Katrina and I dropped Sassi off Monday morning for surgery. We rented a room at a pet friendly hotel and checked in by eleven o'clock. Katrina has been having a lot more health problems and she really needed to rest. It was still raining cats and dogs when we picked up Sassi at four o'clock. We took her back to the hotel where she spent the night crying and being miserable. This morning Sassi was up and she wanted to go home. She kept looking at the luggage and going to the door. Back and forth from Katrina to me to the door to the bags. We got a good report on the surgery at this morning's appointment so we are back at home. There are a gazillion drops to do several times daily plus the collar to deal with. Tomorrow it's an early appointment for Katrina to see if she has to have yet another blood transfusion and so it goes. Thanks to all of you for your kindness and West Gardener thanks for the beautiful sunflower picture. I think I'll herd everyone to bed now and hopefully Sassi can sleep tonight and so can I.

Well, as i sit here, peering out at the snow melting away, i am getting back to thoughts of camping, or a reasonable facsimile of it. Ruth is feeling much better, after her throat opening operation (A gift of many years of smoking.) But, her lungs aren't getting much better. (Another gift of smoking) This summer, i'll probably be going in my little pick-up. I'll make up a cap for it, and sleep in the back, near the terlets! There are 4-5 Bluegrass happenings i'd like to attend, but the price of gasoline will be the factor in that. But, today, here in W. PA., the sun is out, the snow is gasping its last, i have several things to do now, to get ready for summer. Most of the folks from our camping club have gone on, but i do see a few once in a while. They don't go any more. Too tough on the old body to sleep out in a tent, they say. Me? I'm 86 this summer (well, last September) but i still like to sleep out in a tent or camper cap or a motor home. The skeeters take one bite, spit it out, and go on to younger victims! We've had all kinds of campers, from a world war one army tent, to our motor home, with a bunch of tent campers tossed into the mix, and one truck cap. I'd see a cheap panel truck on a car lot, buy it for cheap, drive it a week, then stuff some sleeping bags, a 50 year old gasoline stove, a jug of clean water, a box of food, an old ice chest, and dishes, and go off for a weekend of fishing! Yeah, i looked like a Gypsy, but i had fun. Ruth always said it gave her a rest from housework. I took her fishing once, but she got her hook caught in her jeans more than in a fish! Thats when she decided it'd be much better for me to go with my buddies, and leave her at home! We got into camping way back around 1965. I had the old Army tent stuffed away in storage, so we took that, my ancient gasoline stove, a styrofoam ice chest,plenty of blankets, food, and cash. I had taken a ratty old '53 Mercury station wagon on trade for a car i sold, so we loaded it up with the camping stuff, tied the tent, ridge pole and others on the roof rack, loaded the 2 kids and Ruth in it, and went off to Shawnee State Park, in PA. Before going any further, i must say this: Who ever owned the wagon before me, had taken off the wooden side rails from the doors, etc., plugged the holes with masking tape, and painted it all with a brush. So, there we go---looking like Tobacco Roaders, and happy! (A pause, while i laugh at the thought!) WE got to the park, and they finally let us come in to camp. They put us right beside some smarmy old geezer, who towed his AIRSTREAM with an INTERNATIONAL STATION WAGON!!! Those were the De Rigeur for towing, at that point in time. Well, he looked at us with a "Jaundiced eye", and refused to talk to us. I'm not the kind to be harmed by smarmy old stuck up gents that drive trucks. Nor International station wagons. We got the tent set up, the camp stove working, made coffee, draped some plastic sheeting, ate supper, got a little camp fire going, toasted marsh-mallows, and were happy----went to bed----and----BOOM, came the lightening, and the RAIN--lots of it--tank cars full of it-- and the WIND--much. It flowed into the tent, and it flowed out! It came in thru the canvas, and flowed out, after giving all of us a cold bath! Thank heaven the windows rolled up on the car. We finished the night out, inside of it. Next day, we went back home. Ruth went to Sears and Roebuck's the next week and bought a new tent, sleeping bags, blankets, and a plethora of camping gear, including a new gasoline stove and an ice chest and water jug! And, we also bought a much better looking car, too! And, went camping in style!

Oh, I don't know. The sandwich here is peanut butter/nutella and jam/marshmallow fluff/sprinkles. It is a pb and j, essentially. PB is a plant based protein. My 3 kids had or could have had pb and j every day. My 3 kids are great adventurous adult eaters, slender and healthy. We don't eat fake food or junk food, other than pb and j! Marshmallow fluff is no worse than jam,-all carb, no benefits of fruit. We never had marshmallow fluff, but we did have jellies. Dh has pb on apple slices. My nuclear family has absolutely no desserts. Never have candy in the house, no desserts. Treats, per se, were not food oriented. No juices, except for oj, -just milk(cow's) and water. Apple juice, feh. Yes red meats, white meats, lots of fish, veggies, grains, little fat-but yes to cheese and dairy. My only grandchild, 12 yrs., eats every fish/seafood, incl mussels! Lots of animal protein-cell builders. I think it's important to 'raise up children' with attitudes which will keep them slender and fit. Never food rewards. (It's easy to train a kid to be a glutton) I spoil my grandson by paying him exorbitant money for doing household jobs for me. $20 bucks an hour, or more! But I'd spoil with junk food, too. He makes healthy choices on his own, but that's his parents' doing,-I can't take credit for that. Except for me in these senior years, my family and extended family are all slender, not just average, and mostly athletic-marathons, triathlons, runners, tennis, etc. A 'full bar' is foreign to us, wine yes. My kids never ever had to clean their plates. They stop eating when they're no longer hungry or full enough.

Well I'm sure you young whippersnappers all KNOW yesterday was Monday, but some of us have senior moments, ya'know? ;0 I hope I cured it by going to bed last night at 8 and sleeping 10 hours. Lindaluwho, I wish I could've had dinner at your house. Does that ever sound good! In fact, everybody had some of my favorites. I'd love to have your tuna tetrazzini recipe, Ravencajun. I used to make it years ago from a recipe I cut out of the newspaper, but it got lost. Glad you have your house back, Ranch girl, but I'm sure it'll seem empty for a little while (like maybe a day). Enjoy!