Well, it's been a weekend and a week to say the least .. Some good, some bad.
Let's start with the good.
Good News.
The Eagles won! Go Birds!!! .. Being in South Jersey, there's no shortage of support for our regional NFL team. While I wouldn't call myself a die-hard football fan, I do enjoy watching most of their games on TV and cheering them on, win or lose. They’ve looked tough all season, and I had a feeling they had a decent shot at making the playoffs and possibly heading to the championship. And they did it .. Super Bowl Champs!
To celebrate, I "painted the house green" .. With light, that is. I left our LED Christmas spotlights up for a few extra weeks in support of the team. The green glow felt like a fitting tribute. But with the victory parade happening in Philly this Friday, it’s time to wrap things up. I’ll take the lights down after the weekend, but it’s been a fun way to show some spirit.
Some more good news.
Another Orchid Bloomed!!!
On another happy note, our Cattleya orchid, 'Jewel Box,' finally opened her flower buds. What a beauty! That deep red color is simply spectacular. Only one of the two potential bloom stalks has opened so far. The other has a flower sheath present but no visible activity inside.
The light green leaf looking thing in the center (Flower sheath) does not show any signs of activity (for example.. Swelling with bud developing or pushing through)
I’ll give it some time.. Orchids like to test my patience. Meanwhile, our coconut orchid is also beginning to bloom, but I’ll save that reveal for another post. No need to overwhelm you all with too much beauty at once.
Now for the bad news.
Snow .. (Frown) ..
No birds living here in these conditions
Winter is holding on with a vengeance. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. Snow, ice, cold rain, and just plain cold .. yay. I was hoping for an early spring, but here we are. Over the weekend, we got hit with an ice storm, and then last night, more snow. I’m so over it. Time to grab the shovel and deal with what Mother Nature has thrown our way.
Cleared a small spot for Huxley
One can always spot a little beauty here and there
The really bad news.
But the toughest part of the week was on Saturday. My mother-in-law lost her beloved 15-year-old Shih Tzu, Browley. She called me in a panic at 3 AM, and I rushed over to check on him. His breathing was labored, there was gurgling in his chest, and his tongue was turning light blue. I knew we had to get to a vet, fast.
Browley
We drove through the ice storm .. To the nearest 24-hour emergency vet, about an hour away. Not the most fun drive, but we didn’t have a choice. After four hours at the clinic, we got the heartbreaking news. Browley had suffered some kind of heart embolism, causing his heart to swell, pressing on his trachea, and his lungs to fill with fluid. There was nothing more they could do after several attempts to reverse his symptoms. My mother-in-law had to make the difficult decision to let him go peacefully.
Browley's Xray showing enlarged heart, pinched trachea, fluid filled lungs, etc...
The memories of putting Molly to sleep came flooding back. I fought back tears and tried to stay strong for her, but it never gets easier. Saying goodbye to our fur babies is the worst part of life with them.
So yeah, good news and bad.
That’s life, I guess. But through it all, we keep going, cherishing the victories and supporting each other through the losses.
Oh How I Miss Our Molly and Pepper ...
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
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This is a beautifully written and heartfelt post.I love the mix of good news and bad news,and how you managed to find beauty in the midst of the challenges.I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother in-law's dog,Browley.It's never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet.I'm sure he was a wonderful companion.I also enjoyed the photos and the story about the orchids.It's great to see that you're finding joy in the little things,even during a difficult time.Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful comment. Losing Browley has been tough for my In-Laws, but it means a lot to know others understand. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos and the orchid story—finding joy in the little things really does help. I appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts!
It was my pleasure!Your photos and the orchid story were so uplifting.It's inspiring to see how you find joy in the small things,especially during a challenging time.
😁
"Amazing post! The Eagles victory is definitely something to celebrate, and your green light tribute is brilliant! I'm so happy for you. I'm also in awe of your beautiful orchid; Jewel Box is a true masterpiece. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must have been to say goodbye to Browley. Losing a pet is never easy, and I'm sending you and your mother-in-law my deepest condolences. Thank you for sharing your highs and lows with us. It's a reminder that life is full of both joy and sorrow, and it's important to cherish both."
Thank you so much! The Eagles’ victory was definitely exciting, and I’m glad you liked the green light tribute. Jewel Box really is a stunning orchid—I love how vibrant it is. Saying goodbye to Browley was hard, but your kind words and condolences mean a lot. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and share your thoughts!
All chat upset cold weather returning, this throws out so much in garden planning. While your indoor orchids thrive at least bring much joy.
Pets we personally know do tend to leave us feeling the loss irrespective. Memories never fade they linger with us always.
Cold weather definitely makes garden planning tricky, but you're right—at least the indoor orchids bring some joy! And I completely agree about pets; their presence stays with us through memories that never fade.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment!😊
Each of my dogs has been unique, a story to tell in character.
Same here. Very true!
Now to enjoy the little lives we have around us, memories are good yet many more yet to be made!
Amen to that!
I heard that area was supposed to be getting some snow. We are in the middle of a storm right now. I'm guessing school will be cancelled tomorrow if we get the six to eight inches they are calling for. That's very sad about your relatives dog. I am so sorry. I know how rough it is for sure! The flowers are looking good though. Take it easy!
It was 50 here today and all but a few piles are gone. How did you make out? Get much?
Flowers are good and yes it was sad to have to go through it again.. You know how it is. I was a bit removed but still knew the dog very well since my in-laws only live just around the corner from us.
We got about five inches and we have maybe another six coming this weekend. We will see if that is really the case. I've been having dreams with Jo in them lately, so that has made it a bit more painful than usual. I know what you mean about being removed, but it still hurting.
Yup.. removed but not. I choked those tears down I tell ya. Ugggg. I do t know how the vets do that all the time. Although the Dr that was performing the procedure was crying too.
Rain for us this Saturday and Sunday. Next chance of snow for us is next Thursday.
Yeah, it's brutal for sure. I wonder how hard it was for our vet since they used to board her too. The guy we had seemed fine, but my guess is the staff was sad. They always told us how sweet she was.
Jovi .. 😌
Hi my friend 😀How are you? Oh i feel you, absolutely a heartbreaking if we lose someone dear to us, i remember our golden retriever 😒
Anyway, that Cattleya, the color was stunning! my grandma is also an orchid lover 😊
Nice shots!!!
Doing well! How are you?
Tell grandma hello! I love my orchids and want to buy them all, but they can require a little more than average care since we live in a fluctuating climate. The dry cold winters make it hard when it comes to keeping them all happy.
Sorry for your loss.. It is so hard loosing our pets. Like children to us.
I'm good 😊 Sure, I'll tell her later😍
Orchids are too attractive and you can't resist to like or want them specially if they bloom. Oh! the climate can stress them, but i know with the extra care you gave them, they will go a long way. Just like the one you have 😇
True, our pets are family members, they bring joy and companionship.❤️
I try my best not to kill them.. lol
Oh no! 😁 Please let them live 😃, i know you can do it, the love and care you showed them can make them strong 😅 more pictures of your orchids soon if they bloom 😍
I've learned a few hard lessons over the years when it comes to Orchid care and growing environments.. so I am confident the loss will be minimal moving forward. I am sure your Grandma can relate.
Oh! it demands patience, attention and willingness to really took care of them.
Yes, she put nets on her garden and as far as i can remember, she separate the expensive ones like Cattleyas😀She's a 100 years old now, she visits her garden every morning, not like before she always roam around when she have no work 🙂
I try my best not to kill them.. lol 😆
😩😒😄😍 my different reactions!!!! lol
Yeah I feel like that most days. hehehe.
How are you liking the "HIVE" experience so far .. now that you have a few weeks of experience with the platform?
Hehehe 😉
Hmmmmm! so far, so good! I enjoy hopping to other communities, reading posts and do engagements 😀
Oh! i joined some contests and luckily my entry won 😃
i have one left entry, i think later will be the announcement, i hope if you can visit, please vote my entry 😇 it's "around the world" contest by proof of brain.😍
There's the orchids beauty to bring a drop of joy whenever you see them. Sorry about the old dog. It happens all too soon...
Absolutely. Love all the blooming. Yes loss sucks!
Sorry to hear about Browley. I think it always brings back bad memories for eyeryone. Pets give you so much.
You are absolutely right.. spot on. Pets give us so much thus making the loss of them that much greater.
I am so sorry for the loss of Browley. Losing our furry ones is so painful :(
It definitely is the hardest part about owning pets.. the loss of them one day. Thank you and I will pass it along to my Mother-in-law. 😊
I'm so sorry your family has lost yet another beloved dog!
Not ours in the sense that he lived here, but in the family nonetheless. It was sad to be there but we help family when needed. He was a good pup for her for many years. RIP.
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