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~~~WITHOUT the OCEAN..I WOULD BE LOST~~~
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August 11 MY SUNDAY'S..Past TWO weeks STRESS RELIEF....
A boring entry ...but at least I got something here.
This past week I put in 60 plus hours at work. Seems between employees taking vacations, going back to College, and one Manager getting married plus taking off for 3 weeks, I am putting in longggggg hours. Sunday was my only day off and believe me when I say..I enjoyed just staying home and doing nothing but relaxing.
Let me say FIRST and FOREMOST..I have prayed for AL and his most difficult surgery. The power of prayers from everyone that was aware of his situation was overwhelming.
Get well soon, Al and Welcome Back.
Until next time...Keep Smiling.
~*~PAULA~*~
August 03 Still Under Construction.. BEFORE AFTER
For the past year, Mr. PJ and I have been constructing a new waterfall on the Northern slope of the back property. We decided that we could use all the native stones and boulders that were already around. We just had to move some of the larger ones and terrace out a hole deep enough and extend it running East and West for the most beautiful effect. There are 4 meditation areas that we will use and still hear the trickling waterfall with 4 different views of it. We have the hammock which is located to the West, a wooden picnic bench,to the Southeast, an outdoor patio chair sitting directly on a large native stone boulder to the East, and an acquired wicker love seat with cushion that sits directly below ( South ) the newly constructed water garden. We have added more bird feeders and will not be finished with this area for an undetermined period of time. It has been fascinating to see a natural area transformed into another beautiful waterfall. A lot of work, a lot of hours, but the pleasure we will receive is priceless. All the mature trees keep the entire area shaded and therefore it usually is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than any other area in our yard.
A few photos are in the latest album but remember..it is NOT completed to our satisfaction. Never-the-less..we actually have the pump in and electricity running to it now, so the major effect has been successful. The wonderful sound of trickling water. MMmmmmm so relaxing. Eventually we will have flowers and water plants thriving as well. All in good time. We also have placed a few low voltage lights around the area for evening. I am anxious to see the final results, but until then..it is time to move more stones/boulders. Whem completed it will be about 22 feet long.
Until next time..Keep smiling.
~Paula~
***PLAYING IS NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE MUSIC*** August 01 Journey of Love 1, 2, and 3..First year passing. This is a repost of the entries I published here on Spaces. Just seems appropriate for all to know about Miss Mattie. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not sit and visit with her. What a beautiful, loving companion she was and always will be. I LOVE YOU, baby girl!
July 21
A JOURNEY OF LOVE ADOPTED JANUARY 19, 2005
Passed Away August 2, 2007
JANUARY 25, 2007
It started out as an unfamiliar sound. The sound of a person snoring. Very unusual...never heard this from her before. Perhaps allergies? Nothing to worry about I thought. Just keep your eyes and ears open as you are loving her. The "snoring" effect never subsided. Concerned..I phoned the Doctor to inquire of his knowledge about these things. "Have you done any remodeling lately"? I thought about it and responded "yes, we had new carpet installed not long ago". "It could be she inhaled all the dust from the older carpet and is having some allergic reactions to it. Just keep watching her and if she doesn't show any signs of improvement ..make an appointment to see me. It could be asthma as well. Keep a fan going at all times and use a drop of "Ocean" nasal saline in each nostril." Thanking him..I hung up the phone and went about my business.
March 14, 2007
A month and a half have passed since I noticed the "snoring". It seems to me that she may be wheezing, but she doesn't show any pain or discomfort. Her temperature is normal. She has not lost her appetite and she looks healthy..but something is not right. Could she have asthma? Or perhaps a touch of pneumonia? I make an appointment to see the doctor. It is set for March 19th.
March 19, 2007
After a thorough examination and all seems great; with the exception of the occasional snoring/wheezing sound..She is healthy as can be. Healthy lungs, healthy teeth and gums. Perhaps she may have a polyp in her nose or several. Not to worry Paula unless she seems to get worse. Gratefully thanked, I pay the bill and leave with a smile.
May 19, 2007
She still shows no signs of a serious illness; although there are times I see her having a bit of trouble swallowing. I figure it may be a tooth that has gone bad. I open her mouth and look at the one tooth the Doctor and I had discussed and it seems to be healthy. "You just worry too much, Paula" I tell myself. It is my birthday. All is well.
July 2, 2007
I am convinced that something is NOT right. I discuss her actions with the Doctor. He re-examines her. She is healthy. Every tests is negative. Her weight is good. She is just showing signs of hoarseness occasionally. Another clean bill of health. Once again, I leave smiling.
July 5, 2007
It has been only 2 days since she was at the Doctor's office. In that short amount of time, we find a "knot" on the right side of her throat. I immediately call and take her in once again. The Doctor is in disbelief..perhaps he "missed" this knot while examing her. I told him..I do not think so doctor, we would have noticed it before. It is large enough not to MISS. It is as if..it appeared overnight. Now she is having trouble eating and swallowing. She has lost some weight as well. Not much..just 3/10 of a pound. He takes her temperature , once again. The results..normal. Heart and lungs..Healthy. He shakes his head in disbelief and is writing non-stop in her chart..the entire time. I knew what he would say when he finally decided to speak to me. The dreaded "C" word! C-A-N-C-E-R. The growth that is 1 1/2" in diameter ( in less than two days )is right on her lymph node. She would not be still enough for him to draw her blood. He said that in order to hit the jugular vein, he would have to sedate her. He did not want to miss and hurt her. We decided that we would try antibiotics in hopes that perhaps she had earlier had a puncture wound that may have become infected. Antibiotics for two weeks for what we hoped would be a bacterial infection. If no smaller in those two weeks, call and come back in. I left not smiling, but hopeful.
July 20, 2007
Today was the final straw as to the "guessing". She has lost weight and the lump/knot/growth was no smaller. I thought at one time it felt smaller; however he explained and showed me that what I was actually feeling was her "adam's apple". The knot/lump/growth was no smaller at all. He then put her "under" and drew the blood sample. He studied it under the microscope. He came back in and told me that there were cells that he was not familiar with and the rest of the blood sample would be sent to California for further testing immediately. This way..we will know exactly what kind of C-A-N-C-E-R we are dealing with and the options that we may pursue. He now thinks it may be Cancer of the Thyroid Gland. It is Friday...the weekend..so therefore; I will more than likely have to wait until Tuesday or possibly Wednesday for the results. But rest assured..He will call ASAP with all the information. I cried..I wept..I cried..I wept. Just keep loving her Paula and make her as comfortable as possible. She loves you and needs you. I need and love her more than anyone could ever imagine. My heart is breaking. I will try to be strong..for her..but I am only human. We will just go for our walks daily...loving one another..until we get the news. At this point..she is not too uncomfortable..just hoarse and not eating much..if at all. I left with tears streaming down my face. But I had a smile...because Miss Mattie was in my arms and purring. It's all about the Love!
This journey has not been an easy one. I am still in denial. Time and tests results will put an end to the mystery of not knowing how this could happen to my beloved pet..Miss Mattie...I have an email message that was sent to me by a friend. It says it all and very eloquently, I might add. "Mama" loves you baby girl..and I know that you love me. Below is the message for my baby.
Since my last entry there have been numerous veterinarian visits. After the needle aspiration was sent to California, it really did not tell us as much as we needed to know about the C-A-N-C-E-R. Mr. PJ and I decided that a second opinion would be wise. We made an appointment with a local Animal Hospital and Urgent Care Center and saw a Dr. Bradley. By this time we had the files from Dr. Webb's office faxed to her. She thought it necessary to to take x-rays to see if the C-A-N-C-E-R had spread to other organs. The good news was that it had NOT spread. The not - so - good news was that the x-rays could not detect the tumor due to the fact that it is "tissue" on "tissue". After a long consultation and many questions answered by Dr. Bradley, we decided to seek the professional opinions of an Oncologist as well as a Surgeon in this field. This decision is based on Miss Mattie's age. She is only 5 years young and Dr. Bradley said that if she was a bit older..then she would not even suggest further options. The decision was left up to us, of course. We will be taking Mattie to them @ 8 A.M. on Thursday, August 2nd. This is the only time that we could get in until a few months later. Time is of the essence. So, Thursday..we hopefully know whether to continue this journey of love or leave what is best for God to do. In the mean time; we are giving her a different antibiotic to keep the infection from spreading and also a mild pain medication from a syringe that is squirted into her mouth behind her canine tooth.. She has been eating but not nearly as much as I would like to see her eat. She is still enjoying her "outings" every day. As a matter of fact I took a few photos of her sleeping on the native stone around the water garden as she listened to the relaxing sound of water.
I will update as soon as possible on the next Oncologist/Surgeon's reports.
The past few weeks have been very stressful for Mr. PJ and myself. Numerous appointments at different medical fields of Veterinarians, Surgeons, Oncologists, and others. The outcome was all the same. Noone wanted to speculate about what kind of Cancer she has. Yesterday was the final appointment for her. Enough is enough, although until yesterday...she was doing as well as could be expected. She had stopped eating for the past two days and drinking very little water. Last evening she was in excruciating pain and the sound that came from her was that of a human child. It was absolutely pitiful. My heart was wrenching and my eyes streamed tears. Knowing I had to get up and go to work this morning, I retrieved my pillow and a blanket from the bedroom and laid on the floor beside the back glass sliding door ..where she was laying. Mr. PJ was on the other side of her. All we could do was tell her how much we loved her and stroked her beautiful, long, silky fur. Needless to say..there was very little sleep, if any at all. I got up at 3 and left for work by 4. Mr. PJ stayed home after we had discussed this. At 7: 45 A.M. while at work..I received the call I had expected..Miss Mattie passed away. I tried to focus on getting through the work day which I did; however, it was not easy and there were numerous times I had to just walk outside and let the tears flow. I made it through the day and finally home. She was laid in a wicker picnic basket that is lined with red velvet and of course it opens and closes. The pillow was a favorite washcloth that she loved to "toss" around and play with. The blanket was a favorite one she would lie on the back of the love-seat and look out the front picture window on. Two letters had been written last evening..one from "Mom" and the other one from "Dad" telling her how much she was loved and how much love she gave to us. These were placed inside the basket. We also cut some fresh Althea blooms ( lavender color ) and placed them inside all around her. She is buried in the West Garden area where she loved to sit and watch the birds and chase skinks, etc. This area is always cool..as it is the Shade Garden. There are native stone round rocks around the perimeter and a large piece of Flagstone placed on the top which will eventually get engraved.
Mattie, you were so loved. Sleep tight , My Baby, and may you finally catch that mouse that you tried to for months over-end. You may be gone from this Earth but will NEVER be gone from our hearts. We LOVE YOU!
A friend of mine sent me this email that I shared with all to read. It has so much meaning to me; therefore..I shall repost it as well. It is below:
Dear Miss Mattie, You know how much your PJ loves you. You have been a light at the end of each day in her life. I pray that the lump you are feeling is nothing serious. Miss Mattie, you are loved and whatever happens nothing will change that. PJ rescued you from the animal shelter and gave you many many happy days. You in turn loved her each and everyone of those days. Nothing can take that away.
July 20 Can you spell H-O-T and H-U-M-I-D?Oh my gosh..it is oficially SUMMER here at PJ's Palace!! This has been the hottest day of the year thusfar and believe me when I say...INDOORS is the place to be. 97 degrees with a heat index of 106!! How do people breathe in this type of weather? I think of all those individuals that have to be outside working and my heart just goes out to them. I used to be able to do it..but..ummmm..my turning "younger" must have something to do with NOT wanting to be out in it. Even my deck is H-O-T when walking on it barefoot. (Mental note....place flip-flops on feet before heading out back next time .)
Another week is ahead of us all. I wish you all the best of each and every day. And now LENA, I shall place new photos up so you will not yell at me for the snake pic!! LOL. I don't care for them either, but they are part of nature. A balancing act..I might add.
Until next time..Keep Smiling.
July 13 An AWAKENING of the JUMP BACK Kind Good morning ( or good evening ) all my friends. It is almost a new week and so many long hours of hard work ahead beginning Monday. I went about my daily routine this morning and was ready to leave. I opened my front door , then proceeded to almost open the glass storm door to go to the mail box. I always look out before doing so. I had a rather "cold" visitor lying around to greet me. You see, last evening a cold front came through and therefore cooler temperature's. Very pleasant, I might add. I even opened the windows yesterday after it blew through. At any rate...here is what I saw as I was leaving to run errands. Now if you are squeamish perhaps you should just by-pass this entry. LOL. There is a dead GLOBOSA SPRUCE to the left of the porch that needs to be removed. We have been checking for another one but have not found one the size we would like at the price we would like. They are expensive due to the low maintenance and the grafting and the slow growth.
 First I shall try to make a long story short from my past. As a youngster living on the ocean front, we rarely saw snakes unless we went to water ski in the nearby Lakes. My mother was raised in the South and was always told by her Mother..if you see a snake..k-i-l-l it. Well, even as a teenager visiting my Father's Grandmother was an experience. She once lived inland and we would go visit. She had acres of land and she and my step-grandfather farmed it. Plenty of snakes..correct? My Mother would run and try to find the closest thing to k-i-l-l the snake with. OK..enough about the past. Now for the present. I have since learned to identify most of the markings on a snake to know whether they are harmless or poisonous in this area. As I studied this one this morning I knew it was a Blue Racer..therefore it was harmless. I still get startled at the sight of snakes, but I am knowledgeable enough to step back..take a deep breath..and then proceed about my business. I ran to get the camera and I truly thought it would be gone before I could retrieve the camera. To my surprise it was still trying to get warm and had not moved . I opened the front glass door...stepped out onto the front porch..and started snapping away. Still, hardly any movement from the Blue Racer. It was then that I knew it was trying to warm up ! LOL. I finished taking the photos and then went back inside. I locked the doot and said goodbye to my early morning "friend" and drove to do the errends.. I have not seen him/her since. Trust me..I am alwys looking !
 Just another fun day at PJ's Palace.
Until next time..Keep Smiling.
~PAULA~
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