First with the unpleasant, and then on to some more positive, hopefully comical blogging!
Back in October, I got some bad news on my health. I was diagnosed with Stage IV Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer of the lymph nodes, and in my case, bone marrow) In my opinion, I think everyone has their own health issues - serious or not - and for the most part, they should be just that. Their own. I initially chose not to discuss this with anyone except IMMEDIATE family for many reasons which don't really matter now, because here I am telling you. It became clear after I started my treatment, that I wasn't going to be able to keep what I was going through to myself. For one thing, I've lost my hair despite being told that wouldn't happen with this type of treatment. Since my name is not Brittney, I figured that would warrant some explanation.... Also, I would never have guessed the amount of time spent on consults, tests, surgeries, recovering, more tests, and then the awful waiting for all the results.... repeat. The good thing, though, about spilling the beans is all the support I've received. Cards, and emails, hugs, good wishes, and even food from family, friends, and folks that I haven't talked to in years. To anyone who is reading, if you're one of those people who have reached out to me, Thank you so much. It has helped immensely to get through some of the "not so good" days!
Now, on to brighter and better things!
In early November, I think, we made the decision that we could all benefit from a vacation over the holidays. So, no matter what it took, we (Chris, mostly) decided to make that happen. One of the challenges we faced was - as usual - Raul, our dog. I seriously love him, he is my buddy, and a very very good dog for the most part. With that being said, I've got to bring some of his more negative attributes to your attention for you to fully understand what we were up against. He turns into a drooling, glassy-eyed, lip quivering, humping, idiot when around ANY other animals. He is also nearly uncontainable while in this state; monkey barking, scratching, and generally just intolerable. you can imagine what a 9 day stint in a kennel is like for him, and the staff.... We've tried everything to make him stop, but this has just gotten progressively worse over the years. So during the pre-vacation trip to the vet, Chris & Dr. Joe decided that maybe neutering an 11 year old dog with a history of self mutilation under stress was a good solution. I, in a weak moment, agreed. Those of you who know that Raul once chewed off his own tail in a fit of itchy frustration and stress can probably guess how this turned out....Dudes, it was not pretty. Here's the proof:
Poor Rowie :( The good news is, he did finally heal (took about a month or so) and now he is a fat, lazy dog who is marginally better in the drippy, drooly, humpy department. The full effects of robbing his, well, manliness have not properly been tested, though.
In keeping with the Florida vacation schedule, we had an early Christmas here at home with Santa making his appearance on the 20th. Schlepping presents to Florida in luggage ( at $15 dollars per check on bag ) just didn't seem like a good idea. It was a nice day, and lended proof to my theory that any day is special if you make it so. It didn't need to be Dec 25 for us to celebrate our meaning of Christmas. Here are a few more pics ...
December 21 was Yule, or the Winter Solstice. Chris and I try to do something special on this day every year, as it marks the coming of longer days and shorter nights. Spring is on it's way, and in Michigan, this is definitely cause for celebration! This year our festivities were a bit abbreviated, though, as neither one of us had packed yet, and there was much running around to do. We did conquer and divide. I did the running and packing, and he took down ALL the Christmas decorations. I don't think I ever properly thanked him, but I think that was one of the best Christmas treats I got! Not having to come home to so much to clean up and put away"Christmas" after a vacation was so nice....
Next up, DISNEY WORLD!
Stay tuned..............
