Category: Family

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas. I must say this is a year that I won’t soon forget. I lost both parents a little over three months apart.

However, despite all that I have much to be thankful for.

My father passed away last Wednesday shortly after nine in the morning. Since I was his primary caregiver, I knew his time was short. It took my brother months to accept what I’d known for months. I did not try to push him to see what my daughter and I already knew. Instead, I gave him the time needed to grieve. My father had been bedridden since October 2021, and after our mom died on Mother’s Day of this year, he lost his desire to be around. It’s been tough to lose both parents a little over three months apart. Both parents had no health issues until the end of last year.

My brother and I are still processing everything. My brother and I are closer, so that’s a plus, and we talk/text several times daily, which is even better. I will say that now I finally have time to grieve. I honestly did not have too much time for that since I still was the primary caregiver for my father.

We had my father’s funeral on Monday, and now it seems I’m finally doing what my body has wanted to do, and that’s rest. I’m thankful for family, loved ones, and a fabulous boss/job. So much has happened over the past few months; there’s been new additions (mainly tech) and upcoming advancements. I’m hoping that I will now have the time to write on my websites and visit my virtual buddies.

On July 30, Yoki arrived at our household shortly before 7:30 pm. She was hand-delivered to us and came all the way from Florida. The gentleman that brought her to us, was on the road at 2:00 am. Yoki is high-energy just like me, which is perfect. Each morning, when the weather is nice, we go on an outdoor adventure. I’m looking forward to when she’s older since she’ll be accompanying me on hikes, runs, and bike rides. Yoki is a black german shepherd puppy. She turned nine weeks old yesterday.

In August, we’ll be welcoming a new member to the family; a black german shepherd.

Typically, I’ve gotten rescues; however, this shepherd will be coming from a reputable breeder. I’ve been in contact with him, talked to him twice on the phone, and exchanged several texts with him. I already placed the deposit for the shepherd puppy, and that gave me access to one of his training courses.

The type of shepherd I’m getting is a working line german shepherd. I’ll be feeding them a raw diet. I’ve provided many of my pets with this in the past, and it has been the best choice I’ve made for them. While I know that German Shepherds can be prone to hip dysplasia, I also know numerous things can be done that significantly reduce this issue. So why choose a german shepherd? I’m looking for a dog whose energy level matches mine, and after a lot of research, I felt that the shepherd fit me perfectly. They’re intelligent and trainable, and they have a lot of energy. I’m looking forward to having a fur companion join me on bike rides and runs. One thing that I’ll HAVE to get used to is shedding. We’ve had non-shed dogs; however, I’ll be sure to stay on top of this by grooming them daily. I’m thinking of getting a robot vacuum to also assist me in staying on top of doggy hair. We’ll see.

After some research, I’ve finally settled upon purchasing this grill.

 

It’s the Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill, Electric Countertop Grill. Breville makes amazing products, and the reviews for the above grill were impressive. There were quite a few people that were still using the grill and they’ve had it for several years. It’s a bit pricey; however, I don’t mind paying the extra money since I know the product will last. I do enjoy grilling; however, I don’t always have the time to grill outdoors and everything that has been going on in our lives over the past seven months. I’ll admit that I have not done any grilling. It’s high time I change that, even if I cheat and grill indoors.

I’m now the primary caregiver for my father, and since he’s in my home, I know that whatever he consumes will be healthy. Therefore, I’ve eliminated all the fried foods from his daily intake and carbonated sugary drinks with no nutritional benefits. Fried is now ‘air-fried,’ and carbonated drinks are fruit juices, smoothies, herbal teas, and more water. He has no complaints about missing his carbonated sodas; however, at times he has been resistant to abandoning fried foods. But since his illness was tied to what he was consuming, I’m not budging on that. I want him around for a long time.

The good news is that even though he might grumble now and again, he loves the foods I prepare for him.

It’s delicious, healthy, and nutritious.

 

I’m not a huge Justin Beiber fan; however, when I first heard this song a few months back, I loved it immediately. I had no idea that this song would be significant to me, but it’s a song that’s played through my mind a dozen times since my mother passed away on Mother’s Day.

I miss you, mom.

Ghost

Youngblood thinks there’s always tomorrow
I miss your touch on nights when I’m hollow
I know you crossed a bridge that I can’t follow

Since the love that you left is all that I get
I want you to know that if I can’t be close to you
I’ll settle for the ghost of you
I miss you more than life (More than life)

And if you can’t be next to me
Your memory is ecstasy
I miss you more than life
I miss you more than life

Youngblood thinks there’s always tomorrow (Woo)
I need more time, but time can’t be borrowed
I leave it all behind if I could follow

Since the love that you left is all that I get
I want you to know that if I can’t be close to you
I’ll settle for the ghost of you
I miss you more than life, yeah

And if you can’t be next to me
Your memory is ecstasy
I miss you more than life
I miss you more than life

Whoa, oh, oh-oh
More than life
Oh-oh

So if I can’t get close to you
I’ll settle for the ghost of you
I miss you more than life

And if you can’t be next to me
Your memory is ecstasy
I miss you more than life
I miss you more than life