Flower

This is Flower, a rescue dog belonging to my oldest and bestest friend, Kris.

She got Flower at the Shelton City Dog Shelter, where she had to enter her name in a drawing to get her.  Kris visited Flower every day, and by the time of the drawing, it seems they were destined to be together.

To me, Flower seemed to be the perfect dog for Kris.  Please forgive me, Kris, but she even resembled you in some ways.  You know they say that people get dogs that look like them.

This picture was taken on a day that Flower was running around and around a big fir tree in order to get that dang squirrel.  She appeared at the front door looking like a Thanksgiving Day centerpiece, all decked out with fir branches and cones.

Flower's special gift was the ability to detect breast cancer.  Kris has a friend that Flower had gotten very personal with.  Every time she saw her, she would nuzzle both of her boobs.  Turns out this friend had cancer in both breasts.

Several years later, she started nuzzling Kris' left breast.  Kris remembered what had happened when Flower did that to her friend, so she made a doctor's appointment.  Sure enough, Kris had a small tumor.  After surgery, radiation, acupuncture and all the other things they recommend for those healing, Kris is in great health with a very small percentage for it re-occurring.

Thanks to Flower.

Sadly, Flower died shortly after Kris's surgery.

I always loved that dog, but especially because she was instrumental in saving my friends' life.

Hip Replacement and Weight Loss

I recently found out that I have to have a total hip replacement.  I'm really looking forward to it because I want to be mobile again.  I saw my surgeon on Tuesday, and let me tell you, he is drop dead gorgeous.  Young, of course, since everyone is young these days.  He looks a lot like Sheldon Cooper, but without the pinched look.  

Anyhow, he says I have to lose 30 pounds before the surgery.  I've already lost 30 pounds this year, but I want to do this quickly since I want to get this done soon.

I researched crash diets for surgery and found the Grapefruit Diet.  A bunch of us at work, back in my previous life, went on this many years ago.  I lost 20 pounds in two weeks!!!

I am hoping for the same success this time.

To help me along and to keep me on program, I am using a tool I used on my kids when they were young and it was December.

Oh, my gosh, on December 1st, they turned into little monsters.  My husband and I would look at each other and say "Where did our boys go?"

For several years, I would have them make a paper chain in green and red paper.  It consisted of 25 links.  Each boy was assigned a color, and each day, one link would be removed by the respective child.  This was amazingly effective.  It allowed them to see how long they had to wait.

Yesterday I made a chain for me consisting of 29 links, since I have already lost one pound.  I didn't have any nice paper on hand so I had to use tablet papers.

So, I am hoping to complete this by Christmas.  It would be the best of presents for me and my family.

Anyone want to join me?