Miscellany | un-fancy trash cans

I use my sweater shave on my carpet. My dog scratches it up often...scratching a spot to lay on...but the sweater shave smooths it out & makes it look new again. It takes a long time to have a rug!

I have that exact paper shredder, apparently, b/c that is my exact bottom! Ha. It lives in my bedroom now (b/c small house woes) and I see it multiple times a day. Funny, when I moved to my small house, I thought, this is IT! I've done it! It took me around nine years to wish for a wee bit more room. DH suggested we get rid of 1/3 of our possessions and maybe I'll try that soon.

Guess what Chiquita butt lol.. always helpin'. I should invest in a shaver. I do have a few shirts that could benefit. Not that I don't wear them pills and all. Resist, survive, and thrive is my motto. Our pocketbooks are our greatest weapon.

Here is what one person did for me today because I happened into their orbit: My husband dropped me off at the hospital because he had a doc appointment. This is my 11th iron infusion and my 5th blood transfusion in the last three months. And I just saw the cardiologist there two days ago. Suddenly I have to reregister and my husband had my wallet so no insurance or ID or I can't get the infusion. I found myself weeping, telling the young woman how often I had been there, how ill I am, how my husband was off for another round of chemo that we had not anticipated. She stared at me for a minute and said, "I am going to make this work. Bureaucracy will not stand in your way." She found my face on an old insurance card photo in the record, so she knew it was me. She verified the rest of my history of recent procedures, made some notes and signed me in. She must have told the infusion department what a wreck was coming their way because they ended up bringing me one of the milkshakes they make to try and put calories into chemo patients. Obviously, she was following the advice of today's quote, Kristen.

We are already being substantially blessed by the two close relatives who flew up on their own dime; both are in construction and they have torn our study to the studs and are rebuilding it. They refuse payment and say they are happy to be spending time with us and each other and to be in Alaska. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Little did I know it takes a village to keep old people going!

And by neighbors who retrieved our Dane when he hopped a 6 ft. fence while we were in the ER, and for good measure their young daughter decided my garden needed watering and just did it before we got home.

And then I came home from today's infusion to the Dane who, for the first time, spontaneously gave me a lick. A year and a half with us and only this week is he freely giving affection. FINALLY. We were beginning to think he would never really bond with us. But he still won't let us cut his toe nails and now we follow the vet's advice and let him continue to chew them off. Weird and seems neglectful, but okay. It is tricky to put giant breeds under and that is what it would take, never mind $700 or so each time.

This probably should have waited until Thursday's usual topic but lately I have needed to force myself to count my blessings because between my health, my husband's cancer, and how we are about to punish the not-wealthy for daring to exist, I am not finding it easy to be cheerful. Your blog and Katy's blog help, too, so thanks for posting so frequently.

What a fun post, Kristen! This is the time of year when I am often in the Land of No Electricity, Phone, or Internet, so I am just catching your posts as I can. Thank you for setting the standard for us out here in Blogland.