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.

via

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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