talking about moving back. She wants us to help her find an Assisted Living Facility near here, and get the ball rolling for her to move into one of them when she gets back. She is on SSDI, and gets Medicaid, so there are procedures to follow, tape to cut, etc, etc...

Jon-Jan 2009 (13 1/2)

My son is going to be a High School Freshman in less than a month! Doesn't seem possible! Makes me feel so old. LOL He's 14 now, and in addition to going to a new school, and taking advanced classes, he also joined NJROTC. So, this year should be interesting to say the least. I still think of him as my sweet, smiley, toeheaded little guy, hard to believe he's turning into this young man I see every day.

Jon-approx 1 year old

Well, the old carpal tunnel is giving me heck for typing this long. I am wearing my braces, which somewhat helps the pain and tingling, but it makes typing take twice as long. LOL Ok, maybe not twice, but they do slow me down.

So, hopefully there will me more soon. But don't hold your breath, cause I don't want to be responsible for any concussions when you pass out and hit your head. Keep my Mother-in-law (Lynda) in your prayers.

Later,


Dee (Pngwn)