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Buddy Stuff

Happy Birthday to Me! Buddy and Changes Coming…

July 4, 2010 by Darlene


Good morning everyone! Well actually it’s almost one in the afternoon but as usual I’m behind but to be fair blogger wouldn’t cooperate and upload my pictures for me. Anyhow it’s my Birthday! Yup, one year older. I’m not too happy about turning a year older – the big 44 this year – but I woke up feeling good and so far the day is going well so I’m happy! I’m going to have dinner with my family and a good friend of mine tonight so I’m looking forward to that.

Buddy is doing ok. He’s still having good and bad days but at least now he seems to be eating better on a regular basis. He likes the macaroni. I mix it with a little of his chicken broth and he likes that. This morning though he wanted to play a little. He decided he didn’t want any more macaroni until I started tossing the pieces to him. They became much more exciting after that. lol.

I’m doing ok. I went to the doc this past week and got news I didn’t really want. It turns out after all these years of being good, my blood pressure has decided to head south. So, I’ve put myself on a majorly salt restricted diet – in other words, none! – and I’m going to fit in more exercise and lose a good 20 lbs and see if that helps. I’m hoping it does because I want to avoid meds if I can. I’m a major salt-a-holic so this has been a big change for me but I’ll do just about anything to not take pills. lol. So wish me luck with losing the weight,having less stress and bringing that blood pressure down.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the blog and I’m going to be making some changes. First I want a cleaner and simpler template and I think I found what I want. Secondly I think I’ll be getting rid of the followers widget. I just want my blog to be about more than how many followers there are on it – I want people to visit because they want to! So anyway that’s what’s coming as soon as I get everything organized on my test blog and figure out how to do it all without losing most everything. lol.

Books – I’ve got a few reviews coming this week and a guest post:

  • Guest post with Eve Marie Mont, author of Free to a Good Home on Monday, July 5.
  • My review of Sea Escape by Lynne Griffin on Tuesday, July 6.
  • My review of Captivity by Liz Fichera on Wednesday, July 7.
  • My review of The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais on Friday, July 9.

Wow, what a busy week on my blog! Later today I’ll be drawing for a few draws I’m behind on. Sorry for that as well. I’m getting there. I think I’m going to get back into blogging and commenting more as I think that used to really relax me as well!

So, I’ll leave you with a pic of Buddy doing what he does best – nothing! However, when you’re as cute as he is that’s ok. lol.


Happy 4th of July to all my US friends! I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

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Filed Under: Buddy Pictures, Buddy Stuff, Sunday Stuff

Monday Ramblings & Pics of Buddy

June 14, 2010 by Darlene

Hi everyone, I’m a little late with my Sunday posting so it’s going to be Monday Ramblings this week. I’ve been suffering with a migraine that refuses to completely leave and I just wasn’t up to being on the computer this weekend.

Our weather has been beautiful this weekend though. Very sunny and hot. I didn’t sit outside much though with the headache although yesterday I did get out more but in the shade. Buddy loves sprawling out on the cold cement step and keeping an eye on things.

I didn’t get any reading done this weekend except for some Sunday night. Currently I have a few going: The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, The second story in the Brothers of Gwynedd and Green Darkness by Anya Seton. I’ve been working my way between the three although Green Darkness is really starting to capture my attention more.

Look for reviews this week on The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews which I really enjoyed. I love her writing style and have a few more of her books on my shelves to look forward to. I will also have a review up of Souvenir by Therese Fowler- another book I really enjoyed.

This pic coming up is of Buddy on Saturday night. I had washed his face and he was busy giving those pillows the what-for.


The next two pictures are of Buddy’s new haircut which he got on Sunday along with a bath. He had way too much hair for how hot it was on the weekend and even this week is going to be fairly warm. He was a very good boy for his haircut and bath surprisingly enough.



Buddy had a few bad days there last week; I think I had mentioned that somewhere along the way but he seems to have perked up again the last few days and especially after his hair cut. Maybe he was just too hot and uncomfortable to be hungry. He’s such a little sweetheart. I see how adorable he looks in these photos and it’s just so hard to believe that he’s sick. I’ve been thinking of starting little flashbacks about cute things Buddy has done over the years in my Sunday posts too. We’ll see.

Anyhow, I hope everyone had a great weekend and that the week ahead for you all is good as well. I hope to get to some blog visiting this week – gosh I miss everyone! If only I could muster up more energy, feel great, and manage to do everything I wish I could do! Have a great week everyone!

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Filed Under: Buddy Pictures, Buddy Stuff

Sunday Ramblings & Buddy

June 6, 2010 by Darlene


Good morning everyone. It’s a beautiful morning here so far and I’m only hoping it stays that way. We were finally able to plant the garden and our pots of flowers are starting to bloom. We had to hide them in the garage during the snow.

Buddy is still holding his own. Since that really bad day a week and a half ago he’s been pretty good. Still very fussy about eating and I’m going to check in with the vet this week on what else I can feed the little guy other than rice. He picks it off my hand and then proceeds to spit it out on the floor. Not very productive at all. The vet is waiting a few more weeks and then he’s going to redo the test we did a few weeks ago to ensure that there really is a problem with his adrenal gland. Other than that I’m doing what I can and that’s just keeping him comfy and happy and praying everyday he stays stable and by my side. Here’s a couple of pictures I took of him yesterday out of his standard pose but that was only because he was sleeping. lol.

Doesn’t he just look like an angel when he’s sleeping like this with his eyes barely open even though he’s trying his hardest not to sleep. You might miss something going on if you actually have a nap.
I’m not sure if you can tell in this picture but he’s laying on his back with his paw paws in the air. He looks so sweet when he sleeps like this.

As for reading, Becky from One Literature Nut and I have been reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and last night we had a bit of a chat about it. We are both enjoying it but both agreed that we weren’t quite as excited as others have been but I think that was only about the first quarter of the book or so because I’ve found now that it has really picked up for me and I don’t want to put it down so I’m beginning to now really see where the enthusiasm for the books come from. Look for my reviews of both sometime this week.

We talked about the dystopian angle and the future of the world. Reading this type of novel always makes me wonder about the future of our world – what will it bring. We talked about how in the novel there are the people in the Capitol who have it all and then the others who have to hunt and search for food. Then I thought it isn’t much different now – we have people who have more and then we have the homeless and others who are constantly struggling. I think one thing we can depend on, no matter whether it’s in the future or not, is that there will always be the powerful, the middle, and the less privileged.

So, we’re set to read the last half today which I intend to get started on as soon as I feed Buddy. Then it will be on to Catching Fire. I’m also reading The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews and enjoying it – I really enjoy her writing style.

That’s my plan for the day and again hopefully Buddy is in the mood to cooperate with me and be good. Since it’s nice outside I fully intend to relax on my swing and get in some quality reading and sun time. What is everyone else up to? Any special plans this weekend or just enjoying yourself? Have a great week everyone!

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Filed Under: Buddy Pictures, Buddy Stuff

Sunday Ramblings & Buddy

May 30, 2010 by Darlene


Good morning everyone. I guess I haven’t done one of these in a while so I thought I would today. Buddy is resting comfortably on my shoulder looking out at the snow – yes I said snow (I have a few pictures).

There isn’t any more news on him yet but he did have one really bad day this past week in which I hurried him in to the vets. He wouldn’t eat at all – not even treats. I’d give him one and he’d drop it on the floor and leave it. He was very sluggish and just sleeping. Needless to say it scared me a lot. He didn’t want to drink at all either which is why I took him in because with a kidney issue it’s not good if he isn’t drinking. The vet poked him and all and had said that he would have days like that where he just didn’t feel good but I have to really watch so he doesn’t dehydrate. Part of the problem is that he only wants to eat his meat and carrots – he turns his nose up at the rice or spits it out on the floor. So I had given him some potato which I guess since he’s eating mostly protein caused him a good tummy ache. Does anyone have any suggestions on other safe carbs to give a dog? Anyhow, the past few days have been normal again so I’m very grateful. I was terrified that it was what the vet had told me that he can go from good to bad in a matter of a day. I thank God that wasn’t the case. Please keep praying for him everyone. Here’s a few pics of the little guy this week…

Buddy in his standard pose. As soon as the camera came out he plopped his butt down and wouldn’t move.
Buddy was hiding from me in Grandpa’s coat. Isn’t this adorable? This is definitely going to be one of my favorite pics- the two guys I love most in the world. (ps- I do not smoke but unfortunately my mom does)

Nothing too special going on here other than it’s very cold and snowy. It melted some overnight but geez it’s snow in almost June. I’m not feeling the best; with Buddy being sick and me stressed my rheumatoid arthritis is really acting up. I haven’t done a lot of reading this past week – I seem to be in a reading slump again. I did finish One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch and I really liked it. My review will up this week on Wednesday I think it is. I started Souvenir by Therese Fowler and wow is it good. I’m having a really hard time putting it down so hopefully it’s what I needed to get me out of my reading slump.

And here are the pics of the snow! It’s cold on top of it- of course it would have to be for the snow to be staying around. I’m hoping I’ll be able to wear my summer duds soon and sit out on that bench you see upside down in the picture (keeping the rain and snow off)…

Those are our flowers we’ve got covered up so that they wouldn’t freeze last night. Our tomatoes are covered elsewhere in the yard. Thankfully all that is planted in the garden is potatoes and they are still underground.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend! Did anyone do anything special or just hang out inside like I did? I wanted to say thanks again to all those who comment and ask about Buddy on a regular basis and those who send me private emails. You all are great friends and I feel grateful to have you all in my life!

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Filed Under: Buddy Pictures, Buddy Stuff, Sunday Stuff

Update on Buddy (a few pics) and Other Stuff

May 19, 2010 by Darlene

Hey everyone, I know I haven’t done an update on Buddy in a while and I’m sorry about that so this is an extra long post. I’m just trying to get through each day and get what he needs done. He’s become quite difficult to feed as he doesn’t seem to have an appetite most days so I have to try every few hours and usually get down on the floor to feed him. It seems that all I’m doing is cooking chicken and vegetables and trying to feed him all day. I don’t mind; it’s just that I get upset when he won’t eat because I know to keep up his strength and stay reasonably ok, he needs to eat.

I had him in for some more blood tests this past Friday. They were testing the how his adrenal gland functions. As I was writing this I heard from the vet. Buddy does show a problem with his adrenal glands which indicates Cushings Disease. Yet many of the most common symptoms of it Buddy doesn’t have. The vet is going to speak with the pathologist on another test they can do to hopefully better determine Cushings. So basically I’m still no further ahead than before. Cushings Disease is not curable either but can be maintained depending on how well the pet tolerates the medicines. However if it’s an adrenal gland tumor then you’re looking at only a few years as surgery is pretty dangerous because of blood clots, etc. His ultrasound didn’t show a tumor but there can be small ones that aren’t seen unless you’d do something like a CT scan which apparantly they don’t do often on pets. Unfortunately the vet said we still can’t rule out something called amylodosis which is not good. There isn’t a cure nor is there treatment; basically you can just keep your pet comfortable. They can be with you anywhere from a few months to a few years, but not likely more than that. So far Buddy hasn’t been losing weight but if he keeps up with not eating he surely will. So here I am again waiting to hear from the vet as to the next move. At least my vet is really good and goes to great lengths to make sure he’s doing the right tests instead of me spending a lot of money on ones we don’t necessarily need. The vet bills are already pretty scary but Buddy is worth it to me. The worst thing is that with a lot of these diseases dogs can get they are very hard to exactly pinpoint as these symptoms practically go for almost all of the diseases they can get.

Of course I’m devastated. My heart just hurts every time I look at him. I know other people have lost pets but I still keep thinking ‘why us’. Buddy is such a big and important part of my life. I got him shortly after I was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and even on my worst days I know he has to be fed and all that – he makes me want to get up out of bed those mornings. As well when I got sick a lot of my friends decided it was too much trouble I guess to stay friends with someone who just didn’t have the energy anymore to be going out all the time but he was always there. Needless to say I’m extremely attached to the little guy. He’s been so much more than just a dog for me – he’s pretty much been a lifesaver at times.

Anyhow when I hear from the vet I’ll post again. Hopefully I’ll have more of an idea of what to expect and stuff like that. I know I haven’t been visiting blogs and I probably won’t be for a while. I’m not even completely sure what I want to do with the blog at this point. I’ve lost a bit of the will to keep it up right now. I am fulfilling all my tour dates and such but not booking much extra right now. I think ultimately I may just go back to the old days where I read what I wanted and then just write reviews. I really haven’t made a set decision there yet.

Thanks to all of you who have kept up reading my reviews even though I haven’t been commenting on your blogs. I do miss the interaction sometimes. As well thanks to all of you who have sent me emails and commented here on the blog with wishes and prayers for the Budster. It means a lot to me. I took a few pictures – the first one is of Buddy the other day when he had his blood test. You can see his pretty little bandaid on his paw. The second one is of his new haircut that he got yesterday. It’s extremely hot here right now and there was no way I could leave the little guy as furry as he was – he would have been really uncomfortable today. Doesn’t he look like a completely different dog with his short hair? I’m partial to the long hair but I love him with his haircut just as much!


Again, thank you all so much for your support. I have no words – just thank you.

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Filed Under: Buddy Pictures, Buddy Stuff

Update on Buddy

April 30, 2010 by Darlene


Hi everyone, I thought I’d give you an update on Buddy and his tests. He had his ultrasound yesterday and thankfully there are no tumors or obvious signs of cancer although the vet says this does not mean there is no cancer. There are signs of infection though and they have sent off a culture to be tested for several scary sounding diseases that dogs can get. There is one that I’m praying extra hard he doesn’t have because there is no help for it. This one can only be determined by a biopsy which will be next on the list if the culture shows nothing.

Anyhow my poor boy cried his heart out during the ultrasound. I’ve never heard him cry like that before and it broke my heart. I almost barged in there but I knew I would only make things worse. The girl working at the vets said it was only his whining cry, not a pain one. Buddy doesn’t like being on his back and he had to be on his back and they shaved his tummy. Those are two things that just wouldn’t have gone over well. Besides that he was probably scared silly. The technician and his assistant were really nice though and they actually said he had been a good boy. I told them it sounded like he was being killed, not being good. I felt horrible for putting him through that even though I know it was for the best.

Now we wait. I’ll likely hear the results from the culture on Tuesday and we will go from there. Buddy’s liver is still enlarged which is also not good but the vet said that something going wrong in one organ can affect another. I just pray that whatever we find out is something that can be maintained and that he will still be with me for a long time. My mind can’t allow any other thought right now without going completely crazy.

I thank all of you for your kind comments and prayers and those of you who have emailed me privately I love you all for your concern. I’m grateful for all those praying for Buddy and please keep those prayers coming – he still really needs them.

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Filed Under: Buddy Stuff

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Remembering Buddy

Buddy
• May 25, 2002 - Oct 22, 2010 •
Forever in my heart