Tag Archive | dogs

Dog Germs

I went to Osoyoos for the Thanksgiving weekend, and our friends Jim and Federico came from Vancouver. Having people at mom’s along with me makes the time there a lot more bearable. As much fun as it is to hang with a morose, cranky 100.5 year-old, it’s still way better with friends there.

We decided to have the big dinner on Saturday so that we could eat leftovers for Sunday night. Since we were all leaving on Monday it made no sense to leave all of that delicious food behind. I’d made the usual turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli, yam casserole (the one with marshmallows on top) and Jim and Fede made stuffed acorn squash.

The next day I didn’t want to eat turkey leftovers for both lunch and dinner, so decided to keep the noon meal kind of light. I had a bunch of carrots that I hadn’t cooked for the dinner given the glut of vegetables so thought a carrot salad would be a nice accompaniment. I grated a few and added a dressing made of mayo, sour cream, a finely diced clove of garlic and a squeeze of lemon.

The new food was then placed on top of the night before leftovers and suddenly the whole pyramid of bowls started to tumble. I grabbed at some of them and was busy peering into the fridge for new places to put all of this, when I realized the bowl of carrot salad was on the ground, right side up, minus its saran wrap. I heard slorping sounds and looked to see Louie scarfing back as much as he could.

Undeterred, I simply put the remaining salad into a smaller bowl and put it on the table when it was time for lunch. There was a green salad, and I’d heated some pork tenderloin from Friday night’s meal, and so no one noticed nor cared that I didn’t want any of the carrot salad. Happily, it all got eaten, and I restrained myself from telling them about it afterward. It’s our secret.

Nicky’s always said “Mom’s hobby is food tampering,” but this time it was an honest mistake. But then I was raised never to waste food, so what a dilemma, right? Anyway, if any of them report worms I’ll act completely shocked.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well my wee memoir’s being doing on Amazon. I’m also shocked at people telling me “I couldn’t put it down.” However, the unfortunate part of marketing a book requires the use of Instagram, and I’m a mentally fragile Boomer who dislikes technology. However, I now have a handle, Moni Schiller Writes, so I hope to God I get the hang of it very quickly.

I’ve discovered I’m not a candidate for intermittent fasting, as it can trigger a migraine. I know what you’re thinking, but I’ve tested it out, and all signs point to me eating like a horse from the moment I wake up until I fall into bed. Fortunately I go to bed early.

I had last eaten at 7:00 PM on Sunday and then waited until 11:00 AM on Monday to eat, and wham! Migraine aura followed by feeling very bad for the remainder of the day. Why would I want to do that to myself when my fridge and cupboards are calling? Oh well, another weight loss method to add to the list of those tried, including Scarsdale, Atkins, Pritikin, and Keto.

Elsa and I went to thrift yesterday and I sent her a message after I’d tried everything on saying I wasted $10 but still had fun. She replied, “Still cheaper than the movies!” It’s a sickness.

Eventful Two Weeks

Jul10

I had the great pleasure of making dinner for three Ya Ya’s and their husbands at the end of June. It was funny because when I told Mom I’d invited Phyllis and Gord, Penny and Jim, and Maryjoy she went into a total snit about it. She said she didn’t want the dinner at her house, and she didn’t want to be involved and would go straight to bed when the guests came. I said that was excellent, given there’d be six of us, and if she stayed it’d be an awkward number.

She kept bitching and bitching about it, saying she would’ve appreciated more notice of such an event. I said to her I think two weeks notice is plenty, especially given she wouldn’t be in attendance, so why did she care? I think she just wanted to ensure my nerves would be totally eroded by the time the dinner rolled around.

I told Penny and Jim to come early as I said mom wants to talk about death and dying with Penny. They came around 4:00 and so Penny just asked mom some questions about her views on living and dying and so on, and basically it was established even though Mom’s signed up for MAID, she’s too scared to die so isn’t going to go for that and instead will wait it out and die naturally.

By then it was 5:00 so the others arrived, and I’d made crab and cream cheese stuffed mushroom caps for appies, and mom happily scarfed a few of those. Then it was time to sit down for dinner, and I had set the table for six. Mom announced she’d changed her mind and would join us for dinner after all, so in a muttering fit I got out another place setting and grabbed an extra chair.

I’d made chicken Marbella with rice, a green bean salad and a cucumber salad, and Phyllis kindly made an angel food cake containing 11 egg whites for dessert as it was Jim’s birthday in a few days. Everyone seemed happy with the event and the food, especially Mom.

Because of the precarious nature of Denis’ health, Nick flew in for a visit and brought his little five-year-old son Justin. They stayed here in Kelowna for a night upon arrival, then went to Midway to check out old Denis. They visited gramma and me in Osoyoos and camped down at the beach.

At the end of their visit, I’d invited the Taylors to come for dinner which was another successful event. I’d made coconut curried beef stew, rice, and a couple of salads, and also a cake and some brownies for dessert. James and Ashley’s little girl and Justin played like mad hyenas and had a lot of fun.

Then it was time for Nick and Justin to head off, and I said honestly, one visit a year with a five-year-old is probably all old gramma’s nerves are able to take. The kid’s wonderful, smart and really cute, but still a menace in a home unused to children. The dogs and cats were completely traumatized.

I know the child’s mother reads my blog and will think what the hell? But it’s nothing personal, it’s just any pint-sized torpedo moving at a top rate of speed in a home accustomed to solitude could cause a raised eyebrow on the part of the old grand mere, non?

As a follow-up to old Denis’ situation, Luke, Jan and I visited him yesterday and he seems to be very frail after his health incident. He’s not at all able to follow the diabetic menu suggestions and I think not eating properly is a big problem for an insulin-dependent diabetic, but what do I know?

Now Louie’s Sick

Oct15

I suppose you think I went right ahead and applied what I had been taught regarding my WordPress site. Wrong. I was so frightened by it I haven’t been near it since. Beekeeping, owning chickens, adopting dogs and cats, growing dahlias all seem so simple compared to whatever occurs on this new-fangled typing device known as a laptop.

More technology hiccups awaited in Osoyoos when I arrived for the Thanksgiving weekend. I’d had someone come to repair mom’s roof, and in the process, he had to move the satellite, which meant no CNN or MSNBC which is the same as saying a diabetic has run out of insulin. It’s an emergency.

Luke had cleverly provided mom with the old Netflix remote and so she was back to hours and hours of Virgin River as she waited for her TV channels to come back. I phoned Shaw but they don’t have anyone available to come until October 29, but the nice person said call a local technician and see if they can do it. Turns out our friend Jim and Luke were able to figure it out all by themselves.

It was sunny and very warm in Osoyoos, so we sat out, and mom made her way out to sit on the deck with us. She managed to eat a nice plate of turkey dinner on Saturday night, and we all had a good laugh over my attempt to make pastry. Suffice to say the dessert was pumpkin custard with whipped cream.

On Sunday Jan noticed Louie was suddenly walking backwards a few steps, which was very odd, and he did it again yesterday back home in Kelowna. Then today he’s been completely disinterested in everything, lethargic, and not himself at all. I called the vet, and she said it could be kidney failure so I should take him to the hospital, but I said no, let’s wait until she examines him tomorrow and then decide.

Around here there’s always someone in medical distress. From the hen that died in the coop in the spring, to my mom weakening by the day, to the cat with his massive abscess and now Louie with whatever it is he has. And then people wonder why I drink. How else to cope?

The Crones got a surprise last week as we headed into Maestro for Happy Hour only to find the door locked. We then had to go to a Plan B which was fine as the Eldorado is right next door, so we went over there. Donna’s going to be 90 in December and weighs as much as my dog but can eat twice the amount of food in one sitting that I can. It’s kind of amazing.

We sat in the lounge and shared yam waffle fries and wings, and I slugged back at least two cocktails. That would be all the food I’d like to eat, but no, Donna said let’s go over to the dining room for dinner. So we went over there and it was lovely and quiet and I looked at the menu and said I think the most I can do is a bowl of clam chowder.

Donna had salad followed by the ravioli and ate every bit of it. It’s like watching those people who win eating contests. Some are tiny yet they can eat their own weight in hot dogs. Fortunately, this was a grade above, but still, the volume of it all. I can probably eat more than Donna does in a whole day, but I can’t do it in a single sitting.