He will be able to be neutered with a special anesthesia protocol. He does have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.His murmur is grade IV/VI. He will stay on the blood thinner and after he is neutered, we will add a second med. They can’t tell us how fast it will progress. The second medication will help relax the heart muscle. The findings: -There…
Arrived! LiteAF Backpack: Lightweight Gear for Hiking Adventures
On the 5th day of Christmas, the postman brought to me my LiteAF backpack that I ordered back in October! I was so excited that it arrived almost one month early. It weighs in at 48 ounces and takes off 3.5 pounds from my other backpacking backpack. This will significantly help me keep my total pack weight below 40 pounds…
Caring for River: Our Journey with His Heart Condition
It’s Christmas Eve! Marty is at work tonight and I’m sitting around with the fur babies. He’s hopefully going to get off early from the nightshift to go to Midnight Mass with us. The cats got a new cat tree, some dental treats and a sardine can toy. They love the new tree! It will be shredded in a month.…
Rediscovering Christmas Cards: A Heartfelt Tradition
For the first time in 9 years, I have Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas Day! Woo Hoo! Christmas has been a struggle for me since my family was broken up. I know people don’t like to hear about that part, but it is completely normal for women to feel this way after abandonment– even 9 years later. This…
Healing Through Decluttering: Letting Go
Last month, I was sorting through a few things in our guest bedroom. Nine years ago, I shoved so much stuff in the closets to get it off the floor that the doors barely close. Some of it has just been shuffled from one shelf to another or from one closet to another. I donated boxes and boxes of books.…
Oakley Meta Glasses
What have you been reading? I’m currently reading a book on Bats titled The Secret Lives of Bats. During my recent travels for work, I also listened to what I call brain candy – a few more of the Stephanie Plum novels. I completed the 31st book. In the beginning after BD, I started reading these funny, lighthearted books just…
Crater Lake National Park
I flew into Medford, Oregon on Sunday afternoon. I made a beeline for the rental car and drove 2 hours to meet my nephew. Can you believe that I have not seen my nephew since 1992!? My nephew was born in 1985. I was still in high school and trying to graduate and escape. I joined the military as soon…
Family Tradition: Picking Christmas Trees in North Carolina’s Mountains
Yesterday after work, we drove to the North Carolina mountains to pick a Christmas tree. Not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway is a place called Frosty’s. We are blessed to live so close to the Blue Ridge Mountains and to call North Carolina home. The last three years we’ve found small farms in North Carolina to find our trees.…
Creative Advent & Christmas Gifts – Family Traditions
Happy Thanksgiving! Can you believe that Advent begins Sunday! Where did 2025 go!? It seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye. It hardly seems like Marty and I have been married for just over a year, that is for sure. We’ve done so many fun, adventurous things in the last year and are looking forward to…
Searching for White Squirrels in Brevard- FOUND!
The last several months have been crazy at work. Anyone with a job can relate to work craziness, right? <smile> I really love my job. It is literally the best company I have ever worked for and we have some really amazing people in our company. We get through the daily grind with a hefty dose of teamwork! In the…
My Little Red Bike 