A Clean Vehicle to Drive to Birmingham in

I went out today and cleaned the car. It hadn't been vacuumed for awhile and the windows needed washing. Now all it needs is a carwash and it should be good to go. The windows may need a once over but I won't know for sure until I get driving in the dark or bright sunlight.

Tom had his teeth cleaned today. His original appointment in January had to be canceled due to his hip injury. All went well and he doesn't have to go back until November.

I didn't get my walk in today because of thunderstorms but will do a good run tomorrow. I signed up to run in the All Women's Twilight 5K on June 3rd at 7PM. I have already raised $340.toward my goal of $1,000. Hopefully, I will make my goal. The link to donate is http://tfac5K.kintera.org/sophieschoice.

Got up early

We got up early today (8:15) as Andrea, Tom's caseworker, called to see how he was. I guess 8:15 is late for some people but to us it is the equivalent of 5AM. LOL. I have yet to see Morning Joe (Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinininski {those Polish names get me every time}). It comes on from 5 to 8AM here, way too early for me!

This is Melanie and her new dog, Cooper. He is fast becoming one of Sophie's pack. He is 5YO and much more settled than Soph so she will drive him nuts for sure. Melanie and Basil rescued Cooper from Harvest Hills Animal Shelter in Fryeburg, ME. They lost their other dog, Max, to bone cancer. Max was a hoot. He had multiple personalities and you never knew which one you'd encounter. He lived more than a year and a half longer than the vet said he would and maintained a pretty good life.

Harvest Hills is supported, in part, by a thrift shop they run and donations. If you Google Harvest Hills, Fryeburg, ME, you can see who is in residence.

Cooper is a good addition to our neighborhood, which includes Sophie and Molly (the wild women) and various other cats and dogs. I am anxious to see them all......

Yard work and Goodwill treasures

Today, Tom and I went to Burger King for junkfood before I bought 4 pair of shorts at Goodwill in Springfield, FL for $14. What a find! All were in new condition, three were Jones New York and one was Geoffrey Been (sp). And I also found a book by Barbara Bush for Tom to read.

As usual, I went for my walk/run and waved to everyone who drove by. Saw my friend, the red Siberian Huskie with the beautiful white eyes. She is so calm and never barks at me.

I also put black mulch down along the garage around the plants, etc; it looks so much better now. And Tom did something he hasn't done for a long time. He walked around the yard without his walker. He blew the leaves from the walkway all by himself. It was quite an accomplishment for him. He says he is a little sore but feels really good about being able to do it.

We just ate sandwiches for supper and are now watching CSI New York.

We begin the countdown

Got notification from University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital today regarding Tom's catheterization schedule and heart surgery. He will be coming off all blood thinners on Wednesday in preparation for the procedures. It looks as though it is going to take place this time.

Brenda will be coming on Saturday and we will make the trek to Birmingham on Sunday. Tom is anxious to get this behind him as are we. He has agreed to come back to Maine with me to recuperate. He is such a social person and has a string of visitors who visit. I had to promise that I'd get a social circle going for him in Maine.

He will be eating a lot of high iron foods this week to thicken his blood. We don't want any delays in Birmingham, although there are medications available to thicken his blood if necessary.

We are just relaxing tonight after a good meal of pot roast, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red potatoes. Popsicles for me, of course. I made chocolate chip cookies for Tom.

Sophie and her two moms

This was Sophie's last day with her pack and her breeder, the late Marion Hopkins. Marion was a great breeder of Irish Water Spaniels, having bred them since 1960. She actually picked out Sophie for us and she was right on. Marion protected the breed's lineage by not overbreeding. She was a true lover of the IWS and we were fortunate to have found her in Bradford, NH, so close to our home. People came from all over the world to adopt one of the 10 puppies in her last litter. Sophie couldn't have had a better start in life than Marion and her daughter, Pam, provided.

Marion passed away peacefully this past winter at the age of 94 (?). RIP Marion and thank you.

Becky and her Dancing Bears

Went to Mass this AM. Father George told me today he was sending me an application for membership to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Panama City.....I have been one of the longest visitors to the parish. It is a vibrant community of friendly people who have made me feel wanted and welcome. The good thing about Father George is that he is Polish, has a wicked accent and I have to really pay attention to his homilies. No sleeping on his watch or I will miss the gist of it LOL.

Tom and I went to Pier Park on the Beach and the buildings are many different (and georgeous) colors; only in Florida. It sort of reminded me of Seaside (the community that was featured in the "Truman Show"). Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Restaurant in in Pier Park. Very impressive.

We went to eat at Outback Steakhouse on 23rd St. Tom had their signature steak and I had French Onion Soup and Grilled Chicken with barbecue sauce and summer veggies. Of course, I had lots of unsweetened ice tea. From the restaurant, we went to visit Harriett and Tom, Tom's sister-in-law and brother-in -law. I helped Harriett to order some Tony Stewart t-shirts for their son, Michael.

Now we are home for the night and plan to watch the last disc of Band of Brothers. It has been a good series. I finished Tom Friedman's The World is Flat (finally!) Now I am on to a biography of Tom Brokaw.

Tom's New Azalea

Here is the Azalea Tom and I picked out for his walkway. It will fill in the area between the hydrangea and the palm tree. It is an Encore Azalea that should be three feet tall and three feet in circumference. It is an Azalea that will bloom nine months of the year. This picture doesn't do justice as it is a very pretty peachy pink color. Now we have to get some cedar chips or something to finish it off......

Tom's clean porch

This is Tom's porch. It was pretty dirty and the chairs were all broken. We went to Lowe's to get a dwarf Azalea and then we stopped by Ace Hardware to get the pastel Adirondack chairs. After vacuuming the porch and dusting, now we can actually use it. It is much more inviting and Tom can entertain his buddies when they come to visit. All it took was three new chairs and a little elbow grease (I did discover he needs a new vacuum but that is for another day). :-)

Sophie and Paul

This is Sophie's dad. In keeping with the chair that she thinks is hers, look where she is. She hates it when Paul sits there and she pounces on him.

Sophie was a good addition to our family.

I have never had a dog from birth on and it has been a treat. Sophie came home with us in late August, the day after her mother went home with her human. She left behind her siblings (there were nine of them) and I held her all the way home (about 70 miles). She cried and cried and just as we crossed the Maine border, she glanced up at me and a look came over her that seemed to say, "I guess you're my pack now." That was all it took. Sophie was crate trained but cried that first night as all puppies do. She has been fantastic since then. House training was a breeze; the only mistakes she had was when her humans failed to interpret her signals. I guess it could be said that she trained her humans well. I miss her....

Chris, another of Sophie's pack

This is another of Sophie's humans. Chris, our oldest son, is sitting in the chair that causes great consternation for Sophie. Every time someone sits in this chair, she thinks she should be in it too. He doesn't let her sit in his lap usually. But she's allowed to sleep on his bed at night. Chris regales us with her antics (he calls them doggy dreams) when her paws start running and she is kicking him. Sophie is a fortunate dog to have so many people who love her.........

Sophie and one of her "pack"

This is the only person in Sophie's circle who always warrants a hug from her. And by hug, I mean a real human hug. One paw on each side of the neck. Dan is her best buddy whenever he is around. It is a true symbiotic relationship......
I didn't get out for a walk until 3PM today and what a walk it was. 80 degrees with no humidity and a nice breeze. I walked in my Birkenstocks instead of sneakers. My walk is about three miles and I wave at everyone I see. Usually, about 95% return my wave. My time in Florida has been pleasant for the most part. There hasn't been a day that I haven't been able to walk; any rain has held off until I was home again. There is a beautiful red Siberian Husky (with those white eyes) who welcomes me almost every day on Yellow Bluff Road. I sorta get my my puppy "fix" whenever I see her. I miss Sophie though.

We are sitting here eating breakfast. Tom is reading the newspaper and I am watching "The Price is Right" and writing this. If I ever get out to California, I want to go on the show. It is my favorite daytime show of all time.....

Paul just called. He and Chris are heading home after getting haircuts. Sophie is home alone. She is a dog who can be left alone and doesn't get into things. Of course, I will never say never. But so far she just lays by the back door and waits for her humans.

She went out today to do her business and stood at the end of the driveway looking at Molly's (her doggy buddy) waiting for signs of life. Paul said she stayed there for fifteen minutes like a statue. I miss her. She is such a personality.

Enjoy the video.

Sophie serenading her humans

This is Sophie singing for us. She is a treat to be around.....it is as though she is human. She understands so much. I really miss her.

Sophie's looking for her human

Tom and I went to Fiji's Japanese Buffet for supper and what a meal! I don't think I have ever had such a good meal at an oriental restaurant. The waitress waited until I was done to suggest that I try the Hibachi (which is veggies and meat cooked on a hibachi in front of us). I am going to have to walk, run and do aerobics to work that meal off.

Paul called me to say MLM wants him to do a Floe Dock for them. It will be a good deal for both he and Dan. Dan has gotten some summer work lined up in Raymond so it appears that it will be busy summer for all.

When I get back to Maine, I intend to use my kayak on Sebago this summer. And we will be out on the Sea Ray as well. The last two summers have been washouts. This summer will be awesome.

This picture of Sophie is one of my favorites. She is checking out the wildlife in the backyard. I'd like to think she is looking for me (LOL).

This is our "princess", Sophie, lounging on the livingroom floor. She is the best friend we could have. Not only is she company for Paul while I'm in Florida, she is a clown. In keeping with her Water Spaniel genes, she loves the water and the mud and the slime. She thinks nothing of going for a swim in the filthiest of water and then shaking off right next to Paul!
Every time our son, Dan, comes for a visit, she meets him at the door and gives him a hug. Seriously, she hugs him and he is the only one she does it to. I have never had a dog from puppyhood on but she has brought great joy to my life. I hear of her escapades daily from Paul and look forward to seeing her again. I will add the video of her singing later in the day. As always, RST.

The end of another beautiful day

Here we sit in beautiful Panama City after a whirlwind day. Tom and I arose at 7AM to get ready to visit The Hombre, Tom's employer. Of course, he hasn't been there since the day he broke his hip in January. He was very excited to be going back if only for a visit. We went to the Waffle Shoppe on 23rd Street for waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. We needed all the energy possible to visit with his co-workers, who are also his social circle. It was a blast driving a real expensive golf cart all around The Hombre. The one at my old job pales in comparison. We also went into the pro shop and I found a beautiful sleeveless shirt and a pair of golf socks. However, the closest they'll come to golfing is when I walk past Tom's clubs as I go out for my daily walk!
We went to visit another friend, Joanne, who lost her husband, Charlie, to lung cancer this year. Her home is on the golf course and has a pool just off the livingroom. She has a 17 YO orange cat who looks like she put her paw in a light socket.
When we returned home, both of us began to read our books (Tom a Tom Brokaw bio and me Tom Friedman's The World is Flat) and ended up falling asleep. Getting up earlier than 9AM takes a lot out of us old farts (LOL).
Tom's CNA came for her visit and I helped her find a good biography of Bill Clinton so her son could do a school report on him. I don't think many people realize Bill was our first black president. I am fortunate to have a cheap printer attached to my laptop.
She left at 4PM just as Florida Pest Control came to respray the lawn because here in Florida, people pay to have their lawns de-weeded. In Maine, we just wait for winter and the weeds die....I miss my dog, Sophie. That is why I named this blog after her. Don't get me wrong, I also miss my husband and kids but they understand where I am. Sophie doesn't and I am afraid she'll forget me. Sophie is a beautiful Irish Water Spaniel and is a clown extraordinaire. If I can figure our how to post pics, I will put some on here.