Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The German Shepherd Hodgepodge

We visited our daughter's family last weekend. Her husband had drawn a map, freehand, on the patio doors. I thought it was so fun, I had to show you, of course. Who else has Europe and Africa on their back deck in the snow??

We had to run to town for a bit last evening and no kidding, it felt and looked just like January out there. I am so thankful for my trusty little Jeep which should be living in the garage, but happened to be sitting out for a while.

Oldie But Goodie



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1. We celebrate Veteran's Day in the US of A on November 11th. When did you last interact with a member of the armed forces (either currently serving or retired)? Recently. Have you ever written a letter to a soldier, bought a meal or coffee for a solider, said an unprompted thank you to a soldier you encountered out and about somewhere? Yes. If you're not in the US, comment on a similar holiday in your own country.

 Veterans of WWII
My Dad and My Father-in-Law

2. You can have fifty pounds of anything at all (except money)...what would you choose?

Fifty pounds worth of young German Shepherd Dog.

3. When did you last receive an invitation in the 'real' mail? What was it for and did you attend? When it comes to RSVP-ing, are you an 'early responder' or a 'last minute, barely-under-the-wire' kind of guest?

It was probably a wedding and I probably did attend. Or it might have been a baby shower, and I may or may not have attended. It partly has to do with whether or not I could avoid playing the stupid games played at so many baby showers. I wonder why they don't play geography or history or even word games.  Is there anyone who actually likes baby shower games?? 

Yes, I'm a great RSVPer. I would have RSVPed, but even faster if there was a phone number where I could text my response. Ignoring the RSVP is inconsiderate in any situation.

4. What's something you really don't like to waste?

 amazon.com

I hate wasting nice packaging. I know, you'd think I had lived through The Great Depression, and I do make myself throw it out, but there are so many great plastic packages (Stax potato chips containers, ground turkey trays, sturdy cardboard tubing that comes inside Saran Wrap - that horrid stuff - but that kind of thing) that I would have loved to play with when I was a kid. There's so much a kid could make out of those great containers. I am cursed with the ability to look at almost any given object and think, 'Wow, that would make a great...'  Don't worry, I do get rid of them, but sometimes it takes a while few years while.

5. Cheers, Friends, MASH, Seinfeld...of the ones listed, your favorite long-running sitcom?

I've never watched 'Cheers' or 'Friends.' I watched MASH a lot when I was young. Seinfeld, I've seen a handful of episodes. Sitcoms are not my favorites. British mysteries and documentaries (American Experience, Frontline, etc.) are my favorite. Was MASH really a sitcom?

6. What decision are you glad you made?

Marrying Mr. C. It was a good decision. I won't show a photo because it scares me to this day to see how young we were. At least that's one thing I don't have to worry about any more - being young, that is.

7. In this month of 'Thanksgiving' what is one thing that's different today than it was a year ago that you're grateful for?

I'm so grateful that our daughter's family lives 2 hours away instead of 11 (by car).  It means we actually get to see them and the grandkids once in a while.

Is Grandpa telling secrets?

And I'm grateful for this sweet little girl,
born last spring. Did I mention that she has the longest, curly eyelashes ever?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The little sweetie pictured above has eczema, as did her brother (above) when he was younger. The only thing that finally helped him was Singulair, a drug used primarily to treat asthma. It was discovered that a side effect of Singulair is that it helped alleviate the symptoms of eczema. The baby, now 7 months old, was just put on Singulair a couple days ago. This photo was taken before that time, so her cheeks are pretty itchy, hot, and red. Anyway, our daughter reports that the baby's skin is already better, and even more importantly, she doesn't itch constantly as she had before. How miserable that must be for a baby (and for the mama who has sleepless nights, trying to protect the baby from scratching herself and drawing blood).

Moral of the story? If you know someone who is suffering from eczema, tell them about Singulair. It was prescribed by the allergist. Even the dermatologist was completely unfamiliar with it.


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53 comments:

  1. Love the snow and curly eyelashes. :)
    Warm Woolie Hugs

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  2. Such an interesting post, I'd have fifty pounds worth of dog any day :)

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  3. Fifty pounds of dog is a good answer : ) Your little grand girl is a doll...hoping she is feeling better soon. I'm glad they found something to provide relief.

    The snow! Not.ready.for.that.

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  4. Somebody knows their geography! Interesting about the Singulair helping your grandchildren's excema. I'm glad it's helping the dear little ones.

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  5. Thanks for that Singular report Judy!! What an answer to prayer for those who struggle with this. Hope you stay warm and cozy! Here the highs will be in the 40s and the lows in the 20s so not too bad.

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  6. Great idea on the door:) Great geography lesson and that SNOW? OH MY! Very interesting post! Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!

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  7. 50 lbs. of baby German Shepherd? I love that answer!
    So glad they found something to help your grandbabies, it's so hard when they are suffering and you can't help.

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  8. Great post- I love reading these, Judy. I always feel like I know you just a bit better.

    I, too, don't like those shower games but the last couple I have they passed out precut banner pieces and had you write a "tip" on them for the new mother. I thought that was a cute idea.

    One of my grands had eczema, too, but outgrew it after a bit. It comes out in the sun though every summer but it is not too bad. I am glad they found something that worked for the kids. It is miserable. xo Diana

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  9. Enjoyed your post! I think 50 lbs of German Shepherds is a good choice!

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  10. Judy, great responses and fun to see your grandbaby with the long lashes. She is adorable, and I share how nice it is to be near them. I can't believe the snow pattern or how he accomplished that feat! And the German Shepherd pups! Very cute.

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  11. One of our grandsons suffered so with eczema when he was a baby. I wished we had known about Singulair then. He's 16 now and mostly grown out of it, but still has a flare up every now and then.

    Your Jeep needs a blanket. She looks cold!

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  12. Bless your little granddaughter's heart! I never knew that Singulair could help relieve it. I heard on the news the other days that limiting the numbers of baths a week for infants can greatly reduce the chances of developing eczema.

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    1. You are going to laugh at this, but the latest view among dermatologists is to bathe them several times a day to avoid bacteria build up. I'm not kidding. Sounds so counter intuitive, doesn't it!

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  13. i want 50 pounds of GOLD.. but I do love the shepherds.. and i am so with you 100 percent on the nice packages.. i recycle what i can and use them for all kinds of things. the one i really hate to toss is the tall can that 3 tennis balls comes in... years ago we watched the reruns of Seinfeld. that was before DVR and we had nothing to watch since we go to bed so early.
    i am sending the info on Singulair to my dauther in law now.

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  14. Poor baby and brother suffering from eczema . . .
    My brother end suffered from it when he was young, (still does). I remember my mom soaking towels in something and wrapping his legs. If it wasn't the eczema it was his asthma. Very sickly . . .

    Wonderful news if this prescription works!

    Bravo for your Jeep! I think you have SNOW!

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  15. Good morning! Well I for one cannot wait to tell my daughter about this medication! Her oldest, Sam suffers from this too, and she fights it only with special lotions and creams. It's funny. It's mainly on his poor little legs. Does there seem to be any side effects at all to this medication? Enjoyed this post as always!

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  16. Good morning, Judy! It's always a joy seeing your sweet family :)

    The map on the screen is so much fun - I love it!

    Happy Wednesday, my friend. Hugs!

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  17. I always enjoy your hodgepodge posts! They are a mix of op-ed, entertaining stories, and public service announcements...and always interesting! :D

    Love the patio door map! I am not a fan of sitcoms either, but I do enjoy baby shower games. (I like almost all games, although word games are the best.) And I am happy to hear that there is a remedy for that darling girl's eczema. (I used to have eczema on my arms, so I know how miserable it is. Mine disappeared after I was treated with a drug for another illness.)

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  18. Always love reading your hodgepodge. Love the snow and your grandchildren

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  19. so glad the singulair is helping!

    the map is cool. i liked your 'decorated' jeep. :)

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  20. Your grandchildren are precious. Thanks for sharing about Singulair as a treatment for skin. So thankful she is improving.

    The map was a lot of fun to see.

    Stay warm today.

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  21. Glad to hear that a side effect for a drug can be helpful instead of harmful. She is a cutie.

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  22. Yes, it does feel and look like January. I'm not too keen on bitter cold this early in the season.

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  23. Glad to learn about the Singulair. My daughter developed some on one of her hands and we had to buy a $60. prescription cream that works like a charm, but sounds like the Singulair works just as well.

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  24. How interesting! I take Singular, but for allergies. Our son had this exact same eczema when he was two and three. Back then they did not have these drugs. She is adorable and I am glad they found what is helping. With my son, we discovered it happened when he ate eggs and got them on his face, it was contact eczema. The map is so cool, I especially like the turtle! The vets around here have it hard. There are many standing on the highways holding a sign. One had even brought his medical records so people would believe him!

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  25. Very interesting blog.
    Geography. Cool way of show and tell.
    Oh yes nice long eyelashes. Cutie pie.

    Oh you got snow alright.

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  26. Hi It's been a while! That map is amazing! I can hardly draw stick figures. ;) I actually haven't seen MASH .. I think it was on before i was born and i haven't watched it on TV LAND much.

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  27. I don't like the wasteful packaging either. Our favorite grocery store puts fresh veggies in styrofoam containers..thinker than the ones for meat. What a waste. Stay warm today! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  28. I always love your photos!! That one of your Jeep covered in snow made me shiver, though! I HATE the games that seem to be mandatory at showers, and that is the main reason I refuse to attend most of them. I have boldly said NO to playing the games, if I did feel obligated to attend. I always give a gift! I love the idea - just hate the stupid games. Sigh.

    I will pass along the Singulair hint to a friend who has a 6-year old suffering. Thanks for the tip!

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  29. Thank you so much judy for visiting my blog today. That looks so cold there in wisconsin and all that snow. BRRRRR. I grew up in Illinois and now live in texas. My cousin has a great cabin in Wisconsin which is near oshkosh. Your little grandaughter is just precious. So glad if that singulair helps her out. Eczema is no fun , especially for a little one. Nice to meet you!

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  30. Fun answers here! I love maps...that screen door is quite the use of space...I laughed at the 50 pounds of dogs...your granddaughter is beautiful...they just did a study for a possible breakthrough for lymes Disease (which I am struggling with)by using a known medication in a different way. Glad the Singular is working!~

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  31. Your mister is a very smart man to be able to draw that map! I have an old car I love. My favorite sitcom was Everyone Loves Raymond which i did not watch until it went into reruns!

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  32. I enjoyed reading your answers to your blogger friend Joyce's questions. It is a fun way to get to know someone. In reply to your answer to question 5, it is good to find someone who enjoys British mysteries and documentaries...if possible these are the only stations I would watch. Like you...Marrying my Frank is the best decision I ever made even if it did take time to make it.:)

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  34. Great post of really good things to say.

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  35. As you know, I am very partial to German Shep., thanks for sharing all your pics/Hodgepodge. I too, suffer from eczema. ALSO, thanks, the snow is heading here soon..lol--Blessings

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  36. Your grands area beautiful! So glad they have moved closer to you. Our 9 grands are a 3-day drive away (the kids have to go where the paycheck takes them, right?!).

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  37. Fun! Maps run in the family. ;-) I love it!
    I am so glad Lucy has found something to help her.
    Love the photos.

    Are you getting a puppy??

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  38. Impressive map. My geography sense and knowledge are pretty bad.. Something I always mean to work on but never do. Fun visiting you today, but brrr is it ever cold in your neck of the woods! ;)))

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  39. What a fun post, Judy. I feel like I know you a little better now. :-)
    I too believe you should RSVP one way or the other. I have a baby shower to attend thus sat. and the location was not on the invitation, you would find out when you e mailed in your RSVP. I thought that was a great idea.
    I hate wasting room in the garbage bag. It needs to be completely full before I take it to the garage. Silly I guess.
    I trust you are having a wonderful week?
    Sweet blessings to you, Debbie

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  40. Fun to read your responses. I know the snow gets tiresome, but it's so pretty early in the winter.
    Sweet little grand girl. Glad the pharmacist could recommend something to help her.

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  41. Oh, my! So much snow already!!!
    Your grandchildren are precious (but then you already know that don't you?) Thanks for sharing about Singulair. I hadn't heard that, and my daughter has a mild form of it.

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  42. Dearest Judy,
    First of all, thanks to your Dad and others that did liberate us in Europe! My Parents are forever grateful and so are all people of that generation. The younger generation often is not too kind about all things American but that is mainly because of the liberal media. SAD but a true fact!
    Let's hope this will turn around one more time and make us all a strong nation under God again.
    Happy weekend to you.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  43. I'm wondering how you came up with the idea of fifty pounds of yound German sheperds...

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  44. You're so right about packaging! I don't know if it's good or not, but I often reuse those things I can - plastic drink mix containers, TP rolls (which filled with dryer lint make good fire starters)...and what I can't or don't reuse I recycle at the Transfer Station. I suppose I sound way too "miserly", but why just throw it out if I can reuse it instead of buying? LOL

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  45. Love the map. 50 lbs. of dog--great answer--the only love money can buy. A couple of our granddaughters have eczema, interesting solution! I hope it continues to help your little one.

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  46. It is wonderful that you're able to get over and visit your Grandbabies!! I'm afraid that we're in for another cold winter Judy!! Do stay warm!

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  47. I started taking Singulair over a decade ago for severe asthma and it literally changed my life. A couple of years after I started my doctor asked if I'd noticed an improvement in my seasonal allergies. I had. They were just beginning to realize that it also worked for that. I hadn't heard that it worked for eczema. That's wonderful! I generally prefer natural treatments but Singulair is kind of a wonder drug, in my opinion.

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  48. When our guys were much younger I would save peanut butter jars w/ lids so they could keep bugs in them.

    Very creative to draw a map in the snow.
    Must have taken a long time.

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