1) Let's lead with the great news that Zelda's bloodwork came back from the vet and she's now in the normal range. THE TREATMENT WORKED. She's also 9.2 pounds and we like to keep her right around 8.5, so we might have overcorrected on the food we were giving her. Anyway, yay for this!
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| Zelda says, "Hi! I'm radioactive. Do you want to pet me?" |
2) As you can tell from the above photo, we put up the tree! We are listening to the Christmas playlist in the car, waiting anxiously for our holiday cards to get here so we can put them in the mail, making plans to go see light shows, and I have been busy buying and wrapping presents for the Secret SANta Swap. I'm officially in the festive season.
3) Last we left, Hannah had ongoing GI issues. We seem to have nipped those in the bud, although she's still on an antibiotic every other day for another week and then every three days for another two weeks and then as needed. Let me tell you how happy I am every time there are solid stools on our walks! She is CRAZY in love with the cooler weather and now that I have my new winter coat and boots, I'm happy to indulge her on longer walks.
4) Purchase updates! You may recall I was looking for a welcome mat for the back door after Hannah's GI issues presented overnight and wrecked the mudroom. I bought this rug for the back door and have been super happy with it. It's crazy absorbent, Hannah likes to lay on it, you can put it in the washing machine, and it was only about $30. It's so absorbent that now when we come in from walks, I have Hannah stay on the rug while I take off my outerwear and only release her from the rug once I take off her harness and/or other clothing. I hope this will come in handy when it's really wet outside because the rug will help dry her off and I don't care if I have to wash the rug all the time.
I also purchased this puzzle advent calendar and my husband and I have been enjoying putting together our forty or so pieces every night. Super fun and I recommend it if you're a puzzler. I also am starting to think all puzzles should come together in labelled little boxes. It takes us about ten minutes every night to put it together and we usually do it right after dinner, but we're only on night five, so take that for what it's worth - we haven't opened any boxes without edge pieces yet.
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| I hesitate to show you this, but yes, you'll find on the table my goal tracking journal, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, an N-95 mask, and paperwork we need to file. Also, in the month of December you'll find our puzzle. |
5) Do you want to know what I put on my Christmas wish list to my husband? Some picture frames for the photos on my desk I keep meaning to deal with, a black scarf (can you believe I don't have a plain black scarf?), Williams Sonoma hotpads (we threw ours away after The Mouse Incident of 2024 and I bought some cheaper ones and it turns out the more expensive ones are better - who would have guessed?), a case for my new phone, and new socks (these ones, if you want to know).
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What's on your Christmas wish list?
Best Fri-yay Five Ever!!! Yay Zelda! The extra 0.7 pounds is super sexy. Can confirm your observation about dog poop - there's nothing better than scooping up a solid.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar-but-not-the-same Advent puzzle and are enjoying the small segments each night. If I ruled the world all puzzles would come in 40 piece segments.
I'm so happy for Zelda. She's back to her grumpy old self and I couldn't be happier.
DeleteI really do like this 40 piece a day thing. It's making the project so fun and doable!
Only a dog parent who has been through the trenches thinks "solid stools - yay!" I get this so much!
ReplyDeleteEverything on this list (including the stools!) is A+. I'm SO happy the treatment worked for your radioactive kitty, and you know what, that extra weight looks great on her (I know, I know, we have to keep our pets in normal range but oh, in addition to the lice, ear and eye infection, and destroyed collar, Rex also GAINED 1 1/2 KILOS at his three week frat boy party. He's since taken it off as we are back to regular long walks but Engie, what is going to happen the next time we leave him? Will he come back with some kind of graffiti shaved into his fur?).
I lost track of what I was saying.
Oh yes, yay on the Advent puzzle and hard agree, love the little boxes. Also, you and I both keep our pups in a different room when we sleep and I just had a vision of what could have happened to your bed if you were a "dog on the bed" person, with her GI issue and I just horrified myself. I had to stare into space for a while. Glad you got the new rug!
Is this the longest most rambling comment ever? I'm going to keep going.
I like your wishlist! I have a plain black scarf but it's a winter-weight one. After being in Italy I wondered if I need more light silk scarves. Do I? It's not super conducive to my lifestyle but a) sexy and b) my neck. You know what I mean.
Can I just keep this comment going? I'm kind of running out of things to say. Oh! I know. Did you get that wrapping paper at Costco? We have the same kind. Double sided FTW! Also, because of the postal strike, you may be getting your holiday card in like...July? I don't know. I hope you get your postcard I sent, some of the Americans have gotten theirs, which means that they made it across the border before the strike. But I don't know if they ALL made it! I feel like I'm running some kind of Postcard Amazing Race. Will they make it? I DON'T KNOW!
Okay, finally, I have run out of things to say. Going to go fill up my coffee now. Bye!
I loved everything about this comment. I would love to hear a tell-all from Rex about his boarding experience. What other shenanigans were those dogs getting into?! I need to know!
DeleteOh, MAN!! I can't imagine the mess she would have made in our room. However, maybe if she did sleep in the same room as us, we would hear her getting sick and could have dealt with it faster. Maybe it would have been BETTER!
We DID get that wrapping paper at Costco. We are Kirkland's bitches and I've come to terms with that. Your postcard DID GET HERE. I keep meaning to write another post about all my snail mail, but LIFE IS HAPPENING. Thank you, Nicole. It's not David's penis, but what is?
Seeing you cat and tree reminds me of the kids’ cat and the tree skirt. I should post it for Caturday, tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI think it's every cat's human to post a photo of them under the tree.
DeleteHooray!!! Zelda is better- it worked! So it was all worth it, right? She looks fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. i'm appreciating our tree, but every time I see a picture of a tree with white lights, I wish we had done that. Well, I lost that battle. Maybe someday.
The only thing I can think of for my Christmas list is books. As long as I get my Christmas Book Flood, I don't care about much else.
i'm glad you didn't do what I did and forget about your advent calendar until December 5th. You would have had a lot of puzzle to make up! I want to get that puzzle advent calendar for my sister next year, but I have to think of it early, so it gets to her in time.
It IS worth it. She's going to be fine and I'm so happy!
DeleteI did forget to do the puzzle until the 2nd, so I had to do two one day and it wasn't so bad. My husband did one and I did the other.
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that Zelda is no longer radioactive and that the treatment worked! It was worth all the effort and strife! She looks gorgeous, and your Christmas tree is so pretty! My Christmas present will be a trip to San Francisco for another eye check up. I don't really want to go, but we'll make the most of it.
ReplyDeleteOh, well, she's still radioactive until the end of January, but it's WORTH IT.
DeleteI hope your San Fran trip goes well. I know it's stressful, but at least you get to go somewhere fun.
I am so happy to hear that Zelda is doing well! Phew! What a relief!
ReplyDeleteThe only person that buys me a gift for Christmas is my MIL. My parents do socks + cash and Phil and I don't exchange gifts. But this is how I like it! I don't want any gifts... I would rather just buy what I need. I know this makes me terribly unfun but Phil is the same way. My MIL asked for gift ideas and I said - you know he only wants cash, right? But she keeps trying to come up with something. I asked for gift cards to restaurants for date nights. I'd also like some Galison brand puzzles but last time I asked for that, she got a different kind of puzzle and I am so so picky about puzzles...
Well, as you can tell from my list, I only want gifts that are things I would buy. Honestly, if I don't get those things for Christmas, I will buy them for myself in January. So I get you on not wanting random gifts. Although if anyone wants to send me random scarves, socks, notebooks, and pens, I wouldn't be mad about it or anything.
DeleteYay for good pet health! I want a stick vac for my car (I am so wild LOL)
ReplyDeleteThe last time we were at Costco, I was lulled into buying the $40 stick vac for our car AND IT DOESN'T WORK. So...back to square one on that. I did not ask for that for Christmas, though, because that would be like opening a blender. No fun AT ALL.
DeleteYay hooray Zelda!!!!! I am so relieved and happy!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am SHOCKED that you don't have a black scarf. Well. Okay, maybe less shocked than I was when I originally read it. I guess I can see you purposely eschewing a black scarf in favor of color. I think I have a plain black scarf -- at least, I bought one. I remember very clearly wearing it when I was newly pregnant and trying to disguise my tum from my coworkers with a series of giant scarves. One was definitely black. I also have a black scarf-like thing that is kind of dressy, so I can wear it to dressy occasions, and a black scarf/shawl thing that is also fancy but provides more shoulder coverage than the scarf-like thing. This is too much information.
I have a couple of black scarves with things on them, but I want a solid black scarf to wear with dresses with patterns/prints.
DeleteThere is no such thing as too much information about scarves in my world, Suzanne. I want to know EVERYTHING.
I am so glad Zelda's treatment worked. Hopefully you'll be back to normal relations soon, with unlimited cuddles.
ReplyDeleteOh, friend, I gave up on the restrictions weeks ago. She's back to sleeping on me for at least an hour every day. And I love it!
DeleteI'm so glad to hear Zelda Kitty is doing well!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I was THRILLED with the text from the vet.
DeleteSO happy for this Zelda Update. She looks great. Isn't it just the best feeling when all your worry, hopes, and hard work actually have the desired result? I'm really happy for you.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing on my wish list is a pair of warm mittens. Honestly, I don't need anything else. I'm just tired of having cold hands when I take my walks.
Oh, man, Nance, if you don't get those mittens, I will be SO UPSET. It's such a reasonable ask!
DeleteHooray for Zelda’s improvement and for solid stools. That ranks up there as a sentence I never thought I’d type. Love the puzzle time. Your tree is so pretty. For Christmas I would like my fireplace equipped with an auto start thing. I will not be getting that.
ReplyDeleteHa. It's such an adult thing to ask for a gift that is something for the house. I'd like someone to fix the warped planks on our deck. Alas, I will not be getting that, either.
DeleteYay for normal bloodwork and solid stools! Like Ernie, a sentence I never thought I'd type :)
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I are doing that exact same puzzle, since I saw it here and bought one for myself and she thought the idea sounded cool, so I bought one for her also. I was secretly hoping she would pick a different design and we could swap next year, but no, she liked the same one that I (and you) have. I did get my mother a very different one though, so at least I can swap with her! I was worried that it would not be hard enough to be fun and instead I'm finding it the exact right amount of engaging.
We just did Day 7 and it's starting to get more challenging now that there aren't any edge pieces! We did it without too much fuss, though. I really like the idea of swapping the calendar with someone else who has a puzzle advent calendar. Super smart.
DeleteI'm so glad Zelda's treatment worked. You must be so relieved.
ReplyDeleteListen, after having two kids I have talked A LOT about poop. I'm cool with it.
I love the puzzle advent calendar. That feels like my "speed" for a puzzle challenge.
I didn't even think twice about talking about her poop. Poor Hannah. She has no internet privacy.
DeleteIt has been a really nice way to sort of quiet down at night to take 5-10 minutes to do the puzzle. We are both enjoying it a lot.
So happy Zelda is on the mend and so is Hannah. What a relief.
ReplyDeleteAlso how fun you do the puzzle together. Love it.
Yes, it is a relief that they're both doing so much better! It certainly makes the holidays more festive.
DeleteI'm so happy for good pet news! 🩷
ReplyDeleteIt is such happy news!
DeleteYAY!!! I'm so glad to hear that Zelda's treatment worked, that is FABULOUS news! You made my day! ALSO, that Hannah is feeling better, what a relief! Hooray for firm poop! WHEW!
ReplyDeleteWe just put our tree up, and I finished the last of my Christmas cards, and we're listening to Christmas music on the TV, and I got out of going to a Christmas tea today that I didn't want to go to (the bad news is that the reason I don't have to go is because it was cancelled, because my MIL fell and is too sore to deal with it. I'm choosing to look at the silver lining that I don't have to go). My neighbor let me borrow her dog for a few hours while she is out, so today is a pretty darned good day. Also, it's been a BUSY week, so I finally have time to sit down and look at some blogs. YAY!
Look at you getting into the holiday spirit! Woot woot! I also had some time to look at blogs and catch up a little bit and that made my weekend a little brighter.
DeleteBEST NEWS EVERRRRR about Zelda. I have been wondering about her! I am just so glad the treatment worked and she's going to be A-OK. Phew.
ReplyDeleteA puzzle advent calendar is such a great idea. I also like the thought of working on a big puzzle just 40ish pieces a day and, like, you KNOW those pieces are all going to fit together in some way. It would be a lot less overwhelming if more puzzles were like that! (This may defeat the entire POINT of puzzles but whatever.)
YES! Yesterday's 40 pieces were kind of hard, but we knew they all had to fit, so it was a lot easier than if it were just a regular 1000 piece puzzle. I really am now a big fan of the puzzle advent calendar.
DeleteI am so glad to hear Zelda's tretament worked, hurray! I got Hamilton tickets for the whole family so my wishlist for Christmas is fulfilled. Maybe a book or two?
ReplyDeleteYay for a wishlist fulfilled so early on!
DeleteThis whole post is so many good things, but especially Zelda! All the love for her being better. Way to go, kitty, that's how we celebrate the holidays here.
ReplyDeleteEgads. Such good news last week, but SHE'S ALREADY GOT ANOTHER VET APPOINTMENT TODAY because she's a kitty whose GI system is all out of whack. Why can't they just be healthy?!
DeleteI'm so glad Zelda's bloodwork came back good and Hannah's issues hae subsided :D
ReplyDeleteYes, fingers crossed everything is normal for a while now!
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