a change is in the air

I've been sick much of the past week. Missed some work. Missed doing some fun things. Have fallen behind on other things. I owe people stuff. But today I just needed to get out. Outside. With my boy. And walk in the quiet woods. Slowly. He's still not quite right from the Lyme's disease. And I'm still huffing and puffing and coughing as soon as I exert myself even a little bit. But we just needed a quiet walk. And tomorrow I'll get back to normal. But today was nice. Seeing the hint of autumn in the woods. Feeling it in the air. Nice. The change feels good.

getting back to normal

My boy has been out of commission for awhile. Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis. Yucky things caused by ticks. Pain. Depression. Trembling. Lots of laying around moaning, unable to get up and down easily. This is my BOY. It was breaking my heart.

But the meds have been working wonders and he's almost at the end of the first 28-day cycle. A good friend has suggested he do another round as 56 days is better than 28. So yeah. I'll talk to the vet this week about that. In the meantime, yesterday was our first real outing in about a month. He was perky, in spirit mostly, but still.

He made a couple doggy friends and tried to keep up with them for a stride or two, but couldn't go much more than that. Mostly we just did a rambly walk through a nearby preserve, stopping when he was tired or I wanted to snap a shot of something suggesting autumn is actually on its way.

In all, a good afternoon.

The Birthday Girl

Today, she is my birthday. Which means...I can do anything I want! And I just want to share some favorite photos from near and far and long ago and yesterday...

This is my puffy man, Madison.

I loved this day, spent with a special friend. He took me to a place I never would have found by myself and it was so serene.

This is *long* ago, like 35 years ago. Me and my girlfriend being silly on the ponies. I don't know why I'm making the goofy face (photo left), but our times at the barn were always fun.

Me and my first horse, Elmer J. Fudd (Millionaire. He owned a mansion and a yacht).

Me and my baby. And donuts. 

Nice glasses, Bettye from the past. Nice. Giant. Glasses.

Me and a llama :-)

My mother and me when I was just a wee one.

My boy, just in from a blizzard, with his most sincere face.

My beautiful baby.

Spring.

My baby Katie, Leroy, Robbie (aka The Boy-os), and my ex-husband. When he had big hair.

Fleurs on my desk at work.

Tiny Jane in the packing peanuts. She loved diving in and swimming through them. 

She kinda looks like one of those blow-up alien dolls, right??

My best girl and my best boy.

Sweet Katie 

Mommy & Daddy

Spring at Planting Fields Arboretum

My beautiful New York City

All photos by me. Unless I'm in them. And then I don't know.

Happy Birthday to me. I'm off to have a fun day. 

How to Enjoy the Last Day of Vacation

• Turn off the alarm. Sleep til you wake up naturally.
• Shuck your "plans." This is a day to make up as you go.
• Talk to a best friend. Get a little people-fix.
• Go out for your favorite doughnuts. Don't be disappointed when u get there and it's closed. Go somewhere else. When in doubt, try something new! 
• Go to an outdoor cappuccino cafe so your dog can sit nowhere near you and pretend that everyone else is his *real* family. (ps - Caleb has a new favorite cafe!)
• When thoughts like, "oh, I was supposed to do this thing over vacation" arise, smoosh them down. Way down. There will be time for them tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that.
• Go to a dog park and make new dog and people friends. Don't get upset when your dog rolls in the muddy dirt, cuz it makes him so happy. And it makes you happy to see him happy.
• Walk around your neighborhood. Look around. Enjoy what there is to see. Take pictures of everything.
• Don't think about tomorrow. At All.
• Have a yummy sandwich outdoors. Garlic hummus and avocado. I die.
• Stay off Facebook all most of the day.
• Bob your head and drum your fingers on the steering wheel when the rap-blasting Escalade pulls up behind you at a red light. Appreciate the fact that you live in a place where anyone can listen to (or say or read or write or paint) whatever they want.
• Pick up ice cream on your way home. You're going to need it.
• Don't go home til late afternoon. Open all the windows. Let the curtains flutter. Be quiet. Read. Nap. Enjoy the solitude. 
• Don't spend more than on hour TOPS on preparation for tomorrow or the week ahead. You've gone to work and sent your kids off to school a million times. Trust me, you could do it in your sleep. Tomorrow, you probably *will* be doing it in your sleep. This is "Last Day of Vacation," NOT "First Day of Living in the Real World."
• Have ice cream for dinner. With sprinkles. You deserve it. It's The Last Day of Vacation.
• Take a nice long warm soak in the tub.
• Have something Really Really Good to look forward to tomorrow.
• Turn the alarm back on.
• Go to sleep early, thinking about above-mentioned Really Really Good Thing, and being grateful for how you much you enjoyed The Last Day of Vacation.