He was loved.

I have been DREADING writing this post because I don't want to cry anymore. I am going to try really hard not to. I have to write about it though because it is a part of our life. HE was a part of our life. (Deep breath) Here goes:

On Thursday morning our precious George passed away. Sigh. It was so sudden that I was shocked! I still am shocked.... I guess I should tell you the story.

The week before last, we noticed George had a hurt paw. He was limping on it and kept licking it. It was obvious that it was bothering him. After looking at it closely, we determind that it looked like a bite mark, a small bite mark, but never the less, still a bite mark from Hazel, we assumed. Hazel is our other cat. Sometimes they play rough just like any brother & sister do. We had never known them to BITE each other though so we were a little surprised. We did what any normal parent would do, we cleaned it, put medicine on it and wrapped it up so he couldn't lick off the medicine. We kept an eye out to make sure it didn't get infected or look any worse. The next day it actually looked a lot better! yay! But we noticed Georgie wasn't acting like he felt better. He was staying on his bed all day and all night. He didn't have the energy that he used to. We talked about taking him to the vet last week. Thursday, I believe it was, I had an appointment to bring George in. I just wanted to be sure.

This is the hard part, for me, at least, because if I would have brought him in LAST Thursday, George might be here. I am kicking myself. Buie says I can't blame myself which I know is true but still... it sucks to think "what if."

Thursday: They were calling for snow. We let out early from work - our building closed. I went home, checked on George. He seemed to be better. He was up walking around, so I called and canceled our appointment. I didn't want to drive in the snow since we were a good 25 minutes away from the vet. The snow we had just had weeks before was bad and it makes driving dangerous. Seems like a silly reason... now. Hindsight is 20/20.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday rolled around. He had a good last weekend. He ate some mushy food (as we call it), drank some water and overall seemed to be feeling better. His paw looked okay too. I was relieved. I was happy George was feeling better.

Monday and Tuesday were a different story. He took a turn for the worse. He stopped eating almost completely and was barely drinking any water. By Tuesday evening, Buie & I were both concerned.... Why wasn't he eating? We kept wondering. His paw must be bothering him more than we realized. Buie said he had a day off on Thursday (one week after his original appointment). "Why don't I take him in on Thursday?" Buie asked. But I thought waiting til Thursday was too long. This was Tuesday night. "Why don't you bring him in TOMORROW?" I think the sooner the better. I just don't like that he'd not been eating today. Okay. It was decided. We would bring him to the vet on Wednesday. Surely they could fix his paw and make him feel better. Tuesday night we went and got George from his bed and carried him over to the couch. He laid in our lap most of the night. When I went to bed I brought Georgie with me. He slept in our bed all night. I had no idea that was his last night with us.

This was the last pic of little George. He was so cute sitting in our lap that I just had to snap a pic. So glad I did.

Wednesday, after Buie had dropped off George at our vet, I got a call from the dr. George was severely dehydrated and they were starting him on an IV. He wasn't sure about his paw though. The doctor seemed to think that George was suffering from complication from his declawing surgery in 2006. I know what you are thinking because I thought it too. Why is he JUST now suffering the consequences from a surgery that took place 5 years ago!? From the moment I got my cats back from their surgery, I regretted it. I have always said (since that day) that I would NEVER declaw a cat again. It was obviously too late for George and Hazel though since they were already declawed. We humans declaw cats for selfish reasons and there is absolutely no reason a cat should have to go through that. If you want to have a cat indoors, then get a scratching post. You can read more about process of clawing a cat here, here and how INHUMAN it is. It is basically like cutting off our fingers and toes because it is a bone amputation. If you say you love animals like we do then PLEASE do not get them declawed! It is just wrong!

In the end, George died from dehydration but I truly believe NOW that it was due too his declawing surgery that took place years ago. He was suffering from a painful regrowth that is not visible to the eye usually. George could have been suffering from this for months or years and we never knew it. It breaks my heart to know that this precious animal COULD have lived a long(er) healthy life if it weren't for the ignorance of humans... the ignorance of ME, specifically. I call myself an animal lover, but no animal lover would rightly go and amputate all 10 toes of an animal or pay someone else to do it! As you can probably tell, it makes me mad to think about all the people who are declawing their cats because they were like me, they simply didn't know what they were doing. They didn't do their research BEFORE the surgery.


Please don't be ignorant, people. Tell people what declawing is really about. Google it and find out for yourself. You'll find horrifying pictures that will break your heart.
I know that George had a good life. Buie keeps telling me that he had a better life than he would have otherwise. He was born in the woods in Louisiana. This picture above is the first time I ever met George and this was his first portrait. :) I picked him out of a litter of eight kittens because of his little pink nose. He was the only one in the litter with a pink nose. While George was with us he ate the best organic foods, got treats daily when I got home from work, slept in the coziest of beds and were loved 100% by his owner. Despite his last week here on Earth, his whole life, he was loved.

Learning to read...all over again.

In our family, B is the reader and well, I am not. I have never liked to read really. I'd blame it on A.D.D. or the fact that my mom never read to me when I was young (ha! sorry, Mom, couldn't resist). The truth is, there are just other things I'd rather be doing. I find it hard to concentrate on reading a book. I get bored easily and distracted. I find myself reading the same paragraph over and over without really grasping what is going on in the book. I have tried reading outloud but I'm horrible at reading aloud. I hate when I get called on to read something. It makes me nervous. I'm afraid of reading it wrong and looking stupid. Even when I read to myself outloud, it just doesn't work. It obviously takes me forever to finish a book, which is probably why I haven't finished one in while.

Now, please know that I am a well educated individual. I graduated with a B average in highschool and college but when it comes to reading I just feel dumb sometimes. One thing I have always enjoyed reading is magazines. I know you are probably laughing but there are some very intruiging articles in magazine so don't hate! ;) I have recently discovered a new favorite magazine: Garden & Gun. Simply stated, it is a magazine that is dedicated to celebrating the South. It makes me proud to be from the South every time I read this magazine.

Saying my husband likes to read is an understatement. I wish I had a picture of his study at our house so you could see the amount of books he has. When he went home for Christmas to his parents home, there were more of his books. He reads a new book a week practically. I love him for it. Yes, it makes me feel dumb sometimes when we're lying in bed and he's enthralled in the latest 1000 page historical fiction novel and I'm reading Better Homes & Garden but that's just us. I love when he brings me home magazines. You see, he's the manager at a bookstore (I told you he loves books. He loves them so much he works with them everyday!), so he feeds our addictions at 30% off. :)

Lately though, I have been feeling the itch to read more. I have been wanting to read some big girl books. On many occasions I have started reading a book but will get distracted by a fancy new magazine that B perched on my pillow. That glossy cover and pretty pictures just lures me in! But in just a few weeks, I am resigning from my current job to concentrate on my photography. I have big plans for reading more. I realize I will be super busy trying to start up my photography business full time but I want to make reading a priority in my new life.

Here are a few on my list already:

Health & Diet:

Clean

The Kind Diet

Marriage:

For Women Only

Religion:

Jesus for President

Radical

Looking forward to having a little more time to dive into some good books. If you're on goodreads, you should look me up. (my user name is cbbuie) If you're NOT on goodreads, and you have an interest in reading you should check it out. It's a great place to keep up with all of the books you have read and hope to one day read! You can also see what your friends are reading! I currently have a bazillion books sitting on my "to be read" shelf but hopefully soon I can tackle that!

What are YOU reading these days?

First Comes Love, Then Comes ...

In the South, you know how it goes:: go to college, meet a nice boy, get engaged, get married, then immediately people start asking, "When are y'all going to have a baby?" Well, the same has been true for us. We have been married for 2 and a half years and yes there has been talk of kids. In fact, I hope that is something that all couples at least discuss BEFORE marriage. I would hate to go into a marriage thinking the other partner wants kids only to find out the opposite. Anyway, to answer your questions, yes, we both want kids. How many? We have no idea. When? Who knows. By what means? Well, besides the obvious answer... Hopefully, two ways: Adoption (God-willing) and one or two of our own. I was hesitant to write this post because I don't want to excite the grandparents too much but it is only natural to start wondering when is the right time for kids. Many of our friends already have kids, some even have several kids. Some days I think I am more ready than others. On good days I think I am ready to do this, to be a mom. Other days I think heck no!

I ran across this email at work that I thought was too good not to share.
Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Sugguest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behaivor.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

This isn't even the whole email but I thought I'd save some for another time. Does this sound like anything I want to RUSH into? I think NOT. On the other hand, everyone I have talked to have said it was all worth it in the end, which I'm sure it is. I'm just not quite ready for it yet. But I have a feeling it'll be here sooner than I think.

Weekend Review: Family.

This past weekend went by WAY too fast. My parents were in town, which is always nice. My parents visiting means eating out (free meals), and extra hugs. ;) The eating out part wasn't so good for my diet but the hugs are always welcomed. My parents are I are finally at a point where I can talk to them as adults talking to adults. Yes, they will always be my parents and will always know best but I don't know...it's different now. I like it. And it helps that I've finally moved on beyond that annoying teenager/college/I know more than my parents do stage. Parents are smarter than we give them credit for (most of the time). ;)

Saturday I slept most of the day. I think I was fighting off some sort of sickness. I woke up feeling stopped up and congested so that was my excuse to live on the couch all day. I've been doing a lot of reading about eating raw and clean and detoxing, etc. B and I are starting to eat a lot healthier. That is one of our resolutions to eat more organic foods and eat less preservatives. I'll let you know how it goes!

Saturday night B and I helped babysit our nephew Landon while my brother, Craig, took his wife on a date for her birthday. Here are a few pictures I snapped of little Landon. He is 6 months old now!

And I just couldn't resist snapping this pic. Isn't this face so pitiful? But it was too cute not to snap!

I'm having so much fun being an aunt! I can't wait to meet my niece in May. My oldest brother, Chris, and sister in law, Amanda have finally decided on a name - Makalan Joy

Wintertime Blues

Do you have the blues?

I don't know about y'all but I am experiencing the wintertime blues. Did you know that this is a real thing? It's called Seasonal Affection Disorder and people with Fibromyalgia are more prone to S.A.D. (and yes, it spells SAD), especially in the wintertime. For some reason, this winter has been particularly hard on me, physically and emotionally. If you are still confused about Seasonal Affection Disorder, here are a few typical symptoms associated with SAD::

• difficulty waking up in the morning
• increased daytime sleepiness
• lack of energy
• decreased interest in work and other activities
• carbohydrate cravings, leading to overeating and weight gain
• difficulty concentrating
• withdrawal from family, friends, and social situations
  

Do any of these things sound familiar? Hmmm... maybe it's just me, then. ;)

Well, I may not have the cure for the wintertime blues but I'd like to share what I do for relief for a long winter of the "Blue Monday" and Fibromyalgia.

1. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. I cannot stress this enough. Not getting enough sleep is probably the worst thing you can do to your body. Your body heals and recovers while you sleep. On the other hand, you will be tempted to over sleep and sleep WAY too much if you are suffering from depression, SAD, and/or fibromyalgia. All or even one of these things will make you want to stay in bed all day. Get the right amount of sleep for you, but face the day each morning rested and with a smile! :) (I am talking to myself here)


Melatonin. If you have problems sleeping, 3mg of melatonin might just do the trick. Melatonin is a naturally occuring hormone that helps with sleep. If you find yourself needing a little help in the sleep department but don't want to resort to sleeping pills, try melatonin. It's all natural and it won't make you feel groggy the next morning. Start out at 1mg and increase up to 12mg. (Again, please consult with your doctor. I am not a doctor - just merely making suggestions on what works for me.)


2. Exercise. This is the last thing I feel like doing but believe me, you will be glad you did. Exercise increases endorphins, which makes you happy. :) (Is anyone else quotting Reese Whitherspoon in Legally Blonde right now? Remember when she says endorphins make you happy and happy people don't kill people? haha) ANYWAY, moral of the story is you should exercise whether you feel like it or not. Your body and your mind will thank you later.

3. Vitamin D. One thing your body lacks in the winter is Vitamin D. We usually hibernate in the winter because it is colder, therefore we get less sunshine, and therefore less vitamin D. This vitamin plays a crucial role to bone and muscle strength. Vitamin D deficiency has a direct correlation to depression so supplementing this vitamin, especially in the winter months in vital. (make sure to speak with your doctor before starting on a supplement. Too much vitamin D can also be harmful.)

4. Heat. I should probably put this one right up there with sleep because heat is so important to someone in constant pain. Heat comes in many forms:: hot showers, hot baths, heatings pads, fireplace, a warm blanket, fuzzy slippers, your favorite sweatshirt, hot tea or cider, electric blanket... and the list goes on. You can see why winter is not my favorite month, but then again you can see why the fireplace IS my favorite.

5. De-stress. This one has been hard for me. I would definitely say that I'm still working on this one. When I think of destressing, I think of a harmonious home with everything its in place and the angels are singing the Hallelujah chorus. ha! My home is far from perfect but I'm learning to say no to things when I just can't handle anything else on my plate.


6. Diet. You knew I was going to mention this one, right? Sigh... As much as I don't want to admit it, the things we eat have a direct effect on how we feel, look, and act...oh and don't forget weigh. If you have fibromyalgia or even if you are suffering from those wintertime blues, eliminating things like caffeine, MSG, sugar, processed foods, yeast, red meat and yes, even gluten will help you feel more alive and energetic. So what can you eat, you ask? Eat a diet rich in greens, nuts (but not peanuts), beans, fish, organic chicken. There are plenty of healthy foods to choose from that aren't processed. One of my favorite websites for eating whole and organic foods is http://www.wholeliving.com/



Good luck beating those winter blues!

Ch-Ch-Ch- Changes

Hi, friends! I sort of have a big announcement. Ok, so it IS definitely a big announcement. In a month, the Buies life will be changing drastically. No, we are NOT having a baby...or getting another dog. ha! Head on over to my photography blog to find out just what is going on. I hope you will be pleasantly surprised. Be sure to follow my blog to keep up with future updates!

And just because you are the best readers ever, I am leaving you with a little happy pic for the day to leave you smiling. My sister in law sent me this pic of my nephew, Landon, and I keep it on my phone to look at all the time. It just makes me happy!

Landon says to go check out his aunt's photography blog right now! :) http://www.carabethphotography.com/

Playing in the snow!

I have never uploaded a video to blogger before, but since I just got a new iPhone 4, I thought I would try out my video feature on the pups. They LOVE the snow. They love playing in it. They love burrying their bones in it, but most of all, they love eating it. :) I know not all of my readers care about my pups as much as we do but this post is specifically for my mother-in-law. :) I know she will love watching these videos of her granddogs. These videos are when it first started snowing. I actually forgot to go back and take more video after we got 6 inches of snow!

Snow pups!

We have been anticipating our snow day of 2011 for a few days now. We had several snow days last year where work was canceled. We enjoyed spending time with our pups & playing in the snow. This year, the weathermen did not disappoint us. They told us there would be snow and it came! The only difference is B was working in Little Rock and got stuck there. :( He had to get a hotel room because the room were too bad to drive home. We miss him being home tonight but I'd rather him be safe and sound in a hotel room, then out on those roads.

So, me and the animals are holding down Fort Buie and getting lots of pictures in the snow! :)

I love his whiskers!

Scooter kept trying to lick the snow! so cute!

Conner was giving Scooter kisses!