Guest Bath Update, 206-Pound Dog, and Button Thank You's!

Well, believe it or not, I am back to working on my guest bath! I have been putting it off since I discovered that this new batch of tile I purchased is different from the first batch I got for my foyer. That tile was a two-tone, and this new tile is basically all one color, although it is still textured. Same pattern name, just a different batch! But I finally did get the tile started today! Below is a laser square/level, absolutely the best little tool for laying ceramic tile! If you look closely, you will see the red laser line that gets your tile job started straight and square. It's just getting started that I dread! Once I get started, I could lay tile all day long...but my back can't take the bending all day long! LOL Anyhow, I've got it started, so it's all downhill from here on in! Hooray!!!

I think the hardest part of tile laying is getting the bottom of the casings cut off so that the tile can be slipped under it as shown below. This makes for a much neater job than just nipping it to fit 'around' the casing. And that nipper tool is hard for a woman to use, too!

Below is where I laid out just 4 pieces to make sure it would come out right in the doorway. As you can see, I have cardboard laid over the floor so I can keep my feet clean...ha-ha The floor has been scrubbed with straight bleach, but I still don't like to stand on it in my bare feet! I still have 4 more squares of vinyl to remove yet, too, but still using it to stand on, also. My knees are not much good anymore, so I do all this tile work standing on my feet, bending from the waist.

Below are the first 4 pieces I laid! I did a 5th one before quitting this afternoon, and I plan to work in there some more later tonight yet. I am a fussy worker, so this job will take me awhile to complete. Before setting a tile in the cement adhesive, I square each piece and then level each one. I plan to lay all the full pieces before doing any cutting. I bought one of those electric table ceramic saws that you have to hook a water hose up to, so all the cutting will be done at one time, and one time only! I don't plan to lug that thing out to my patio every time I need to make a custom cut. But at least I've got the tile started!!! LOL Then comes the new baseboard and shoe molding...and then the plumber!!! Woo-Hoo!!!

This past Monday, the 6th, we had to take Buster and Sweet Pea back to the oncologist's for their checkups. On days when they have vet appointments, my daughter puts them both in her bonus room when she leaves for work. Sweet Pea is easy to get into her carrier, but Buster is a hider! We couldn't find him anywhere!!! Finally, I looked behind the computer desk and saw a black mass. I knew the cords wouldn't be solid black like that. Sure enough, it was him! Well, he had gotten himself in and under a shelf back of the desk, and with all the cords, it was impossible to pull him out by his back legs. So the only way we could get him out was by moving the desk out. Talk about heavy! Wow! That thing was really a devil to move! And then Buster was a little devil to get out, too! We finally got on the road but ended up being late for their appointments.

Their reports were very encouraging! Sweet Pea is doing phenomenal! Her lung x-rays were clear! Her liver and kidneys are normal yet, too. She is now one year post-radiation!!! Buster just had to have his regular bloodwork done this week to see how his system was tolerating the chemo...and the report came back that he is doing great! So he is on for Round 3 of chemo next Monday!

When we walked in the door, this is what greeted us! This Great Dane's name is "Marcus." He weighed in at 206 pounds, and his owner said he'd lost a few pounds! He has lymphoma, same as Buster. He is 6 1/2 years old. This lady told us the life span of a Great Dane is between 6 and 8 years. He is just one of three great danes in that household! The others weigh 120 and 160, so Marcus is, by far, the largest of the three. He was a friendly guy despite his scary size! He is also receiving chemo but was there that day to be treated for diarrhea. Notice in the first pic below that he is actually sitting in that chair and that his feet are actually off the floor!





Look at how big his head is compared to his owner's! She said they are fed twice a day....2 cups of dry food and half a can of wet food at each feeding.



And this last pic is my absolute favorite! He really was a great dog! He was as gentle as he was big! God bless you, Marcus.....

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And now I need to acknowledge and say "thank you" to these great blogging friends! This first button is from Pea..."Sweet Pea" at Pea's Corner. You are so creative, Pea! You always make such pretty buttons for your readers! Thank you, Pea!







This next button is from Mary at Mary's Writing Nook. This button is adorable and makes me think of you working on your children's stories! Thank you, Mary!





This darling Easter button is from Hootin' Anni. This is just so sweet, just like Anni! She always comes up with cute buttons for all her readers! Thank you, Anni!




And this next one is from Mary of Mary's Writing Nook. You can tell Mary writes children's books, can't you? She is giving us a little of our childhood back when we all believed in the Easter Bunny! Thank you, dear Mary!

And this is the most recent one I received, and it is from Pea at Pea's Corner! Absolutely adorable!!! Thank you, Pea!

And now I would like to wish you all a very Happy Blessed Easter!

Wallpaper Stripping

This is what I am taking off! I have always loved this paper pattern but have grown tired of it after almost 9 years. It has been quite a tedious job, to say the least! But I am coming down the homestretch now! Below, you can see what little is left to remove yet. Just this partial strip, plus a small piece over the mirror. I have been dreading it all day today, as I have to take the light fixture down next.

Thank goodness, I applied sizing to the walls before the wallpaper hanger hung the paper! Thus, the paper is coming off without any damage to the walls. It's the backing that takes the time. I score it lightly with one of those little scoring tools, and then soak it by spraying it with hot water with fabric softener in it. I just keep soaking it over and over, and then allow it to stand 15-20 minutes, and scrape it off! It's a messy job, no doubt about it! Some of it is actually peeling off so nicely. But then comes the sticky mess....skimming off the softened glue and washing the walls down! This wallpaper was not the pre-pasted kind, so the adhesive is quite sticky!!! And it is also 28" wide! But I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now!

Below, you can see the wallpaper backing that is taking so much time to remove!

I went to Home Depot last night and had my paint mixed up...so now I am just hoping I am going to be pleased with the color! After the painting is done, then comes the vinyl removal from the floor, and then I will lay ceramic tile. I had the commode lifted last Thursday, and so I am moving right along! I am putting all new baseboard down after the ceramic is finished. I figure another 2 weeks, and I'll be finished! I work at my own pace, and I don't rush with anything, anymore! I plan to do my bathroom and dressing area after this. I have to keep busy at night...Believe it or not, I can unwind and relax this way! Plus, every time I open the bathroom door to leave the room, there are all my little 'fur kids' laying in the hallway outside the door waiting for me! What a great reward, wouldn't you agree? LOL I'll be around to visit you all soon!

Below is another darling button from Pea that she was passing on to all her readers! It's a cutie with that little leprachaun perched on top! Thank you, Pea!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Awards Day Again!

First of all...I know I am a little late in acknowledging these, and I do apologize for my tardiness. Being punctual never has been a great virtue of mine.

I want to thank Hootin' Anni for this cute St. Patrick's Day gift...she comes up with such cute things, doesn't she? Thank you, Hootin' Anni! I just love this one!!!





And this Sisterhood Award, I received from Winifred of I'm Trying, Honestly! Thank you so much, Winifred! I am a blue jeans type of gal, so this one really struck my fancy!!! I would like to pass this Sisterhood Award on to all of my readers, so grab it and feel free to place on your own sidebar from me!




And here is another one from Hootin' Anni! What can I say, other than another cute one she created!!! Thank you, Hootin' Anni!




And this darling one is from the Fairy Queen of Blogland...none other than Pea herself of Pea's Corner! Thank you so much, Pea!!!

Without these awards and little gifts, my blog would look pretty plain...So I do thank you all for passing them my way! These gals are so creative!!! A BIG thank you to you all!!!

In Like a Lion...

Edited to include Edie Marie's Giveaway! Go to bottom of post for more info and check her button on my sidebar, also.

We certainly got walloped with snow this time around! This is such an ususual storm for us here in the South. The trees were in bud and daffodils had already popped up. A storm of this size has just shut down most everything here. Closed are schools, businesses, malls, etc. They are not equipped for snow storms here like up north cause snow is a rare thing here. There are downed trees, some blocking highways, and also a loss of power for almost 24,000 people in the city here. My electric flickered off and on 3 different times, but my daughter lost hers for 3 hours. She phoned me at 11:15 last night to tell me that hers was back on. We had what is called 'thunder snow' which was explained on TV...it is like a thunderstorm where we receive heavy rain, and 'thunder snow' is thunder with a heavier snowfall. And it was coming down fast!!!

The interstates are one big mess, but some melting is taking place this afternoon. But those wet roads will be 'black ice' in the morning, as we are to dip down to 17 degrees tonight! Last night there was an accident on I-85 and traffic was at a complete standstill for 7.5 hours! TV later reported it was 9 hours, but I saw it myself when they showed the first car moving and said it was the first to move in 7.5 hours. They told on TV that cars were running out of gasoline while waiting, and that they had to rescue some people and take them to shelters. The Highway Patrol was pleading with people to stay home today and off the highways. There were over 200 accidents reported, also. It was just one big mess!

All day yesterday, they were predicting 5-10 inches overnight. SO......you might know who would wait until the last minute to make a run to the supermarket! It was pouring down rain when I left home. The highways were almost deserted, as the wet stuff had started to come down while I was still out running around. I made another run to the petstore, in addition to the supermarket, and then I had to run by my daughter's home as she had picked up the cats' insulin needles and some other things for me at Wal-M*rt. I got home safely, but the grassy areas were already covered with snow when I drove down my street. Before I got my car entirely unloaded, the street was covered with a layer of that beautiful white stuff.

Below, you will see that the highway was practically deserted on the way into the city...all the smart people had already been out and had their storm shopping all done.

Below is a really big intersection...very few motorists were out at this time.

Below, you will see that my little feral kitty came through the snow to my front door. I will put food out there for her tonight. I had moved the igloo doghouse closer to my back door yesterday for her, so I wouldn't have to shovel a path for her from it to the food dishes, but she never even slept in it last night! There were footprints in the back, also, so I know she had come around to the back to eat, plus the canned food dish was empty this morning. She's got me wondering where she could have found a better place to sleep than in that igloo with those nice warm, microwavable heat disks under the blankets for her...they stay warm for 16 hours.

This is my crepe myrtle tree outside my kitchen window...it was hanging low from the weight of the snow.

This is a scene looking up the street....

And this is the scene looking down the street...you can see other crepe myrtle trees drooping from the snow. We are just not accustomed to this much snow!

And this is my poor cleyera bush, all bent over from the heavy snow...

Below is my office window, so you can see that the office cats have had a great view of the snow...and they were enjoying batting the windows last night when the snow was falling. I usually keep the blinds pulled up a ways for them.

And this is what I found in the kitchen window when I got back inside this morning...this is Precious looking out the window. She was looking at me through the blinds with her snappy little eyes until I snapped the picture! Notice Toby's big fluffy tail in the foreground.

Right now, our street is bare, but wet. We are to be 74 degrees on Saturday! I am SO ready for Spring now!!!

Be sure to check out my sidebar for Edie's Giveaway at Edie Marie's Attic coming up on March 9th! She is giving away some beautiful items for her one-year anniversary in Blogland! Hop on over and check it out! You will just love her blog! She's a romanticist...I tell you, you will absolutely love her!!!

Mews Update on Buster

DAPHY, BUSTER & CLEO (Kittens in 1994)

Well, we had him back on Tuesday to have his 23 staples removed. His incision was a long one! The biopsies had come back...not good. Both were carcinomas, each a different type. So the growth on the liver and also the lymph node that is wrapped around the blood suppy to his intestines were both malignant, which we suspected, anyhow.

This morning he was started on a different type of chemo, and the GOOD news is that this type will not make him sick at all! He won't even need meds this time. Last time they gave him appetite pills and another type of med, as he had just one day each time that he wouldn't feel well. After they gave us that second med to give to him, you'd never even have known he was taking chemo...he was just like he always was. This will be better for him getting it on Fridays, as my daughter will be home with him on weekends, and he can sleep in the crate and then she can keep him on a leash during the day. He and Sweet Pea can't share a litterbox for 48 hours after he has received the chemo...seems it is excreted through his stool and urine, so Sweet Pea can't be exposed to it. And we must wear rubber gloves when we scoop his box, etc. So he can be a free man again on Sunday at noon each time he gets a treatment. Before, we kept him in her bonus room by himself, and that had to be lonely for him. But I always went over every day to feed him and keep him company every afternoon for a couple of hours.

They are very optimistic with this type of chemo, stating that they are hoping instead of 3-6 months prognosis, that he will have 6-12 months, and the oncologist said they are hoping for 12 months! Like my daughter said, he isn't ready to put to sleep yet...you'd never know he has cancer at all to see and watch him. He's just like a normal cat. He loves to cuddle, he loves to play, he LOVES to eat...just like a healthy cat. So she decided to go ahead with the chemo again. He will get a treatment every 3 weeks, with a total of 5 treatments altogether. He got 8 more months of life this last time, so we are optimistic this time for him, also. He's such a sweetie! I have been going every afternoon to let him out of the crate and feed him and love on him, plus we walk on a leash around the house. But since Tuesday, they said his incision looked great and was healed, so he no longer had to be crated! So he's been a free man since Tuesday! We are looking forward to having him a while longer. But rest assured, when he starts showing signs of not doing well, we will do the right thing by him, but for now we are going to love him all we can!

Latest Update on Buster

Please be sure to read my personal comment on the comment page....
Wednesday, February 18, 2009...Buster is home and all settled in! He was one happy little man to get home. He went right in the crate with no trouble and spent the afternoon eating and looking around and watching me snooze on my daughter's sofa. He seems very content and is in much better shape this surgery than the last one. He is on pain med every 8 hours for just 5 days and will have his 23 staples removed next Tuesday. We know his days are numbered this time, but then aren't ours numbered, too? We are just happy to have him back again, regardless of how short or how long he has. The chemo is actually easier on an animal than a person. Cats tolerate it very well. The last time he only had one day after each treatment that he didn't feel well, and the last couple of treatments, they gave him 2 different meds, and that eliminated even that one day of not feeling well. He ate like he always did and even played. I'm not sure yet what my daughter has decided to do regarding the chemo this time around. One girl who works at this specialists' place has a dog who was receiving chemo, but then it had to be stopped as his liver values went up. But his tumor has stopped growing so he is in remission the past 2 or 3 months. So chemo is worth a try, anyhow. If it affected the cat like it does people, we would never do it at all, but it doesn't. They really do very well with it. He is comfortable in the crate and has a pillow to sleep on...all the comforts of home. He was very unhappy at the vet's as there was a dog that barked all the time, and he had never heard a dog's bark before. He was growling when they brought him out to us. My daughter said the only time she has ever heard him growl was when he saw a strange cat in 'his' yard through the window.

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UPSTATE VETERINARY SPECIALISTS

Greenville, SC

Tuesday, February 17, 2009...Just a quick update on Buster. He came through the surgery quite well yesterday, but the news wasn't good. The growth that was thought to be in the small intestines turned out to actually be an enlarged lymph node. It could not be removed due to the fact that it was wrapped around the main blood supply to the intestines. To remove it would have meant instant death for him. He has 3-6 months to live with chemo. Without chemo, it would be just weeks. Since the last couple of chemo treatments never bothered him at all, (they gave him meds so he wouldn't get sick from it), he will again receive chemo therapy but not until the staples are removed and his incision is healed.

I received a call at 8 this morning from the surgeon, Dr. Jevens, who said Buster was making himself well heard this morning and could come home! Naturally, we were delighted to hear that he didn't have to stay any longer. Dr. Jevens' assistant also phoned me to set up a pickup time and said that Buster is quite feisty this morning. That is so unusual for him as he's such a quiet, loving little guy. He just wants to get out of there and get back to his own home. Animals know, don't they? Tammy has his crate all prepared for him in her living room, as he has to be confined for the next 7-10 days (no jumping) until his incision heals. She will let him out at night when she's home and walk him on a leash like she did the last time. He will be on pain meds for awhile, and I will be running back and forth to check on him, so he won't be alone all day while she's at work.

I just wish I had better news to tell you all. All we can do now is to love him all we can and then let him go with dignity when his time comes.

Upcoming Surgery for Buster

" Sweet Pea" and "Buster"

Just a quick update on my daughter's cats. We had them to Greenville last Thursday for their check-ups. These are done every 2 months to keep an eye on the cancer, should it re-occur.

Sweet Pea had a good report, thank goodness! We were told that they have had cats with her type of cancer (fibrosarcoma) in remission for up to 3 years. So right now, things look pretty rosy for her!

Buster, on the other hand, had lost another .4 pound. He has been losing weight quite steadily, losing quite a bit last June when he was first diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. He is now just under 11 pounds, down from 24 pounds before any of this cancer trouble ever started last June. We knew he had some abnormal kidney values, so we thought maybe this was the cause of his weight loss. The oncologist suggested that he have another ultrasound now instead of waiting for the one scheduled in April. So he had another abdominal ultrasound this morning. It showed that there is a small growth about 1/2 inch in diameter in his small intestines. It also showed one kidney was dilated, so some urine was drawn from his bladder to be checked in case he could also have a kidney infection. His chest x-ray was normal, so no cancer there. After consultation with the oncologist, we decided to go ahead with surgery next Monday. His last ultrasound in November showed everything was okay. Thank goodness, my daughter had the ultrasound done now instead of in April! Buster seems to feel well and is eating like a little piglet. He plays with his toys and acts perfectly normal. He just looks thin in the face, plus now he looks even worse after having his tummy and sides shaved off for the ultrasound. Poor little guy, the hair doesn't even get all grown back when it's time to shave it all off again.

I'll be sure to post about him again after his surgery next Monday. Please remember him in your prayers.