DD 11/30

It’s Saturday, feels like Monday, looks like the frost is becoming a regular occurrence!

Here’s a brain dump for you this morning!  May as well share the conundrums, processes and strategies with people who have the opportunity to stop reading and find something else to do!🤣

We’re working with Irie on a twice daily program.  She’s our rather over weight, palomino colored pony.  We rescued her a couple of years ago with no idea about her history.  We noticed her in one of the auction pens looking very agitated and completely lost.  This is not unusual but she seemed to lack the ability to get out of the way of the jostling of the other animals.  On entering the pen to check hip numbers and suitability of the animals contained within, it became apparent that she was of limited sight and had a protector in the form of a very small, determined mule.  To get to her, we needed to get past the mule and we do, contrary to appearances, have a healthy regard for our safety!  We resorted to eyeballing her. We ran through a basic observation , from a distance!

Feet - looked reasonable.

Body condition - poor, filthy, excessive number of burrs knotted through her main and tail.

Temperament - impossible to tell under current circumstances.

Vet concerns - sight issues unknown, cause of loss of sight and potential removal of one or both eyes.  

Rescue risk level - high unless a bidder was interested in a backyard ornament.  If no interest on the auction floor, we would bid.

Impact on ERN - high potential she would stay in sanctuary which impacts space for rescue, feed, vet and hay bills.  These known issues are factored in to our decision making.

The auction started, lots of noise, movement and animals in a high octane environment.  Irie was driven into the ring with all of the animals from her pen.  There was no individual handling.  The bidders bid up to the highest offer, then identified the animal that they wanted to purchase from the hip tag.  The purchase price drops every time an animal is bought.  It quickly became apparent that there was little interest in Irie.  Her mule companion was sold.  We needed a companion animal for her and identified a small donkey.  The prices came down to rescue prices.  Still no interest in Irie.  She did not present well in the ring.  How could she?  Bidding slowed down so we decided to enter the fray.  Janine raised our bid card and we waited to see if anyone would bid us up.  No takers.  We were given our choice of hip tags.  We chose Irie and the mini donkey.  These purchases signaled the end of the easy part of the rescue!

If you have time and the inclination, we can take a wander through our experiences after we took on responsibility for Irie and her donkey companion?

Carlene is doing well although she might disagree.  She has discovered muscles that haven’t been used in a while and she says she is aching in places she never imagined!  That can only be a good thing!

DD 11/29

Another Thanksgiving achieved!  Happy Black Friday to you!  I’m pretty sure Black Friday will mean something very different to you than it does to us.  

Our version involves paddocks and copious amounts of rain!  Ours is costly in many different ways!  Horse shoes have a habit of being sucked off hooves, hay gets wet and dirty because, try as you might some animals just love emptying hay bags!  Chores become a far more time consuming and arduous task.  Wheelbarrow wheels disappear in deep, odious muddy channels.  Thank goodness we’re all over a certain height because I’m sure we’d loose people if they were shorter!  Equines appear to regard mud as a beautifying wonder application for all over body, head and ear use.  This results in very fine airborne particles when the coating actually dries out enough to be brushed out.  We train our equines to accept the shop vac both around the barn and as a grooming tool!

This job is not for the faint of heart, poor weather adverse individuals, schedule orientated persons with a need for a steady eight hours sleep, preferably during night time hours!  This is for the extreme animal lover, outside of the box thinker, ‘drop everything for the herds’ individual.  An ability to disregard the schedule, find another way, go the whole distance and beyond with a healthy ‘devil may care’ attitude to sleep, manicures, helmet/hat hair and finding a pair of boots/shoes that don’t smell of manure is not just required, it’s a necessity.  Not that I’m saying our volunteers are smelly and disheveled but I do know that Janine and I have been out in the civilized world and had to check in with each other regarding the ‘smell-o’ level of our smart (clean) boots!

Let’s just put it out there, the pay is beyond dismal.  The rewards, for the right person, are beyond one’s wildest imagination.  We tick the boxes for contentment, happiness, worthwhile connections, respect with a healthy dose of seeking to bring the best out of our rescues while accommodating them to the highest standards.  We are beyond fortunate to have a volunteer base that brings dedication, calmness, love and a sense of humor.  They have barn clothes, brushes, imagination and grit.  Probably best to decline arm wrestling with a GF volunteer unless you’ve been in training for years!  This groups of people have a common bond, very different skills and have meshed together into a cohesive band of friends.  We are beyond grateful and extremely lucky.

Finally, as Goldy’s Farm, Janine and I deploy the strategy that we keep our herds and flocks to a level that, in an emergency, she and I could manage to maintain to a safe and happy standard, by ourselves over a sustained amount of time. Our team currently care for, five large horses, four mini horses, one draft mule, ten donkeys,  two mini mules, two zebu, nine goats, three dogs, two alpacas, ten sheep, two rabbits, and a flock of chickens that don’t stay still long enough to count!  Wish us luck and no emergencies in our future!

DD 11/28

Good Morning!  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  We have so much to be thankful for and look forward to sharing with all of Goldy’s Farm.

I took a quick look at the chats this morning to test the temperature!  There’s clearly been some upset which I will tackle privately because I am hurt and concerned on behalf of the poster.  Before I get to that, Goldy’s would like to celebrate the people who create the community.  We all know about our animals and volunteers, our vet, farriers and support people.  What Goldy’s has in abundance is a very unique set of supporters who have carved out niches within the community. Personality abounds, differences aired and resolutions sought.  This approach and input allows for differences of opinion, demands accountability, celebrates success and commiserates when tough times come a calling.  In essence, we all experience what it is to be part of Goldy’s Farm, the good, the bad, the indifferent and the down right obnoxious!  We have all created our own little microcosm where we can engage with others and, hopefully, feel at home!  Some dip in and out, others are regular visitors and some are mainstays.  This is the beauty of accepting that life has ebbs and flows and there is no pressure to be in attendance at a given hour, on a given day for a given amount of time!  Unless you’re working hands on with the animals, they are far less forgiving regarding input time, especially of the food variety!

We have so many people who have naturally created a roll within Goldy’s that, if stripped away, we would struggle to maintain the very community that we hold so dear.  I will not name people because there are so many behind the scenes who spend so much time supporting via email with suggestions, comments and information.  I also would prefer not to cause offense by inadvertently leaving a name out!  On the surface we are held together by our phenomenal information collator, our daily happenings are shared for all by our wonderful and tireless people who have the skills to record and display the daily happenings.  These skills so freely given help keep the community together, involved and thriving.  We cannot thank you enough.

We all have a role to play that can be as simple as being a silent observer, sending a text or commenting regarding a concern.  There’s the people who greet each other at the start and end of the day, such a lovely connection. People choose their level of involvement to suit their personality and lifestyle.  This is the community that you have created, it’s expanding on a daily basis and all at the business end of Goldy’s appreciate and applaud your network of Goldy’s Warriors.

In short, we couldn’t do it without you!  Now you’re wondering why I couldn’t just have said this a few hundred words ago!

Thank you, onwards and upwards with positivity, humor and determination!

Please note, I did not discuss the financial commitment people so generously make to keep Goldy’s moving.  This is greatly appreciated but we wanted to highlight that Goldy’s is a community and a collection of wonderful people who help create our personality and originality!

DD 11/27

What a wonderful Wednesday morning we have here on the farm.  The skies are bright, the rain is holding off until tomorrow and there’s a light coating of frost on the ground.  I will say Janine’s Airstream does look very pretty with a touch of frosting.  I’m sure Janine will disagree!

Carlene, Janine and I were discussing Thanksgiving dinner last night.  It became apparent that the only one going through the rigmarole of brining, basting and roasting was the Scottish contingent.  Scotland doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving let alone have traditional dishes or recipes passed down through generations!  In fact the most traditional dish for a truly Scottish celebration is haggis, neeps and tatties.  Haggis is considered a dangerous substance and cannot travel internationally and stuffing a sheep stomach with an aromatic mixture of barley, offal, herbs and spices is beyond my capabilities.  Just a touch!  This leaves us with the traditional turkey.  Our policy has always been to absorb and observe the traditions of the country where we are living.  Although this does make for an interesting 4th of July given it’s in celebration of getting rid of the British!

In order to celebrate Thanksgiving in the tradition fashion we deploy our Christmas dinner protocol.  Who doesn’t love Christmas dinner twice in the matter of a month?  The cook!  Anyway we will be making turkey dinner along with the majority of the country and sharing with Janine and Carlene.  Although Carlene did say that the only part of turkey that she likes is the little oval bit which I seem to remember is called the oyster?

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday because it focuses on the positives in life and reminds us just how fortunate we are.  In the same way we are encouraged to look for the helpers, we can always find positives if we choose to identify them.

Given all the set backs and negatives in life, we created Goldy’s Farm to be a welcoming and uplifting place.  An environment of hope, understanding and unity for the animals, volunteers and visitors that we like to take on the road to share our mission with those that can’t come to us.  Our farm community is supported by our virtual community both old and new and together we forge forward with thanks, companionship and tremendous thankfulness.  We are eternally thankful to you all and exceptionally excited for Goldy’s future.  Thank you.

Now all we need is Carlene to get on the program, get to work and the month will fly by!  I’ve seen the PT room.  It’s enormous and looks like lots of fun!

With fondest wishes and gratitude,

All at Goldy’s Farm, biped and quadriped! 

DD 11/26

Typical, we’ve hit a snag early on in proceedings.  SWMBO is out of power!  The charging cable appears not to be in her possession!

Anyway, we’ll just push on with Tuesday in our own way!

Let’s look at the months of December and January through the eyes of Carlene and Janine as we plan, amend plans, assess, re-assess……..  I’m sure you can imagine the situation!  It would  be helpful to have an idea as to the current state of the laundry but that is not to be.  On the upside, when has a mere trifle like the dimensions, structure and repair needs of a building ever held us back?  More importantly is melding Carlene’s visions with Janine’s.  One favors getting in there, rolling equipment down the hill and living, the other wants a purpose developed environment that functions to the best of its ability with no duct tape or bailing twine in sight.  Now the skill here is to marry both sets of needs!

Carlene’s task for the moment is to get her plans on paper for review and development.  She also desperately needs to be giving rehab her full attention because it’s imperative that she is as strong as possible to be as mobile and comfortable as she can in her new environment.  If there’s anyone who can do this, it is Carlene!

Over to the on the farm plans!  

We need the floors completed.  Epoxy is Carlene’s surface of choice.  The bathroom facilities need to be easy access with good working space.  Accommodation for a walker or wheelchair future proofs Carlene’s care at home.  Her wish is to be at home so we are duty bound to prepare for this as best we can. 

Carlene appears to be reversing her stance on cooking so we will need a stove!  Her kitchen requires ease of access so along a wall suits better than a dedicated square shaped U!  We happen to have kitchen units aplenty so we have that covered!

Her personal laundry machines are awaiting transfer to the laundry building where they will slot in to the existing plumbing!  Sounds good in planning, I’m sure reality will challenge us accordingly! 

Carlene will have a bedroom but I’m sure it will suffer the same fate as her current bedroom!  Her bed of choice is her recliner.  Easy in, easy out, comfortable and snuggly with her electric throws.

Heating is always a concern.  The split system will need to be cleaned to ensure it is mold and dust free.  Her pellet stove will be fitted to ensure maximum warmth - it is set at 90 degrees!  We will have space to store the pellets outside of her home which will allow us to order larger quantities to ensure that she is living in a tropical paradise when outside is a frozen tundra!

Currently the facing side of the building looking over at the T and G Tents is a garage door.  Not the most esthetically pleasing or heat retaining.  We plan to have glazed doors replace the rolling door.  This will allow Carlene to have unrestricted access to the great outdoors.  Janine assures me that Carlene will not drive her golf cart straight in to her living room and transfer herself from the cart to the recliner……..  

Most importantly, Carlene will have a dedicated space where the dogs can access outside space when they choose and be back inside with Carlene where they’re happy and contented.

Anyway, lots of ifs and buts, hard work and excitement.

We can’t wait to get at it and create what Carlene needs going forward and beyond.

Can’t imagine we will have much to do in January……..

Just heard from SWMBO and she is arguing with her walker and the biggest, heaviest door she has ever seen!  Sounds like she’s on track and on a mission!  Excellent news!

dd 11/26

Typical, we’ve hit a snag early on in proceedings.  SWMBO is out of power!  The charging cable appears not to be in her possession!

Anyway, we’ll just push on with Tuesday in our own way!

Let’s look at the months of December and January through the eyes of Carlene and Janine as we plan, amend plans, assess, re-assess……..  I’m sure you can imagine the situation!  It would  be helpful to have an idea as to the current state of the laundry but that is not to be.  On the upside, when has a mere trifle like the dimensions, structure and repair needs of a building ever held us back?  More importantly is melding Carlene’s visions with Janine’s.  One favors getting in there, rolling equipment down the hill and living, the other wants a purpose developed environment that functions to the best of its ability with no duct tape or bailing twine in sight.  Now the skill here is to marry both sets of needs!

Carlene’s task for the moment is to get her plans on paper for review and development.  She also desperately needs to be giving rehab her full attention because it’s imperative that she is as strong as possible to be as mobile and comfortable as she can in her new environment.  If there’s anyone who can do this, it is Carlene!

Over to the on the farm plans!  

We need the floors completed.  Epoxy is Carlene’s surface of choice.  The bathroom facilities need to be easy access with good working space.  Accommodation for a walker or wheelchair future proofs Carlene’s care at home.  Her wish is to be at home so we are duty bound to prepare for this as best we can. 

Carlene appears to be reversing her stance on cooking so we will need a stove!  Her kitchen requires ease of access so along a wall suits better than a dedicated square shaped U!  We happen to have kitchen units aplenty so we have that covered!

Her personal laundry machines are awaiting transfer to the laundry building where they will slot in to the existing plumbing!  Sounds good in planning, I’m sure reality will challenge us accordingly! 

Carlene will have a bedroom but I’m sure it will suffer the same fate as her current bedroom!  Her bed of choice is her recliner.  Easy in, easy out, comfortable and snuggly with her electric throws.

Heating is always a concern.  The split system will need to be cleaned to ensure it is mold and dust free.  Her pellet stove will be fitted to ensure maximum warmth - it is set at 90 degrees!  We will have space to store the pellets outside of her home which will allow us to order larger quantities to ensure that she is living in a tropical paradise when outside is a frozen tundra!

Currently the facing side of the building looking over at the T and G Tents is a garage door.  Not the most esthetically pleasing or heat retaining.  We plan to have glazed doors replace the rolling door.  This will allow Carlene to have unrestricted access to the great outdoors.  Janine assures me that Carlene will not drive her golf cart straight in to her living room and transfer herself from the cart to the recliner……..  

Most importantly, Carlene will have a dedicated space where the dogs can access outside space when they choose and be back inside with Carlene where they’re happy and contented.

Anyway, lots of ifs and buts, hard work and excitement.

We can’t wait to get at it and create what Carlene needs going forward and beyond.

Can’t imagine we will have much to do in January……..

Just heard from SWMBO and she is arguing with her walker and the biggest, heaviest door she has ever seen!  Sounds like she’s on track and on a mission!  Excellent news!

DD 11/25

Good Monday Morning!

I’ve just received my 5.18am morning missive from SWMBO.  I’m presuming everyone is familiar with the acronym?  Please ask for clarification if not!

Anyway, from the fingers of Carlene, her wacko thought of the morning (her words, not mine) are as follows….

The songs written by a guy Tom Lehrer, I believe he was from MIT and wrote some pretty damn clever words, some of them very true about today.

Well who am I not to rise to a challenge and take a wander down the path of musical satire?

On further investigation, I see exactly why Lehrer resonates with Carlene.  Not only are his lyrics humorous, exceptionally clever and set to show tune style music but he was also a mathematician and his analytical skills combine with his musical skill to create songs that are truly unique and memorable.

At the ripe age of 82, Lehrer was approached by the rapper 2 Chainz to request permission to sample his song, ‘The Old Dope Peddler’, on one of his rap songs.  The prevailing Lehrer responded such, ‘I grant you m************ permission to do this.  Please give my regards to Mr Chainz, or may I call him 2?’  I bet that amused and surprised the rapper.  Also provided a very important lesson in life, age is but a number that neither defines us, hold us back or renders us irrelevant!  It’s the body parts that haven’t received the memo!

Onwards and upwards with a touch of the circular route!

dd 11/23

 Ain't dead yet!  Still in pain.  Going to rehab for real this time!

 

1 20.

Elizabeth's telephone this morning promised rain today 88% and it also commented that there might be the first snow of the season that's according to Elizabeth's telephone and then tomorrow Friday it's 97% rain and it didn't say anything about the white stuff...

This morning's job is at hunt rehab... we go there on a fairly regular basis I I don't know whether it's weekly or biweekly or whatever but it's regular and the the staff are all repeats but the people in wheelchairs so it seems to vary on a daily basis so this morning I have someone to drive me and I've forgotten who and our appointment is at 10:00 there with the the dogs... however... that's pretty close to Middleton and they have in Middleton I am told in underground fire I've been hearing about this for about two weeks and lately Elizabeth has taken pictures of it's not just below ground although it seems to be traveling that way so after we get through hunt I wanna drive around Middleton and see whether I can figure out what's going on and is anybody paying attention and what do you do if it is underground.. I thought fires needed oxygen apparently it's making its own or something I don't know I do know about Centralia that city in Pennsylvania which is now totally devoid of population because of an underground fire in Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania I assumed it was coal that was burning I'm not aware of any coal in Middleton but I I do want to drive around and see what's going on if anything.

Jeanine is barreling northward with her new Airstream-- I hadn't thought about it but apparently airstreams are all bumper pull  somehow I had assumed with the size of it it would be a fifth wheel ... she has to stop in akin  to clean up the the trees that got knocked over in the last hurricane before she starts northward again but apparently she's totally enjoying the Airstream.

Here's the results of Fiona at the dressage competition in Paris she started out I think with one of our dogs I think Elvis maybe I had a picture of her crossing a stream stepping on the rocks ---not something often attempted by someone with her capabilities with our dog.. but then again she's gone on to dosage and done beautifully ---congratulations

 Dd

We have a huge bunch of shirts to be mailed out today  I shudder to think what the postage is going to be but they'll be in the mail

Because jeanine made the deal with the shirt guy with his unclaimed shirts we have a bit of an odd collection of sizes which we eventually will use but in the meantime if anybody wants a small by all means speak up and.

We have Brentwood daycare to do today and our planning down the drive at 9:15 yes that's right And Judy is gone for a quick run to the post office we'll see if she can get some of them in the mail the post the people at the post office hate to see us coming ohh she's back post office opens at 9:00 so that's OK OK so she's back. and I better get ready to go...

 

we'll have to forego any brilliant discussions feel I'm a little more alert

dd 11 18

Morning Carlene - 

As promised, here is a write up on our visit. Feel free to use as a Doggie Daily. I still owe you one for the newspaper - I will get it to you, I promise. Have a good day, Lisa Stevens

Carlene suggested I write up the trip my husband Bob and I recently made to the farm. Here goes…..

We arrived at the farm on a Sunday afternoon. Pulling into the driveway that first time was a surreal experience as one of the GW’s had told me it would be. Seeing firsthand what we have seen only on camera and read about in the DD made all the pieces fall into place. Bud was visiting Carlene as we entered her cabin so we started off with a bonus in meeting them both. Before long Elizabeth and Nick came in and we got a chance to meet them and make a plan for the following day. After a bit more conversation with Carlene, we wandered about the farm taking in the sights and sounds and meeting the animals. A lovely volunteer named Julie was there with her son and they had a few of the animals out for a munch on the grass by the swings.  We chatted with her and explained we were there to visit and I had been the lucky winner who named Angus. She was kind enough to bring him and Harley out for us to meet and I got a chance to give him some pats and cuddles. Later in the week I had a little talk with him about his bright future at the farm, about his name, and how special he was to so many.

The next day was Veteran’s Day and people in the community were out and about honoring America’s veterans so there was no Community Outreach job for Goldy’s Farm. We spent part of the day on the farm getting a more in depth overview from Elizabeth and then she took us to the Topsfield Co-op where we picked up some equine treats. I had been ordering Mare and Foal feed from here for Harley so it was nice to see it in person. From there she took us to Meredith for more overview, a meet and greet with the herd there and we handed out treats. We joined Carlene and Elizabeth for Mail Chat that evening and made plans to join the outreach visits for the next few days.

There were visits scheduled each day for the rest of the week and we went on 3 of 4 - each visit this week was with dogs only. We jumped right in helping pass out treats in frying pans and answering questions about the farm and the dogs. The first visit of the week also had Janine and Wanda join in. She had the crowd clapping and cheering at Wanda and Penny in the center of the circle doing roll overs.  Bob brought in the Yuppy Puppy and as Carlene got Larkey and Sizzle in a down stay, Penny operated the Yuppy Puppy (a repurposed gum ball machine mounted on a wooden frame) with her nose getting a handful of kibble with each nudge of the bone shaped handle. Larkey got a turn next and Sizzle decided she had had enough and was ready to go home. A version of this was repeated - except for the Yuppy Puppy - the next several days and at the end of the week smiles and joy had been provided to about 150 people. A job very well done!

I helped Carlene do Mail Chat the rest of the week giving Elizabeth some time to implement a new feeding program at Meredith a little earlier in the evening than if she had to be at MC too. Bob worked on finishing a wall in the new chicken house in anticipation of getting the chickens moved for winter. New, sturdy wire mesh was installed sandwiched between 2x4s top, bottom and sides along the bottom half of the outer wall. Plywood sheets are there to attach for the winter to keep snow from drifting in the bottom leaving the top exposed to air flow.  More work needs to be done before it’s ready, but we were happy to leave a permanent addition to the farm with what did get done.

The first day there I got a chance to dye monkey fists. Three pans of different dye colors were ready for me to dip, dye, then rinse and set to dry - about two dozen monkey fists in all. Another afternoon Carlene got the sous vide set up with a steak for her dinner - and one for Nick too. We settled on 130 degrees for an optimal doneness temperature and before MC that day, I did a quick sear on the steak. Carlene approved and said it was delicious! One last experience we needed to have was learning how to splice rope. After MC on Friday, Carlene tried to teach us how to splice the bits of rope left over from making monkey fists. While we didn’t quite get it, we got the idea. Carlene gave us some rope to take home and use as practice but unfortunately we left it in the cabin as we were saying our goodbyes and getting our coats on. We will find some rope at home and hopefully perfect the technique to make Carlene proud. 

 

We left the farm for the last time with hearts filled, bodies tired and with excitement for a visit again in the future as Goldy’s continues to transform into its new mission. 

Until then - Lisa and Bob Stevens

 

 

Dd 11 17.

I had a lot of people tell me about the clocks that tell you what day it is apparently my problem is not unique especially when you don't have to go to work ---work regulates your life in more ways than one..

Apparently Carly has a stomach bug so Elizabeth came and did the honors with my dogs and me... and notice my refrigerator doesn't really have any pickings in it... so she said when she gets through with Meredith we could address that problem.. a loaf of bread would be a start I could have peanut butter and Jelly for a long time... I did get fried clams yesterday and then I did enjoy them to a degree but I didn't really taste them I think that's part of the age bit or whatever else is going on ..  There's always those ice cream cones in the freezer I'm not starving... Although I do notice late in the day I just don't have the energy to deal with boiling spaghetti ohh whatever so I can see where old people lose weight unless somebody puts weight on them weights on them is that a word ohh my..

Now watching and they and the yuppie puppy I realize I don't even have to go to the nursing homes to entertain everybody if I get that yuppie puppy into the middle of there room for all these people to watch I am sure that penny would be happy to entertain them for the next 45 minutes without me there/// I can't believe the that machined is still functioning so well but it is.. the new plastic ones don't hold a candle to the old one.

OK jlaine is on her way driving toward Florida--I don't know exactly where but she is trying to locate an Airstream trailer which she hopes to bring back with her to Massachusetts..  apparently the one trailer we do have is now full of shirts in various stages of sending them out.. the airstreams have a very good reputation so hopefully we will enjoy being the owner of one. 

Our whole existence is an outside one so for me as long as there's a place I can get into where it's warm I'm really not terribly fussy.  if the accommodations have a dining room table..  some Times.. Warm is only the front seat of my car which is fine... And in some cases my car has had a decent stereo with a comfortable chair and a heater I don't need an awful lot more than that. (except at meal tim e)

dd 11 16

I have a pill taking problem... Judy does a fantastic job keeping them all straight in the little boxes for morning noon and night..  but every once in a while I notice a pill that's missing get out of here that was to larkey And the missing pill  

is sometimes found in front of the pellet  heater or such ... The problem is not any inconsistency and Judy is very carefully placing the multitude of pills and the right little square..   it is the fact that those damn little squares open and closed too easily so it's just too easy for a pill to get lost.. if anybody is even handling that pill container...  Judy solution was to keep the container in her huge pill box Across the room from me and that just is not going to work because I would forget to take them entirely... 

I was alerted to the problem when I woke up at 2:00 AM and my phone  Told me it was Friday and my pill box told me I had not taken Friday night's pills so I swig them down.. only to find out there wasn't quite Friday yet..   so now I have some of Fridays  pills in me.... And somebody's gonna figure out that I did it wrong. I just knew it... problem was at the tender age of 87 at 2:00 in the morning I felt I was entitled to decide what day it was and I'd figure out what to do some other time.... "The whole thing got very complicated when Judy quite rightly   decided that I shouldn't have the pills in quite such easy reach... especially if I don't know what day it is.. while not knowing what day it is is an ongoing problem and has nothing to do with being 87 however assumptions are always made

And truly if I didn't know what day it was as a permanent thing Judy would have been right to take the pills away from me... however not knowing the day is an ongoing problem which is overridden by the fact that I tend to forget them entirely...  so to sum it all up---I am still 87-- I still don't know what day it is and the only way I can tell if I've taken my pills as if the little box is empty---- it is absolutely pointless to ask me if I've taken the pills because I always would say yes because I always remember taking those two black pills that are the size that you would feed a horse---so choking them down twice a day is a memorable experience .

so I think the best solution still is to visually check to see what's out-of-the-box

 And have my phone pop up a constant message “now stop and think” instead of the usual message which is.. 

”. your Verizon bill is overdue and you're going to be disconnected”

p,s,   yesterdays visit in rockport was a huge success at a day care center  which had not only the walking day care but what ammounts to a rolling bed...for about a dozen :?residents?   total people seen was over 54...   

 

....I am told I have less than an hour to take a shower get dressed and get organized to go to Rockport this morning apparently we're going to that daycare center is a huge place right literally underneath one of those windmill tower things so it's interesting to see that ---you are in that Judy is here talking to the dog.

Rockport seems like one of our furthest places to go and I was hoping we could do 2 places while we were there but that didn't happen for today...  hello please get out of my way you had your breakfast,

I don't know what that is

The visiting nurse has already come and gone as prescribed.. she says she has one more visit to go before that's the end is that we're obviously fulfilling some formula that I'm not familiar with.. but I remember my husband saying that three days in the hospital could get you 3 weeks in a nursing home or something like that

\meanwhile I'm in a hurry--I hope Lisa gets to write one of these things about her visit once you get some time

Dd 11 14

I need help if we could have one volunteer be in charge of getting the dogs in and out of the pond another volunteer in charge of washing the windows maybe a third one to keep the coffee pot going we've been a lot better shape.... However we are in the shape we are in. Dealing with the constant picky problems like last night for some reason none of the dogs wanted to sleep in the box no it's not a box in the bed in the corner and lackey stood there in the middle of the floor explaining to me in a whiny tone that there was no place for him to lie down so I had to get up and rearrange the two that were already in the bed make room for him and then everybody went back to sleep.. I'm not sure whether there's some funny smell on that bed “A”or it's too close to the door whatever reason he wanted to lie down on the “other” bed .

 

Janine has left for the Carolinas because apparently her property there still has a bunch of fallen trees on it that have to be cleaned up at which point she's hoping to continue on to Florida to get a travel trailer um

I wish I could think of the name of the kind it's a well known kind it's the kind that all have numbers over there doors so they could all look each other up there's apparently one for sale in Florida and she thinks that she could use that as a permanent residence if there is such a thing for Janine as a permanent residence. Apparently somebody she knows from working around the myopia hunt is going to rent this building as soon as I can get out which is this can't come too soon... I already contacted the floor guy Steve nice family the whole family came and did the ICU building in one weekend and stayed on the property somewhere I've forgotten where and so they hopefully will do the same again and their only choice at the moment is the RV or that building that they already put the floor in the ICU...   I have no idea what shape it's in.. and I won't know apparently until January 1...   but I have bad vibes the property is supposed to be left as they found it and there's not one square foot on the property that's going to make that rule. hey hey hey stop it ----so be careful Good morning hello now Judy is on the phone so whoever she's talking to we're going to put on the in the daily doggie  

 

We do have one job to do today with just dogs and I have to try and figure it out because last time they wanted anything we had beside dogs a rather different request

 

 

Dd 11 13 

This morning's excitement----you know how when you go to put a jacket on you sling it over one shoulder put your arm in the sleeve well I can no longer do that it makes me very dizzy and I fall over well I didn't fall over but I was very dizzy and I find that taking my shirt off over my head is inclined to make it dark which is also dizzying ..what do the making process I I don't know whether this is temporary but I do know that that's two things that I gotta be careful of basically being in the dark. I also like to put one hand on something that doesn't move like the desk or something.. I think people call that wall walking..hmmmmmm.

 

My exceedingly strange information to pass on this morning is that--six months or so ago I tried melatonin is that the thing.. for sleep... and it really didn't work if anything it kept me awake and I mentioned to the doctor that I had considered BlackBerry Brandy and she suggested I not do that and try taking just one quarter of the melatonin... I thought she was nuts but then again she went to medical school and I didn't ---so I did with a pair of scissors cut up a bunch of pills.. and the last night for about the fifth time in a row I took the 1/4 of a melatonin and slept the whole night through.. that beats logic... but then again that's why you go the school for this stuff.

 

Yesterday's visit to a daycare center with a lot of fun because we have two camera people here who would wanted to go along on a trip see what it was like and we had on our schedule that nice place in Danvers for just the dogs... but we always like to have a little extra so I had them take the yuppie puppy in their car... and after we did the pie plate bit.. he bought in the yuppie puppy and put it in the middle of the floor penny started right in on it to the delight of all the people who were in a big circle we let her have it for a while and then took her away on a leash and lucky took over it was a huge .. success.  yeah and I realized the difference any effort even minor effort to present something for everyone to think about was totally critical So although it's hard to beat the frying pan routine it does point out if we could make any effort to give them something else to think about it's critical to them and not that much of an effort to watch

. we had 24 people absolutely giggling over penny and the yuppie puppy..  and one of them was 100 years old...  so adding things like chickens... or what we now have Bunny rabbits just plain anything it's such a big help to these people. we just need to concentrate on a few details and then make the effort

 

Dd 11 12

Years ago I was in someone's house that they were selling and there was a small stove in a small room sort of pink and white or tan  or something..,, I got to talking to the people about it because it was slightly different and they said it was both wood and coal burning.. and I ended up buying it... for a while it was in the deagle house but then we got a big wood stove for that and this became an extra somebody called it a parlor stove.. it's only about a foot in diameter the inside is lined with what must be fire brick sort of stuff.. it just hung around for a lot of years until lately when I've tried to take I did stock of what is where I came to that stove now rusted except for the part which is pink--whoever redid that stove used the correct high temperature pink on the trim and not on the body at any rate it's in need of an update... it would be nice if I had the time to do it but I don't and I think I must get a hold of the man who sold us what is now my pellet stove I am told he is a retired fireman who rejuvenates old wood stoves etcetera... I asked Judy to take a picture of it so I could include it here and get everyone's opinion not what to do with it..

I hate to admit it but I think it's beyond me... I did sit there and look at it for at least 1/2 an hour well I drank my coffee and I could not even envision where to start.. so I think calling that guy is maybe my best place to start.

 

we have two camera people with us today they arrived yesterday and they were already done there assign shore of rabbit patting.. and they want to go to one of our daycare centers... OK I think we should take just two of the dogs and all three of the dogs... and let them experience the fry pan business but before we leave we could set down our yuppie puppy and let people watch penny go at it for a few minutes..  

 

Planning these trips has the added complication of the fact that I took the third seat out of the forerunner so it really is a 2 seater car with four or five dogs in the back.. somehow we will manage and they're due back here after 9:00 to get ourselves put together for a DD---of 930.. historically---long before there was a daily doggy there was a Dee Dee which indicated to buy crew what time I wanted to go down the driveway.. who would have thought a simple DVD would end up being confusing... but I think we should be all loaded and down the driveway at 9:30. I don't know when What Car but down the driveway

 

d 11 11

The Teamsters were here to give us a hand at cleaning up the place and getting the leaves at all out of the way they did a fantastic job and Elizabeth did send me one picture but I can't seem to copy it I don't know how many people there were but I'm sure there were at least a dozen sizable blowers big blowers not handy dandy little cute blowing things but the ones you put on your back and you blow leaves all over the place they did that and the place looked so much better and I do appreciate it and thank you I should say” we appreciate it and thank you” because this could hardly be considered a one person episode. ... technically it's not even one charity episode but several 501 c3 numbers are involved. I just got in my car with the dogs in the back and drove around the property and watched everything that was going on, which was a lot and a lot of people I didn't know which didn't make any difference they were all working cheerfully working good fresh air energy... And after that was over 2 camera people I think from Maryland arrived and have booked their overnight add a B&B breakfast and whatever in Ipswich but we'll be here today to help out doing things... I certainly wish we were able to offer them bed and breakfast as I usually do for all camera people but we have to get to January 1st which is not too far away..  

They offered to go to some of the daycare centers this week which will be a big help especially if we decide to take the yuppie puppy with us that is pretty funny to have penny empty it..

Technically we have no job booked today it being veteran's day... and I'm not sure about mail call

because I don't know whether mail is delivered today I'm going to go is mail delivered today no Judy says mail is not delivered today so there you have it

 dd 11 10

Dd 11 10 

Getting closer all the time,,,

Yesterday an absolute troop of people with blowers arrived to clean up goldies farm and boy did they ever the place is almost spotless not quite uh we have an awful lot of oak trees to thank for the leaves but they blew it dragged and blew and dragged an awful lot of leaves around and we are a lot cleaner than we were nice cheerful bunch of Teamsters I think they were all organized by Elizabeth..  I didn't get a chance to watch too much From my nice warm car before Janine showed up and wanted to go and watch the Hunt take off.. we were there just in time to see probably close to 100 horses some of them provided by Janine and her crazy auction... nonetheless was Olaf... janine's significant other on one of her auction specials looking absolutely brilliant in his red jacket routine... I'm not totally sure what the red jacket jacket signifies exactly except it's a very big deal and the yellow collar that the women wear is again a very big deal I just can't remember exactly what they get to ride up front and they're the important ones I think at any rate ... probably close tohundred horses with their corresponding group of hounds probably 20 or 30 lbs and a whip arena keeping them all in order it it really was quite a sight and we got a chance to watch them at two or three different places as they made the rounds of the bigger estates. With riders all properly dressed up in horses all braided fancy it was quite a sight...   I can remember the good old days when Janine was just invited to ride in the back of that bunch with her white Arab Welsh pony she did very well although these were the days when Anne and I sat on her porch and listened for the odd ambulance run which signified where” the hunt” was at that point..

 

Tradition has it that's what we will be doing on Thanksgiving morning is watching the Hunt get off at probably Appleton farms if anybody wants to look that up on there computer big place right next to winthrops

I've stopped chasing the hounds which is possible and I just take off and go to the place to pick up the entire Thanksgiving dinner including pumpkin pie even... To be eaten by whoever happens to gather in need of a Turkey dinner---my “family” it's down my sister and close to 25 related to her baby with babies coming very quickly and often they're eating in I believe Texas there's so many of them now though travel is a big issue.

and my going the other direction implies flying which is not my favorite thing to do. So we gather in whatever family we can gather in.   HELLO

that. hello was the puppy making a where is my breakfast noise but it really did sound like a hello

 

quiet day... maybe calendar searching..... and wood stove observing....

 

11 9

Hectic would not quite describe it---- penny is trying to-stuff a small tree in through the the doggy door lucky is mad because the yuppie puppy is out of treats so he's hitting that thing and over and over again and Elizabeth just came in apparently Carly is among the missing hasn't fed the dogs yet and she's got a bunch of people standing someplace it's very it's very lively-- and Linda tells me I didn't put the names of the winners in the daily doggy and that piece of paper I gave to Judy and is missing at the moment

 prioritize disasters

I think the group of people are basically the Teamsters who are here to get the chicken and goat house barn whatever's under control and I do know that yesterday she did buy a bunch of materials for that project and now all the people are here waiting for direction I guess I'll call that her problem and get on with the daily doggies

 My personal problem of the day is to try and get all these people to help me put that carrier on the back of my car so that I could carry that Walker and or wheelchair without any problem I'm not too sure if the carrier itself would be a problem on the back at any rate--life has a way of getting out of control very quickly around here

I can't even think just better get this thing off