big flood

I should write more often. Time gets away from me, but I need to comment on the great flood here. Although the official amount of rain for Nashville was about 14 inches in two days, we had about 19 inches. And we were trapped here in the neighborhood. In fact, Hwy 96, Hwy 100, I40, Old Harding, and just about all the roads were closed. The power was off, we had no water (we found out later a main had burst ) and no phone. BUT- we didn't flood here on top of the hill. So many people in Bellevue lost everything. Now you drive down the roads and all the possessions of these poor families are out on the street to be picked up. Water laden dry wall, beds, appliances, boxes of who knows what- all out to be thrown away. Mom and Dad were flooded from the Harpeth in their finished basement. We have been helping out, throwing soggy everything away. It is so hard on them, and they are too old to deal with it all. Jon and I went to stay at Rebecca's house. She and Matt were in Seattle, and I was so glad to have a place to go to. When we could finally leave the neighborhood, we had to pick up the Natchez Trace on Hwy 100 before the closed area, drive to Leiper's Fork, drive down Old Hillsboro (where we found gas, thank goodness) and on to Hillsboro to Old Hickory to Hwy 100. In other words, we drove about 50 miles to go 10 miles, but it was the only way. We had Rebecca's cat in the car and Elsie. Somehow they knew to behave. I can hardly believe that I have all those pioneers in my ancestry. I felt like such a wimp, and I'm still pining for my land line phone!! Who knows when we'll have that again. We were at Rebecca's for four nights until the power came on and we had water again.
I wonder if the people will try to rebuild in the areas that flooded. Although the flooding has never happened before, I sure wouldn't feel good living there. People died here in Nashville! A good friend lost her home and all possessions. No one had flood insurance in these areas, because they weren't flood zones. I just don't know what will happen to them. How sad. Even in our house water poured in the basement where the water line comes in. Never happened before. I'm filling that gap up with concrete!
In addition we bought a condominium in Navarre Beach Florida. It is lovely, but now we are dealing with the oil spill and the prospect of the beautiful white sands covered with oil and tar. The fishermen will be out of work, and the animals will be suffering. It is a sad time in so many places.

Long time, no write Now in Seattle

Big summer for us. The wedding for Rebecca was in June and it was great. Everything went smooth as silk, and everyone had fun. Especially the bride! I've never seen anyone have so much fun at her own wedding. Then on August 8, Rob and Amelia's baby was born, my first grandchild. Zachary Lee Wright was 7 lbs, 10 oz. We've been up here for two weeks and he has changed so much in that time. Now Zach is also known as Zachleewright, pronounced Zak lee right. It has been great staying here in Magnolia on the water, but I am so ready to get home. On a sad note, Bella died and after a while I adopted another Rottie from the pound in Clarkesville. Elsie is a beautiful about 9 month old Rottweiler. I hope that she remembers me when I get home. I'm ready for my life to get back to a routine. This has been a Busy, Exciting summer. The sad part, so sad that I can hardly think about it, was Bella's death. I loved that dog. I still love her.

I hope that I get my act together and write more. There is lots to write about. And I'll post some photos too if I remember how!

Writing again

I have no excuse for not writing in the blog. Things are happening though. Rebecca is finally getting married, and the big date is June 6, 2009. Rebecca is marrying a detective, and that meshes well with her job as a DA. AND- very exciting- Rob and Amelia are going to have a baby the first part of August! I pray that everything goes well. I've been hoping for this for a long time. Rob sent the first ultrasound of "little Wright" It was too early to tell the sex. I looked at that and just cried. So this will be a big summer. Jon and I will go to Seattle for a couple of weeks, and we are planning on driving up again. We'll take a different route this time. The U. S. is such a big country and I loved the drive last time. Well, most of it!

Right now we are in the winter doldrums. It is hard to get motivated to do a whole lot. Jon is going to the boat tomorrow and start getting it ready to send to Rob in Seattle. Rob is paying for it to be shipped all the way up there. I think they are both crazy. People who get addicted to boats have some real problems. I have a primo example living here. The old adage is true- a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.

I'll be writing more about the wedding. I guess I'll move into high gear around May. Right now the church and reception hall are reserved. The caterer has his deposit as does the florist. The invitations are here. Rebecca has the photo guy and cake lady set along with the DJ. She still has her dress from the last time, and the bridesmaids are suited up. All will be well. Let us hope.

Time flies

I can't believe it was March when I last wrote in this Blog. The elevator is finished, and the process was a pain in the patooty, just as I thought it would be. And I still haven't taken a ride on the elevator. I am afraid of enclosed places, and that is sure enclosed. It does have a phone in it in a box, and I put a flashlight in there too. It is nicely decorated. I have an oriental rug (very small) on the floor and a painting hung in there. The walls are cherry. It is really nice looking. Jon doesn't try to make me ride it, but everyone else does. We had a party last Saturday. It was a Summer Solstice party. The longest day of the year. Now the days will get shorter and shorter. Damn. But I digress. The party- it was a success since no one cried or threw up. The food catered by La Dos Divas was yummy. Everyone had to wear a name tag. I think that this helps to break the ice. It also saves you from desperately trying to remember a name. All that is needed is a discreet look down to the chest.

I haven't done any of the pottery that I told myself I would do this summer. Who knows what I do with my time. And why is is so hard to get up in the morning? I think that I must go. I'll try to write more later- before three months have passed.

Installing an elevator

First question- why didn't we do that when we built this house eight years ago? It would have been sooooo much easier. However, here we are. Jon really needs a knee replacement, and he is convinced that he'll be a crippled old man- any day now. Where to put the elevator to run from the basement and garage, to the main floor and then up to the top story. Well, it turns out that it will be in my closet with the main floor door opening into the bedroom. Fortunately, the closet is 10.5 feet by 22 feet. And the elevator cab will be on Jon's side taking up 4 by 5 feet. That's really ok, because we can put new rods, shelves or whatever on the walls where the elevator is. That is really the least of the problems though. Number one that is being worked on now is that the upstairs heating and air has to be moved, and the ducts in the basement also must be moved. A large mess and expense. The concrete floor in the basement has to be cut out, and framing is necessary. Electrical work is part of the project along with painting, etc etc. My nerves are ok for now, but I'll let you know more later. I'm really afraid to get on the elevator , but Bella will enjoy it as her arthritis makes going up and down difficult.

dog problems

Poor Bella. She has had a hard life, and if dogs are reincarnated, she'll come back to live in the lap of luxury. Oh wait, she already does live in the lap of luxury, but NEXT time she'll be healthy and will always have a home.

I rescued Bella about 5 years ago. She was an abused dog who had been dumped in the pound with a litter of pups. When I went up to Kentucky to get her, Bella was so terribly thin and had kennel cough. She also had a terrible case of separation anxiety. We worked on it for a long time. I would leave and then pop right back in repeatedly. Then I stretched the time out and tried to have someone here when I left. Of course I didn't see this, but Jon and Rebecca told me that she wailed and cried when I left.

Bella gained weight and was truly doted upon. I love her so much. One day about six months after I got her, Bella got really sick. She was so tired, didn't eat, was thirsty all the time. I took her to the vet and he called to say that she was in kidney failure. How could that be? But then, he said that we should check her for Addison's disease, and sure enough, that is what she had. There was an amazing change in a few days. Her Addison's was managed beautifully with a monthly shot of Percortin and a small dose of Predisone.

Then in September of 2006 we rushed Bella to the vet because she had a urinary obstruction. She had bladder stones and an infection. The emergency vet performed surgery and Bella healed up pretty quickly. But then, she had repeated infections and last week Bella had surgery again for stones. The first stones were Struvite stones, usually caused by infections, but these were calcium oxalate stones. She had seen a vet internal medicine specialist, but she didn't really have any solutions.

Sadly my vet had a fit of frustration ,and told me that he didn't want to see Bella anymore. I won't go into my opinion of that behaviour. Trust me that it is pretty low, and I should have trusted some gut instincts. He was just in over his head with this complicated health problems with Bella. A good friend whose dog has Cushings recommended her vet. I took Bella today and he prescribed potassium citrate to prevent the oxalate stones, repeated urinalysis to check for infection, and to put her back on the predisone on a low dose. The internal medicine vet wanted her off of the corticorsteroids and only on the mineralcorticodes (percortin). In the end, I was receiving so many different orders that it was impossible to keep up with. I just want someone to help me to keep Bella feeling ok, and to let her live out the rest of her life as pain free and happy as possible. I hope that I have found this someone to help Bella and me.

I've mined the web sites repeatedly looking for a magic bullet. There isn't one of course, and I know that one day Bella will die. It is so hard to love your pet and then lose them. I'm old enough to have loved and lost quite a few furry children. If there is a heaven I just know it wouldn't be paradise without them there.