Rolling Through a Busy October

To be honest, I couldn't think of a really WOW topic for this week's post, but I had to put something out there for my five or so readers, so here's the best I could come up with -- an October review.

Oh my! October was packed with events for my family. In addition to Cloee's and Richard's birthday, we also included a trip to Gainesville and cataract surgery. At times during this hectic month, we survived by putting one foot in front of the other.

The month began with a visit to the veterinarian concerning Cloee's Sweet Pea. The mini dachshund was very much in pain and refused to walk. The very nice vet determined that she had a slipped disc in her neck, an event that is very common for this breed. In hopes of preventing the $4,000 surgery for repair, we were instructed to keep her in a kennel for two weeks, giving her the prescribed steroids, muscle relaxers and pain meds. I started preparing Cloee with phrases like "She is a dog, not a person," "Sometimes there are hard decisions in life," and  "$4,000 could pay for a nice vacation" in the event the meds didn't work.  I'm happy to report a full recovery.

In early October, we made a trip to Gainesville to visit my daughter Kelsey for the day. After lunch out, we explored Payne’s Prairie via the La Chua Trail. If you have never been there, this Florida State Park is really something to see. According to the website, “More than 20 distinct biological communities provide a rich array of habitats for wildlife and livestock, including alligators, bison, horses and more than 270 species of birds.” The day of our visit, part of the park was closed for a restoration project so we didn’t see the bison or horses and only saw one gator. Still, it is a beautiful place to visit.

Cloee had an exciting month which began with her getting her braces off. Now she has a beautiful smile with straight teeth. 

Her birthday is October 26 so that meant a party with six friends. This was her first party with just friends, no family, so she decided to celebrate at a local pottery painting center. Little girls get excited about turning double digits.

Our next major October event was Richard’s cataract surgery. This procedure is not a big deal anymore to most people, but it was a first in our family. He recovered in time to celebrate his birthday on the 29^th with his favorite – a pineapple upside down cake.

We closed out the month with Halloween and Cloee dressed a Native American princess. She and I made the costume together. She designed it, I sewed it and then she glued the ribbon on. It was a very inexpensive costume and a lot of fun to make together.

October was indeed busy, and I'm sure events will be nonstop for November and December because of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We'll handle them like we always do -- step by step and together.