Manipulation

I've been through the ringer today. Ed took me to the hospital at 6 a.m. for my shoulder manipulation. I was in significant pain after the procedure, compounded by the disorientation associated with recovering from the general anesthetic. About noon I let Ed take me home to sleep. The half hour ride was like riding a very bad carnival ride--very nauseating. Ed woke me up from my nap in time for my three o'clock physical therapy appointment. The best part of that was the fire and ice (heat compress and ice pack) that followed the torture (stretching) exercises.

Do NOT Sit On this Bench!

Amanda and I took Coda for a walk around the back yard, after which I plopped down on a bench to pet the dog. Coda rolled under the bench, then yelped. Then I yelped. We had apparently disturbed the hornets making a nest under our bench! I got stung on the left ankle and right ring finger. As I jumped up, Amanda screamed at me, "Keep running, they're after you!" I ran into the house where I grabbed a baby wipe and a pack of ice. I've been nursing myself and trying to get over the scare! Coda seems to have forgotten all about it.

Amanda looked up how to treat stings. She checked to make sure I was okay. Then, I strapped on my ice pack and went back to the scene of the crime to see what had happened. I wonder if I'll ever sit on a bench again without looking underneath it!

Jon Again!

Look! Jon (my most devoted brother) has visited us twice already! I hope some of my other siblings follow suit soon.

Puppy's First Bath

Amanda gave Coda a bath yesterday in hopes of making her smell better. She still smells like dog! But, she was good in the sink (no breakout attempts). She seemed a little concerned about the process, as you can see in the picture. We're enjoying having reason to go outside. Ed and I spent the evening with the dog on the deck last night. Amanda had to go to family home evening with the singles' group, so she gave us strict instructions not to break training and spoil the doggie. Amanda bought some small balls at the pet store that Coda likes to fetch. She brings them back about 80 percent of the time!

Coda Comes Home

Here's Coda coming home from her foster family. She came from the "mountains" in West Virginia. Apparently, they have a hard time placing dogs there. She's about 9 weeks old, and has been fostered here in Maryland for about 8 days. We had planned on getting a Blue Heeler, but a different shelter called us last night, and after visiting with both dogs, we chose the little black part-spaniel who completely stole our hearts. We're going to call her Coda.

We stopped at the pet store on the way home to fit her for a smaller collar. She was about half the size of the Heelers we looked at.

Amanda is reading up on how to train a puppy. We're already failures in that regard. Coda peed in her kennel an hour after we got home. It could have been worse (on the carpet)!

But she hasn't barked, and seemed happy to be in the kennel. She's a little nervous and shy, but enjoyed sitting out on the patio with us for a little after lunch. We're also nervous about being dog owners again. Wish us good luck!

New Boot

Amanda got her walking boot yesterday, but she's not moving all that fast yet. She must have been suffering from cabin fever however, as she talked us into taking her to the movies last night. We saw Despicable Me. I loved the minions. I also loved the 3D.

Miss Carol's Birthday

Wednesday night we had a belated celebration of Miss Carol's Birthday. We had invited her over on Monday, but she was sick, so we just put the food in the fridge and waited till she felt better. Lenny and Kay, who live in her back house and care for the horses, also came. Amanda decorated some cupcakes to look like horses for the birthday cake.

After dinner we moved outside and visited on the deck till after dark. Miss Carol enjoyed the view of her property from a new direction. We learned a new word when Kay asked us if we had "clubbed" our basement. I guess people used to put club rooms in the basement in Maryland. We told her we plan to club it sometime next year!

Miss Carol still had the energy to blow out all her candles, but she cheated by taking several breaths. I guess when you're over 80 you can do whatever you like!