Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 62

My Brave Maggie

It’s just that kind of week. You all know about Wizard’s minor car accident this weekend.  (Wizard is fine–no one was hurt) So we’ve been knee deep in insurance stuff and figuring out how to get repairs organized, and how to rearrange things when we’re down to one car for a while. Then late Monday afternoon, we noticed Maggie was “off.” By 5 or 6, we realized she had a problem on her hind end. Most dog owners know this one Dogs have glands back there that can fill and have to be expressed by someone who knows what they’re doing.

But by 9 o’clock that night, she was panting, pacing and biting herself in discomfort. All I had to give her was Benadryl, and two careful doses later, she was able to relax enough to go in her kennel and either rest or sleep.

The next morning, I saw a lump on her hind end and knew that wasn’t good. I took her for a short walk–only because it would help her relieve herself. She tried to go, and sure enough, the “lump” in that area broke open.

In other words, she had an infected abscess that burst.

As soon as her vet’s office opened, I called. They told me they had no appointments available until at least Saturday. I begged for help and they told me to call around and find another vet to see her. So I did. The very next vet I called worked her in immediately, and saw her by 9am. She confirmed that Maggie had an abscess that burst. The crazy thing is I heard Maggie yelp a little big when they had to treat her (it had to be done). And right after that, the vet said she was running around the back office, super friendly and wagging her tail. They said she’s a sweet girl despite being sick and in so much pain.

And that’s why I didn’t know Maggie was sick. She’s so sweet and brave, she just doesn’t show it until we’re at the serious stage. I love and appreciate her great attitude, I mean that. But I just wish she’d let me know when she’s in pain. It kills me that I let this get so far. But she will be okay. We have her on antibiotics and pain meds, treating her with warm compresses, and we’re watching her carefully. I will take her back to the vet that saw her in a week.

As for her normal vet. I love the doctor, and the techs. But there’s other stuff going on there, and I didn’t build a four year relationship with them to have them pull this when Maggie needs them. I understand they couldn’t get her into their schedule to see her yesterday, but they could have at the very least, suggested other vet’s to call, or given me the location of an emergency clinic to take her to. So I’m re-evaluating that situation.

I hope all of you are having a good day!

The post My Brave Maggie first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Weekend Roundup

My blog didn’t post as scheduled So I’m adding in here the little tidbit that Wizard came home from racing right after I wrote this, and he’d been sideswiped on the freeway. Wizard’s fine, but our Ford Edge is banged up. When I saw it, it gave me a chill. I could see where the guy turned into him, slid down the length then hit the edge of our bumper and pried it off a little. I am so grateful that didn’t cause Wizard to swerve into other traffic–remember this is the freeway where cars are going 70 miles an hour. It would have been bad, so while this is irritating, the important thing is Wizard (and others who could have been hurt) is fine. It also looks like the guy who hit him doesn’t have insurance as far as we can tell, but that’s why we have uninsured motorist.

Okay, if you’re still with me, here’s the blog I originally wrote:

So I might have a problem…

I made a fondant elephant. He turned out cute. Then I tried Eeyore…umm…I liked the ears, LOL. He’s a sad-looking Eeyore, but there are a few things I did well so I’ll call it a positive learning experience.

After that I remembered the leftover cakes in my freezer. And then I decided it’d be fun to just see what I might come up with using only what I had in the house. This is what I ended up with:

Even with all it’s flaws, I love this cake because it’s the first one I created with just a theme and using what I had on hand. So I molded some white chocolate, then made a few fondant cutouts, painted them, then did the cake from my head, not an image I’d seen. It was a lot of fun. The only think I forgot was to add some of the blue icing into my white so it would have blended more into an ombre. Otherwise, it’s what I was going for, just a fun, sea-themed cake.

In other news, my dress didn’t fit. I refused to waste time being sad, and ordered a different one.  I’ll return the ill-fitting dress this week.

This will sound silly, but in all my writing frustration, I stopped reading (although I continued to listen to audiobooks). By this weekend, I missed reading romance. I pulled up Silver Silence by Nalini Singh, started reading and enjoyed it. In fact, when I’m finished writing this blog, I’m going to read some more. I’d have sworn I read all her early Psy-Changeling books, but this one’s not ringing a bell, at least not yet. Anyway, this is baby steps, but I’m trying to recapture my commitment and passion for writing.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Friday Five

TGIF! I can’t believe it’s Friday again! Okay lets jump into sharing five random things around our week. Here’s mine:

I wrote a page yesterday in Primal Magic. One page and I’m okay with that.On Wednesday, Wizard made gook on his promise to Turbo and went to see him. Turbo was so happy to have Grandpa come so he could show him his Lego police cars that he forgot to bring on Monday. Wizard also brought him a new police car because obviously, Turbo can’t have too many of them.  They had such a good time together. I had to stay home and wait for a delivery, but I also wanted Wizard to have the one-on-one time. Turbo stayed home from preschool for a couple days for minor sniffles. They have very strict rules on illnesses at preschool, which is understandable.Most of you may have seen it on my FB, but I made a monkey out of fondant–it was actually my second attempt and a little better than my pig. I’m enjoying the challenge, and each time I figure out more about how to make 3D figures. Biker Witch asked me to try making an Eeyore so I may give it a shot this weekend. I need a LOT of practice, LOL.I found a dress on Nordstrom’s Rack for a crazy good price ($39.00!) on Nordstrom’s Rack yesterday and ordered it. They only had one size left and it may be small, but it’s worth a try. This will be for my niece’s wedding in November. I sure as heck don’t want to go out and try on clothes again.I really, REALLY need to clean out my closet. A lot of my dresses have been shrunken by the closet trolls (or the cakes and cookies I may have eaten), but I’m having a hard time getting rid of them. Same with some shirts. I need to give up the dream that I will suddenly wake up young, skinny and able to wear everything in my closet. To my credit, I have gotten rid of most of my high heels.

That’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

What Do You Like To See On Social Media?

I was going to talk about writing, but I just don’t want to I am planning to show up at the computer today and see if something happens on the writing front, but that’s all I have to say about that subject right now.

Instead, let’s talk about what YOU enjoy on social media.

For me, I love posts about people’s lives and hobbies, their kids, grandkids and animals, plus sites about cake decorating (my current obsession) and any positive, fun post.  I enjoy author’s posts about their work and characters too. But I’ve long fallen out of habit of posting, and I’m kind of lost.

So what do you enjoy on social media?

The post What Do You Like To See On Social Media? first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Happy Labor Day + Weekend Roundup

To all those celebrating in the U.S. Happy Labor Day! I hope all who have the day off enjoy it with those you love. Today, CPA Boy, Special K and Turbo are coming over to swim. Youngest will come by too. Middle is camping with his wife and friends.

My weekend was good. Saturday I went to Special Ks and she drove to my niece’s bridal shower. That was lovely. My niece is a sweet, smart and accomplished young woman marrying a wonderful man. I’m looking forward to their wedding in November. I also really appreciate Special K “taking” me so I didn’t have to navigate to an area I’m unfamiliar with. I’m perfectly capable of getting myself where ever I need to go, but I was happy I didn’t need to do it Plus I love being able to hang out with Special K.

I also got to see Turbo for a few minutes and he carefully showed me every detail of the Lego police car he built with his dad. I don’t know why this made me happy, it just did. It’s the small moments sometimes. Uncaring of my heels and dress, I crouched down to examine this very important Lego police car because my grandson is very proud of it.  And of course, we had to see how fast it goes and discuss how many bad guys the police car can catch. FYI the answer is–all the bad guys

Sunday Wizard was off racing with his friends, so I did errands, and tried making a fondant pig. Um…well…okay, I tried and that counts right?

It’s okay to laugh! I’m learning. One thing I discovered is my cheap plastic fondant tools suck, LOL. That’s okay, I planned to buy good ones if I enjoy it. Each brand of fondant is different, and I’m learning how to get the consistency right, how to add Tylose powder so it will stiff and dry firm, and how long I have to form things before it begins to dry and crack. Plus I’ve never ever made 3D figures so there’s that. I’ll get better.

I also made the dough and formed chocolate peanut butter stuffed chocolate chip cookie and froze the dough balls. I’ll bake those in the morning. It may sound weird, but they bake better frozen.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

The post Happy Labor Day + Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Friday Five

TGIF!!! I hope everyone is safe from the weather ravaging parts of the country! That flooding is so scary. Shifting topics, lets jump into sharing five random things about our week.

I’ll probably talk about writing, or lack of it, next week. Maybe.Some good news. Wizard’s MRI and CT scans of his back came back with no new problems. We are so relieved. He has had chronic pain in his feet from his back, which was the original reason he was seeing the surgeon. He needs to do one more test, and then discuss options to control the pain. But overall the news is good. His back has been feeling better for two weeks so whatever happened to cause that bout of spasms and pain healed up.Monday, I ran all over looking for a dress for my niece’s wedding shower this Saturday. I tried TJ Maxx, Nordstrom’s Rack and in desperation, another mall. FAIL, and a wasted day. I finally ordered two dresses from Amazon and if one fits, yay. If not, I can wear some black pants in my closet then go have a good time.Oldest son video called one night and I was in the middle of yoga. He got a view of me sweaty–but I wanted to talk to Turbo, so too bad.  The next night he called to ask me something, but I was trying to figure out how to make a fondant rose so he and Wizard talked. The third night he called to ask me the question and I was painting the edges of a fondant rose in gold lust dust. He laughed and said, “You and dad are living the dream.” I suspect that deep in my kid’s hearts, they think we are sitting by the phone in case one of them calls…and it’s a shock every time they realize we are actually living out lives. By the way, he rarely calls three days in a row like that. It was just the way it worked out.Sunday, Oldest and Turbo might come over (that was the question he was trying to ask), but if they don’t, I’m going to try making a cute pig out of fondant. Since I can’t draw or paint or sculpt and have zero art skills, I’m think this should go well…lolol! If I can’t do it, that’s what molds are for. But I wanted to try.

That’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Is Laughter Romantic?

Yesterday at lunch, Wizard and I were talking. I honestly can’t recall what we were discussing, but I can pretty much guarantee sarcasm was involved. Around here, sarcasm is a second language.

But what I can recall was that Wizard was taking a drink of water when I said something and he laughed, then choked (mildly) while still laughing.

It made me feel AMAZING. And later, I thought–wow were about a year and a half away from four decades of marriage, and I still get that glow when I make Wizard laugh. Or he makes me laugh.

We aren’t the most romantic couple with huge gestures, flowers and sexy vacations. But we can make each other laugh, and in the long run, I think that is the best kind of romance…and the most lasting.

The post Is Laughter Romantic? first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Weekend Roundup

The weekend was a blur. Saturday we went to the memorial service for Wizard’s friend, which was a lovely tribute to man loved by his family and friends. It was both sad and uplifting.

We came home to discover a fire in at the base of the Cleveland National Forest (the same forest that’s a block away from us) about 10 miles away, but it looks like we’ll be ok. However that fire burned hot and fast, and I’m not even sure if any homes were lost or not. News like the hurricane pounding Louisiana is happening so fast and I’m running around so much, I can’t quite catch my breath. I’ll catch up today.

Sunday, I met Biker Witch for lunch at the mall, then we shopped. I tried on a ridiculous amount of clothes, and only bought one nice shirt and one everyday shirt. But it’s a start. What happened is that on Saturday, I couldn’t wear a dress like I normally would because my legs are really a mess from the endless mosquito bites. I don’t have much in the way of nice pants or even shoes–these days, I pretty much have jeans, shorts, t-shirts, running shoes and flip flops. I really need to up my game so I’m working on getting few dressier outfits, a new dress or two because mine are really old, and a couple pairs of shoes. It might be a dream, but a girl can try

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Friday Five

TGIF! Well this week totally got away from me. I don’t know how I leapfrogged from Monday to Friday Okay. let’s jump into sharing five random things about our week.

A little while ago, Wizard got some mosquito bites and I teased him about being a baby. I had two and they were annoying, but not whine-worthy. You all know where this is going right? I must have stepped in a nest of the blood sucking vipers. I’ve have ugly welts, and a few are on my heel so wearing shoes to walk Maggie is agony. One turned into what looks like a blood blister from walking her. It’s insane, and keeping me awake. Honestly, Wizard’s not fairing much better. I’m guessing it’s the unusual humidity we had this year? I dunno, but they’ve turned me into a whiner! I’m really sorry for teasing Wizard now. Really. Really. Sorry.Maggie is once again all legal! I got her dog license done for three more years. Oddly, Maggie didn’t seem particularly excited about it.I went to Walmart just to three ring binder. They didn’t have the three ring binder and yet, I came home $52.00 dollars poorer. HOW????This week vanished into thin air, but today I’m going to try to write. I have taken a giant step back to give my creative side some space to, well, get creative and excited.Tomorrow Wizard and I are going to a memorial service for a friend of his. Sunday I’m seeing Biker Witch. No cakes this weekend unless plans change.

So that’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.

Who Else Loves Dogs in Books?

I know, I know, according to a lot of romance novels I’ve read, I should really be into shoes. I’m not. When I see a pair of designer shoes, I think of pain–both to my wallet and my feet When heroines obsess about shoes, I’m skim reading.

But introduce a dog and I’m there for it! I want to get to know the pup. I love it if they’re quirky, serious, bad tempered…I don’t care, I’ll read it. Dogs often steal the scenes for me.

And dogs help me decide if the man character are really heroes and heroines, or a DNF (Do Not Finish). I won’t read a book featuring a hero or heroine who doesn’t take care of animals (excluding rom coms where one character starts the book ignorant and swiftly learns–those amuse me).

I like cats, horses and other animals too.

What about you?

The post Who Else Loves Dogs in Books? first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.