Covid Finally Found Us

And we were doing so well! We were very aware of our surroundings but this last cruise....

Yup, we have been cruising after the restart. Some folks thought we were crazy to do so. However, we live in Florida where mandates were lifted so we felt safe from the virus when everyone on the ship had to be vaccinated, test negative, mask, and the ships were below 50% capacity. I felt safer on the ship than going grocery shopping!

Until this last cruise.......it was 100% capacity and the way the venues and activities were set up there was often a bottle neck of people. There was one moment where we had to make our way through a crowd and I stopped to take some video and hubby said, "so we can look back and know the exact moment we caught covid." Yikes. 

The good news is that we didn't actually get sick until we were home. Much better to be sick at home in my opinion. Luckily, we are both negative again and our symptoms are clearing. It's a mean virus. I hope you don't get it. Some folks say it's just a cold. They should count themselves lucky because it is not like that for everyone. 

Coco Cay, Bahamas

Bermuda at the Royal Dock Yards port

First formal night

I found two cruise ducks!!

Hello Blog!

It's been a while. 

I spend most of my time doing YouTube videos. I've recently created a second YouTube channel just for my cruising and cruising-related videos. The second channel is called "Cruiserella" if you want to subscribe. My Twitter is @CruiserellaV. 

My original YT channel still has unboxings, empties, taste tests, cooking, non-cruise travel, orchids, birds, dogs, and whatever else I'm up to at the time. I changed the name of the OG channel to "Vickie's Voyage".

I think Facebook affected my posting on this channel. It's quicker, easier, and I was able to better connect with friends and family there. Plus, our family has changed a lot since I started this blog. Our moms are gone. My cousin moved and away. We are retired and with the pandemic we really haven't done much other than cruising.

I think it's time to return this blog to its beginnings and focus on my fosters and pets. I'll also include yard/orchids and the neighborhood birds that like my yard. 

So now I need to get on it and uploads the fosters I've had since my last post about them.

Burial At Sea

Saturday the 13th we gathered, from near and far, to board a boat that would take us through a rainstorm to the three mile point where we could release my mom's ashes into her final resting place - the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is a fitting place in that she has lived near it twice - New Orleans as a young adult and now the west coast of Florida as a retiree. We had people from different periods of her live, from many places in the country, and some who knew her all their lives to folks that she impressed in recent years. After the boat we assembled at a restaurant she liked for an early dinner and then to my house for dessert and coffee. It was a perfect day.

Maureen & Hank

Erica & Tommy

Bill, Don, Les, & Lea

Carol & Susan

Monica & me

Sonja, Sarah, & me

Me & Les

Hank & Jerry

Lea, Carol, Susan, Monica, Erica, Me, Sonja, Sarah

The purple orchids are from my garden

Maureen, Hank, & Hellen

Erica & Me

Sonja & Lea

Lea & Sarah

Hank, Jerry, & Bill

Hellen, Erica, & Thania

Jerry & Don

Jerry

Alyce & Me

Mamma dolphin and her calf bringing us in

Hank, Maureen, & Thania

Lea & Hellen

Carol & Don

Bill & Les

A Foster You Didn't Meet - Bobby

I was hesitant to post about a foster I got in 2019 because, sadly, we had to put him down for aggression. I fell in love with him and tried everything but something was just wrong in his head. He would attack my old dogs and his actions really took a toll on Eddie & Lani. He would also attack Jerry and twice bit him seriously. If Jerry had gone to the emergency room I think they would have reported it and animal control would have taken him. 

He lived with an elderly woman and had no exposure to other people or dogs. When she needed to go into assisted living, her family wanted nothing to do with him (red flag?). He's a good reminder to socialize  your dogs. Although, in his case, my vet felt that there was something more than socialization issues wrong with him. 

As a result, we didn't foster after Bobby. It was just so heartbreaking. Plus, Lani & Eddie were so old (16 & 18 at the time) that we wanted them to live their remaining time in a peaceful environment void of any potential for aggression or your dog energy. Here's some photos including one where he behaved normally with my dogs.

Bird Nerd: Muscovy Family 09.11.21

Muscovy Updates

In older posts I introduced a Muscovy I call Brokewing. The neighbor who took him into his backyard calls him Handsome. He's been in the neighborhood (we have two ponds) since he was born here in 2018 because he cannot fly due to angelwing. Sadly, the neighbor moved away. Since the neighbor left he was being fed but the ponds have been drying up due to no rain. I've been buying mealy worms for him and a neighbor two doors away from the pond has been giving them to him. Sadly, he hasn't seen Brokewing in days. It is possible that the old neighbor came and got him and relocated him but if he did it was his first time back in the neighborhood without informing anyone. He did say he was looking for a place for him but the neighbor moved to Boca Raton which is on the opposite coast from here. Fingers crossed Brokewing is in a good place because he really likes to be around other Muscovy.

Brokewing (AKA Handsome) Summer 2021

Brokewing was a daddy again this year. He had two females stay with him in the front pond this spring and, as a result, this mama is raising 16 babies. They are a lot bigger now but I don't have a recent photo. I heard the other female was killed on the busy road by Brokewing's house. There is a definite age gap in this brood of chicks which has me believing that 12 belong to this mama and that 4 may have come from the other mama. They come to the pond by my house in the evening and spend the night there. I don't believe any of them can fly yet but I do think the oldest ones are getting close.

Photos of Solana (b.2003 - d.2021)

We called her Lani/Loni. Here are some random photos of this sweet, gentle giant (she was a Decker terrier). 

One example of the silly ways she would sleep.

At the dog park shortly after we got her. She would have been 10 or 11 in this photo.

More silly sleeping. There are bolts coming out of the hurricane shutter fixtures!

This photo was taken by the person who pulled her from the shelter and fostered her until she came to us as a foster. We eventually adopted her because she was too old to adopt out plus we loved her and it would have been to traumatizing after spending so much time with us.

This is Lan on my lap as we are evacuating for hurricane Irma later at night. Florida girls!

You can see the scarring on her nose. She broke out in terrible rashes leaving some scarring on her within a couple of days of arriving at our house. She also had crusty/rotting ear tips. 

Silly girl. We bought several large beds for her but.......

Last Photos of Eddie (2001-2021)

 

You can see the rugs and mats we placed around for him. Also, the blue nail things that helped him grip.

He was always a little lanky but more so toward the end. He would just "bend weird" sometimes. He liked to sit on the bed with me but was no longer able to jump so I would lift him up and down as I got up and down or when he thought something was going on that he needed to check out.

I have no idea how he climbed up there on his own to get to that dog bed but apparently it was exhausting. 

Saying Good Bye to Lani & Eddie

It's been a tough couple of months. In June my Uncle Bob passed (Alzheimer's). While we were in Arkansas to visit my my Aunt Joyce (my mother's sister) we boarded Eddie, Lani, and Bella (Bella was my mom's dog we adopted when my mom passed last year). While they were being boarded I agreed to have Lani's teeth cleaned because they really needed it and her blood work came back great. It turned out to be a mistake to put this 18 year old dog under anesthesia. 

When we got the dogs back from the back Eddie was having difficulty walking. We were concerned about him but Lani started choking and coughing and I don't remember what else. Within an hour of picking them up from the vet, we were back there. To make a very long story short, it appears she had reflux while under anesthesia which ulcerated? her esophagus and caused scar tissue that closed off her ability to swallow. We tried some balloon treatments where the area is slowly stretched back but, in the end, she developed pneumonia twice from aspirating.

There were many trips to the emergency vet. The last time we saw her I thought she was sedated because she couldn't even keep her head up. Turns out she was just that sick and damaged from the ordeal. We had to stop her suffering. That was July 3rd. 

She was just a sweet, gentle dog and it makes me sick to my stomach to think of the suffering she endured. She was used as a breeder and kept in a cage day and night before being left at a kill shelter. Then for her life to end this way, it's just heartbreaking. She deserved better. 

Eddie's mobility got better while we were working with Lani, took about a week, and we thought it was due to not getting enough exercise while boarded because normally he follows me around all day long. We've been much more careful with the amount of food he eats the last couple years and he's lost weight slowly. However, he had begun to lose too much weight. We knew he's had a heart murmur for many years and somewhat recent blood work had showed some slow down of kidney function but that wasn't uncommon in elderly dogs (Eddie was 20 years old). So we did bloodwork and found he had Cushings disease.

Basically we became assisted living for Eddie. Instead of a restricted diet for his issues, the vet gave us the go-ahead to feed him whatever he would eat (he had begun to lose his appetite as well). We actually got a little weight back on him! We covered our floors, which are tile and wood, with rugs, yoga mats, towels, blankets, etc. so that he could walk. He was still a bit wobbly. He had good days and bad days.

To better care for him we canceled our cruise to Alaska scheduled for August 7th. We knew his time was limited and continued to provide palliative care for him until our next scheduled cruise which was Oct 23rd through 30th. This one left from Florida so we would only be gone a week, and we really thought Eddie was going to be with us for a bit longer so we went. 

On the 27th the vet called & texted that Eddie was failing. That was a Wednesday so the vet was closed when I tried to call back. (Calls & texts were delayed because I didn't have internet on the ship but when we stopped in port I found WiFi and was able to make a call.) I had given my vet the consent to do what she thought was best for Eddie just in case. She thought it was time to let him go and described his situation in a voice mail that is still on my phone. 

Before we left I did consider letting him go because of his physical state. Yet, he was still using the dog door to go outside to potty, would bark when he wanted something, followed me around the house although he was a little wobbly. On October 13th I even made a Facebook post about him lunging and barking at the mallards in my front yard. It felt like he had more life in him.

I am saddened that I was not there to hold him when he left this world. But another part of me thinks he was holding on for me and found his opportunity to leave. 

We had hoped that some morning we would wake up and he would have passed in his sleep. I found myself checking that he was breathing all the time. I used a flashlight to check at night. I had a terrible sense of dread I carried with me. While I was devastated that he had left us and we couldn't be with him, I also have a sense of relief that he is free from his aged body and condition and that I am not in a constant state of worry. 

We got his ashes back today so it's been emotional. Thank you for indulging me.

Distracted Gardener 5 12 21

Boxy Charm Valentine Box 2021

Pumpkin Spice Review October 2020

Please join me on my YouTube channel as I try out different pumpkin spice flavors this fall!

Shopping Cart Handle Cover

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic I have made about 70 masks for friends and family. Some of the early ones were a bit privative due to a lack of supplies. I had PLENTY of fabric but notions were makeshift. There are tons of YouTube videos on making masks (including mine) if you are interested. But, I have switched up my sewing to making covers for shopping cart handles since our stores have stopped sanitizing them between customers (things are pretty much back to normal around here except for social distancing and masks).

For your convenience, I am adding my Amazon Associate links to the products used. Full disclosure, if you use my link to order I may receive a small commission.

Hook & Loop Tape
Fusible Fleece
Omnigrid Ruler
Olfa Rotary Cutter
Large Cutting Mat
Cut & Press Mat
Magic Clips
Multipurpose Clips
Clover Turner

I'm developing this pattern as I go and this is my first prototype. I decided to let my supplies and tools determine the measurements so it's easy - the fusible fleece is 20" wide and my ruler is 6" wide so 20" X 6" it was! But you could make longer, shorter, wider, or thinner, depending on the shopping cart in your favorite stores. Here's what I did on first attempt.

Velcro product. This 3/4" was wide enough to be sturdy but I am thinking a 1/2" would work well too.

Instead of traditional interfacing/web, I found a fusible fleece which just sounded more sturdy and would create a thicker layer.

I measured 6" - same as my ruler.

And cut the entire length of the product.

Next I cut a strip of the hook/eye velcro type material to about 18". This was the hardest decision in the entire process. You could probably do it with less but I thought this length might prevent the corners from flipping up. Time will tell.

Next I cut two pieces of fabric the same 20" X 6". You could do both pieces in the same fabric but then it won't be reversible. I choose a summer and a fall fabric because I am way to seasonal. 

The cut pieces. I did end up skimming off a tiny bit off the sides of the fusible fleece thinking it would reduce bulk in the seams and/or turning process but I don't think it made a difference. I would probably have to go for it and take a good 1/2" on the length and width to clear the seam allowance. Maybe next time I will cut the fleece smaller than the fabrics for ease in turning and flattening seams.

I laid the fusible fleece, adhesive side down, onto the BACK of one of the fabrics (wrong side). 

The package calls for a pressing cloth but I just used the other fabric and laid it on top of the fabric + fleece pieces.  It worked fine.

I pressed according to the instructions. It ended up with some wrinkles that I had to work out. A couple teeny ones were left but covered up with seams and/or the velcro later. Next time I think I will start in the middle and work outward instead of at an end.

Fleece is attached. You can see the fleece is a tiny bit smaller.

I then stacked the two fabrics right sides together and clipped. 

I sewed a good 1/4" seam and left a section about 5" open for turning right sides out. 

Next I trimmed corners to aid with turning them out and I attempted to trim a little more of the fleece off. However, it wasn't easy or very productive having been ironed on. 

It was time to turn it out and get to see my project.

I used a tool to push out the corners and also to push out the seams. It wasn't perfect but they are for shopping cart handles. Plus, I am not selling them. 

I ironed it as flat as possible - did it a couple times. Next I folded in the seam allowance of the area left open for turning and pressed.

I topstitched around the entire piece. 

I cut some of the velcro off one end because it was slanted and it should be straight (at least in my mind).  So I ended up probably with 17" or 17.5" inches velcro strips. Here I am sewing one to the bottom of fabric A. I sewed all four sides of the product and double stitched the ends because they are narrow and figured I would probably be tugging at the corners to get it open.

Next I did the same to the fabric B side with the other side of the hook & loop material. But, before I sewed, I made double, triple sure that when folded over the two parts of the velcro would overlap to catch. I didn't worry if they were both perfectly centered - just that I didn't have them on the wrong side of the project.

This is how it should look when rolled (or folded) the two pieces of velcro match up and close the tube.

The finished piece! It's shown on fabric A but you can fold it the other way and use fabric B.

Like masks, my thought is these should be a one-time use items and should be laundered before reuse. I think I will make several and put them in zip locks so that I have a place to keep used ones rather than loose in my purse. I am also thinking I should make one for each of my re-useable grocery bags that I keep in my car. Ooooh, better yet, I could make MATCHING bags and covers!!