bunions and bunnies and other b words

April 24, 2011

I know I haven't written anything here for awhile, mostly because nothing much has been going on, which normally doesn't stop me, but I just haven't felt like it. I'm OK, but then there've been a couple of times this month I've been sad for several days-just sad, sad, sad-for no reason in particular, except probably it's part of my grieving. Hard to believe it's been almost a year since my mom died, and over a year now since my brother died.

Anyway, I have been busy with articles for RSM and the Senior Voice, and entering poems in contests. And working on A Galaxy of Verse, getting ready for the second issue.

Don't think I've mentioned that Nan and Lloyd have a puppy named Kasey now. Still strange not having Buddy around, but Kasey certainly is distracting! He's about 8 months old, and must have ADD! That dog doesn't stop moving! He and Baxter get along fine, although Kasey has no respect for the senior dog.

We're making sure they get together on a regular basis, and then yesterday evening we had them bring Kasey over here and leave him for a couple of hours, just to see how he'd do when they weren't around (eventually we'll be dog-sitting.) Plus Nan needed a break!

I think Kasey gets a bit over-stimulated here. He's behind a wood fence at home. Here, it's a chain link; Lucky the (new) beagle/pit mix on one side, two small dogs on the other, and a Jack Russell terrier behind us. Plus Baxter, plus the two cats-a cacophony of dogs and the hissing of cats! LOL!

Kasey has absolutely no concept of "this space is already occupied." Well, actually Baxter doesn't either, but it's funny to watch KC (for short) barrel under Baxter's belly. Petunia was all puffed out at him, but she by god did not back down. KC just checked her out and when he turned his back, she batted his legs. He turned to look at her, like, "What?" and then trotted off. She did it several times when he got too close, and each time she did her bad act and he just said, Huh? He ran the fence with the dogs on both sides. When Baxter ran with a toy in his mouth, KC caught up, grabbed hold and they ran together. Sometimes they'd have a tug of war. Bax would growl, KC ignored him, and Bax would drop the toy like…Son, you're supposed to listen to me. Ha.

By the way, neither cat is afraid of KC (and he has 4 cats at home), but he tends to overwhelm them-getting too close out of curiosity-which is when they go into their bad acts.

KC LOVES the kiddie pool. Bax will get in to drink and/or cool his feet, but that's all. Once KC figured out how to step in, he had a ball. Scooping up water in his mouth, going in circles, splashing with his nose, leaping out, leaping in. We put a rubber duck in there several times and he'd go in, grab it, leap out, race around the yard. Goofy dog. (Yes, Nan, I'm talking about your puppy!)

He is also the sweetest, most affectionate dog. Unlike Baxter, KC doesn't know a stranger. And he is into EVERYthing. He tries to be everywhere at once, and then back again. Go Go Go! Oh, to have that kind of energy.

And then the other big excitement (Yawn) is I finally got my custom-made orthotics, in an attempt to avoid bunion surgery. They're actually a composite of four sections based on how I walked on the treadmill (an F-scan.) Mostly I guess they feel like any other inserts, except I can tell that the big toes are being supported differently. Something is going on in the joints, but I don't know what. I know the orthotics can't cure bunions, but maybe they can keep them from getting worse. Oh, and the pressure points on my right foot have certainly changed. I have a callus on the ball of my foot in a place I haven't had one before. I see the doc again in two weeks and need to find out about that.

OK, I'm done for now. Since the Easter Bunny hasn't been here, I guess I'll have to hit the after-Easter sales tomorrow.