I know, I know - the grammatically correct title is: "Be Careful About Which You Laugh." But, give me a break - who talks that way? Certainly no one who reads my blog....
So, a few short years ago, a friend and I were yukking it up over a mutual friend who was about a decade older than the two of us. Every time we invited this friend to lunch or whatever, she would ponder it for awhile then give her answer. Whether she said yes or no was determined by if she had anything else going on - that week. Not that day - which might be understandable - but that week.
If, for example, she had a doctor's appointment on - say a Tuesday - she couldn't go to lunch on Monday because then she would be too tired to leave the house on Tuesday. And the rest of the week was shot because - well - she had that appointment on Tuesday and you know how draining a doctor visit can be. She was seeing the doctor for a leg injury she acquired ten years prior. It was long since healed, but you can't be too careful.
So here I am, a decade later, and it seems I have morphed into my older friend. Here are my excuses to avoid any extra activity:
1) I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday (not mine, but Rooney's, mind you) and I shouldn't do anything the rest of the week.
2) The kids will be here for Easter, so I need to rest up three days in advance.
3) No, next week isn't good either, because the kids will be here for Easter, and I have to rest up at least three days after.
4) I really shouldn't leave the house anyway because of all the animals. No - there's no one who could take care of them the way I do....
In the blink of an eye, I have become the old woman who doesn't (leave the house, get dressed, wear makeup, comb her hair, do lunch, etc.) I used to be the young woman who did 500 things per day. I could work full time, grocery shop, cook, clean, chauffeur kids around, attend meetings and put pantyhose on without dislocating my shoulder...
Heavy sigh....
Last night while we were watching TV, I heard what sounded like the tinkling of glass. It was an odd sound and certainly not something one wants to hear. It took awhile but I found the source. Of course it was Boo! She was on the top shelf of the china cabinet where I have my glass domed anniversary clock sitting next to the graduation pictures of my kids in glass frames. A few seconds later and I would have been sweeping up glass off the tile; squinting through my tears.
I don't know what possesses her to do the things she does, but she is the reason I still have some functioning brain cells. I must constantly be solving a Boo! challenge. Take that, Lumosity...
You know you're a crazy animal parent when you try to calculate how to keep them safe while you have company. Right? Open doors can mean cats on the loose. Edibles that are okay for humans can be lethal to a pet. Well, that got me thinking about Easter baskets.
In years past, I have filled baskets and plastic eggs with all sorts of treats. Then, I started to worry about the fur kids. Last Easter, despite asking the kids to please not drop their candy where the dogs or cats can get it, I was finding dusty jelly beans and shriveled up gummy bears inside the couch and under various places for months afterwards. I shudder to think what the fur kids found that I missed.
And, it seems like practically everything is dangerous for pets! Cats should not get into Easter basket grass. It can kill them. Chocolate is bad for cats and dogs. Foil can mess up their digestive tract. Xylitol, an additive in some gummy candies, is toxic to dogs and cats. Lilies are poisonous to cats and dogs. Even the traditional Easter ham is not good for them. So, what's left?
Well, I'll tell you. The munchkins coming here on Sunday are in for a very different Easter experience this year. No more jelly beans, gummy bears, chocolate foil eggs or marshmallow chicks to be strewn about and later found by a dog or cat. No sir. This year, I'm filling the eggs with carrot sticks and broccoli; the baskets with fruit. I'm kidding. About the carrots and broccoli. I am, however, doing grape free fruit baskets! I'm guessing Easter 2017 will be held at a different venue than Pap and Gigi's.
The following foods may be dangerous to your pet
- Alcoholic beverages
- Apple seeds
- Apricot pits
- Avocados
- Cherry pits
- Candy (particularly chocolate—which is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets—and any candy containing the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
- Coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans)
- Garlic
- Grapes
- Gum (can cause blockages and sugar free gums may contain the toxic sweetener Xylitol)
- Hops (used in home beer brewing)
- Macadamia nuts
- Moldy foods
- Mushroom plants
- Mustard seeds
- Onions and onion powder
- Peach pits
- Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
- Raisins
- Rhubarb leaves
- Salt
- Tea (because it contains caffeine)
- Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
- Walnuts
- Xylitol (artificial sweetener that is toxic to pets)
- Yeast dough
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