Hi all,
Jazz---We cross posted last time, so wanted to say bummer in the summer on the staycay that ended up more stressful than it should have been. :/ Between your daughter's situation and an overdose of mom and the hubby and !driving it's almost enough to make work look better. LOL, I said almost.
This is a problem I've noted w/staycays. You're still there to do everything that might need to be done. Which is lucky for your daughter and family and I'm sure you felt good about being there, and of course there's always the silver lining, your darlin' grands. Still, note to self, sometimes to truly get away from it all you have to truly go away! Sounds like you're feeling much more rested and back on the wagon. Yay you!
Wow, that dog food thing is scary. We have always given our dogger healthy human food. She gets dog food but doesn't eat a lot of it if there's better human scraps to be had. LOL, we're the heathens that have always fed our dogs from the table, but we train them how to do this in a polite fashion. Both would/will sit next to one of us and wait for a treat, which they both would/will eat daintily off the tip of a fork. They never bother our guests, they know this means a scolding and no more food. Our current dogger, blind and old can still do this as if sitting at a 5 star restaurant. Her nose leads the way. Haha, at least we've never given them a seat and place setting.
Nic---While on the dog subject wanted to answer your question. Our gal is doing pretty darn well. We have her AND US in our new place routine. For so many years we just opened up the door and out she ran into our big fenced in yard. Oh and run she did! Like a dog track, around and around the house, ears flying. She loved that, she was a dogger of high spirits. SIGH. That's all gone now. Blind dogs don't run of course, and they rarely ever bark either. She also doesn't have any interest in walks anymore, which she used to love, but now has to be dragged along, so we have just bowed to who she is now and chosen not to drag her anywhere except out to poop and pee.
OTOH, she loves her car rides and we take her everywhere we can, weather permitting. She still loves to hang her head out the window and feel the wind. She still loves us and will give kisses upon demand. She is happiest when we are both here, she absolutely knows when one of us is gone, particularly her dad. She loves laying/sleeping on the rug in front of the oven when something that smells good is cooking.
All in all we feel she still has a "good enough" quality of life. She'll be 16 this thanksgiving. We are both very invested in keeping an eye on that QOL and will make our decisions accordingly.
So, long answer, but thanx for asking and good for me to type out my thoughts. I just lovz her so much, and my hubby---well, she is really his sweetheart. One of the hard things about knowing the sands are running out of her hourglass is that it is doubtful we will get another dog. For a couple of good reasons. And that stabs my heart. Sorry for the sad stuff.
Oh girl, you've got it goin' on! That's a lot of stressors you listed. Particularly w/your hubby's neck issues and what to do and when. The other stuff will come and go and knowing you, you'll pretty much sail thru it once you set your mind to it. The possibility of a longer medical situation w/hubby probably sits above it all like a possible storm cloud moving in.
So, I'm hoping for you that you guys get a treatment diagnosis, the sooner the better, even if you choose not to act on it immediately. But knowing what it's going to be and what it's going to take, and setting plans in motion to make it work as smoothly as possible could remove a lot of "background" stress and put you guys on the road in the driver's seat.
Trig---Oh, "The Women!" I too have seen that one at least 3 times, and always love it. And you're right, the way things were "acted" then was quite different. Ha, my son won't watch this stuff w/me. He says "Mom, who talks like that?" But I love it because it's like being a bug on the wall of a different time and place. I love looking at the clothing and decor and cars and just everything that speaks of another time. Closest thing to a time machine we're gonna get.
Lori---You are such an "influencer." You're always on the latest stuff. Had never heard of Poshmark, so googled it. Very interesting. Will look forward to hearing more about how this works for you.
steadyed---
Again, you seem in a very good place. I can hear your confidence.
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We have had a lovely weekend, but the best was my hubby's movie party yesterday.
Our place has a "movie room." It is fab. Huge screen TV, 10 comfy theater chairs, as well as other tables and chairs that can be pulled up, full kitchen and gorgeous views all around---although also great filter shades that come down at the press of a button to make it comfortably dim to watch a movie.
When hubby first saw that, he said "I'm going to do movie parties here." He is a movie fan to the max! Took him a bit to get it going, but he had his first one yesterday. He invited 10 friends, and made a yummy picnic lunch. Everyone got there at noon and noshed and chatted. Movie started at 1PM.
And oh my, the movie was one of the best I've seen in forever. Definitely now on my top 10 movies of all time---not that you could actually ever really name you're top 10, or at least I couldn't, but when I see one as good as this one it is nice to just throw it on your "generic top 10."
"Green Book." Not new, but not that old either. Was a sleeper till it won some unexpected oscars last year, but is still a bit of a sleeper in terms of people who have not seen it. Too many of those, and they are really missing something. Half those at hubby's party had not seen it, including me. The other half had seen it, a couple more than twice.
For me, this movie has it ALL. It is brilliantly acted and shot. It is HI-larious at times, poignant, dear, sweet, angering, and redemptive at other times. From the moment it started I just fell in and it only got better and better and better.
If you go and read the premise, you may say meh. I had heard of it, and didn't feel driven to see it. Now that I have, I say run don't walk to watch it.
Yesterday was a treat day, but happy to report not a MONDO treat day. I am working on this---The idea that a treat day/meal doesn't have to be a hog wilder, or more often for me, even a half hog wilder.
When I get to a treat day, my evil twin often whispers in my ear, "better eat more now, because tomorrow the door clanks shut again for days!"
Yeah, I laugh, but there is truth here. It is not rare for me to think, better have another helping, or another bite, or another anything not on plan, because the sands in the hour glass are running out!
So, I would describe yesterday as a "baby treat day." And that's where I'd like to end up more of the time on treat days. Back on plan today---and I notice it is much easier to get back on plan after a "baby treat day" then after a mondo treat Day. Which btw, for me, we are talking about dinner, always, and then what treats I might snatch after it before the sands run out.
Get the ribs....the shrimp....the crab....the salmon or whatever it takes. buy good zero meats and eat up as much as ya need....gotta flush out that sugar outta ya 
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