Ok, we have been in our home almost a year now. I have finally posted an update to my quilt blog as I have started quilting again. Yeah me. I finally unpacked 1 of the many sewing machines I have. We have found 2 quilt shops nearby, one was found when my in-laws visited at Thanksgiving, the other just a few weeks ago.
So yesterday Cocoa had to go in for her yearly check up and Natasha went in for a shot. low and behold Cocoa has been packing on the pounds because Natasha is taller than she is so she decided she needs to be bigger than Natasha. Coca weighed in at 19.16 lbs and Natasha at 19.45 lbs. while there they told David that Natasha is at the perfect weight for her. They wanted to verify that the slight heart murmur they detected on Cocoa was a new occurrence and not something they didn't notate last year. So Cocoa has developed a slight heart murmur since last year, Xander had notice that in the last week or so, she has taken to panting heavily and getting restless around bedtime. Right now they suggest just keeping an eye on it, that it is not serious (2 on a scale out of 6), but of course, I am reminded of the time we had Buckeye and took him to be neutered and they said to David, that we had opted for the non-laser surgery. David said there was a laser option, they said yes but they didn't press for it as this was not a major surgery and David's comment was its not major when it's not happening to you, when it is you consider everything major. He asked the cost (this was 25 years ago in Ohio) and the neutering was $35 and laser was like another $5. He told them to use the laser. Buckeye bounced around the house the next day like he had not had surgery. My parents were like are you sure he had surgery, he was so active. Fast for 4ish years and Xander gets BJ. Prices to neuter in Alabama were around $350 (depending on dog weight) and another $200 if you wanted laser.
All that said, we are monitor her. I have feeling we might move up the time frame on getting another dog, so Natasha is not lonely should something happen to Cocoa.
Xander is turning 20 next week, he has just completed 2 years at Elmhurst University, with at least the much if not a bit longer to go, as he has changed from Math Major with Minor in Education, to 2 Majors in Digital Media and looking at 3 or 4 Minors within the same discipline (just as crazy as his Mom was for trying for 2 different Majors {Business Information Technology & Marketing} and 2 different Minors {History & Computer Science}). I think he is also thinking about getting a Masters too (like his dad), not sure if he will go for his doctorate yet or not, only time will tell.
We get along with our detached next door neighbor and even their attached neighbor, but we rarely even see our attached neighbor and she is not communicative, you say Hi and she ignores you or acts like you are going to rob her. David knows at least 4 our neighbors behind us and several of their dogs. You rarely see her outside, I have seen her pulling into her garage and she barely has her car cleared and she is closing the door already. While we have sun blocking curtains up, we do leave the sliding door curtain ajar when we are home and we have a lacy curtain over our kitchen sink. Our neighbor has blackout curtains so tightly covered, you don't seen a hint of interior light at night, not even over her kitchen sink. Our friendly neighbors said she just acts like she doesn't hear them. At the rate she is going, she might as well live in an apartment building, she is only hurting herself, no one is going to know her and be able or willing to help her if help is needed.
