And So It's July: Back From My Blogging Break!

(Deep sigh)… I’ve been MIA on the blog again — sorry friends! Maybe you missed me, maybe you didn’t realize I was gone… (and maybe you’re finding my little corner of the Internet for the very first time)… whatever the case, you and I are both here now, and that’s what really counts! My blogging break wasn’t intentional (it never is), but I’m just a girl who struggles to balance life and hobbies and business and pleasure. Rest assured, I’ve got a lot to say — I just need to find the time to normalize my routine and get back to doing what I love — oversharing!

Let’s catch up on 2024 so far:

Mogul’s ear surgery

As some of you know, our dog Mogul had to have ear surgery back in March. A deep ear infection led to excessive scratching which led to a very bad aural hematoma. Unfortunately, due to the hematoma’s size and placement, Mogul’s ear swelled up considerably, then flopped over from the weight of the fluid pocket. At the end of March, he underwent a surgical procedure to drain the hematoma and stitch his ear back together. Post-surgery, poor Mogul was so sedated he didn’t even wag his tail when he saw us come back to get him. He had the big old cone of shame and lots of stitching (both on his ear and his lower area, since we had him neutered at the same time — I know I know, the double whammy). Because of the stitching, the healing process was quite extensive. For weeks, Mogul couldn’t walk or play in the yard, and couldn’t jump on the couch or sleep in the bed (his favorite spots). We had gates up all around the house and I felt so bad confining our big ball of energy into a small space.

Once the stitching was removed, the quarter size drain hole in Mogul’s ear began its final healing process. It’s been a long series of months, but as of today, he’s 100% healed and back to living his happy dog life. Due to the severity of the hematoma, his ear sustained permanent damage, and the vet doesn’t think it will ever perk back up. He’s now our asymmetrical pup with his one floppy ear, but we love him all the same. We’re bummed about the loss of his perfect set of ears, but in the end, a healthy doggo is more important than any cosmetic feature.

Vacation in the Florida Keys

In April, I took a fun road trip down to the Florida Keys with my parents and my aunt Pam. It was a long drive (the Keys are way out there, don’t let anyone sway you otherwise lol), but once we passed through Miami, the drive was so beautiful! Especially the 7-mile ocean highway stretch (even though, you know, anxiety!). We had so much fun exploring Key West and Key Largo. We snorkeled (my first time!), saw lots of Florida dolphins, went to a butterfly conservatory, kayaked, fed alligators, drank local beers, and ate lots of key lime pie, among other adventures. I’d never been to the Keys before, but it’s definitely a destination I’d travel back to.

Two trips to Wisconsin and the Northern Lights

In March, I took a trip back home to Wisconsin to hang with my family and celebrate my niece’s first birthday. Let’s just say, we had a great time spoiling sweet little Berk! Alex and I made her a Build-A-Bear called Berky Bear and it’s very precious whenever my sister sends me pictures of her loving up on the stuffy. Coming from someone who’s close to her family but lives half a country away, every visit to Wisconsin means so much to me.

Unfortunately, a few months later in May, my paternal grandma passed away, prompting my second trip back home. Alex and I took an extended weekend to be there for her services and show our love and support for my dad’s family. My grandma Peppy’s physical health had been on a steady decline since around 2020, and while there’s never a good time for goodbye, it’s a sad, inevitable fact of life. She was a spunky lady, that grandma of mine. I’ll always remember her as the Sun Drop loving cat queen and owner of the world’s meanest parrot. It was never a dull moment walking into her breezeway wondering if you were going to see 1, 2, or 200 cats (not joking)! I’ll miss stopping by for chats at the round table, especially the ones that went like this: “Hey beautiful, how are you?” “Huh?” “I said, Hey beautiful, how are you?” “HUH?” “I SAID, HEY BEAUTIFUL, HOW ARE YOU!!!?” “WHAT ABOUT WHO!!!?” “Never mind…” She couldn’t hear to save her life haha.

The last memory I have of my grandma Peppy was from March — I was fortunate to have time to sit and talk with her for an hour, and though her body was failing her, she hadn’t lost any of her sense of humor. We were saying our goodbyes and as I was getting ready to leave, she said to my dad, “Get out the way so I can give her a hug”. It still makes me laugh, her unapologetic bluntness. Grandma Peppy… here’s to hoping you’re out there sipping a Sun Drop, planting a heavenly garden and playing endless rounds of keno. From now until forever, every time I see a cardinal bird, it's always going to remind me of you. RIP.

The weekend following my grandma’s funeral, Alex and I checked something cool off our bucket lists — we saw the Northern Lights for the first time! The night of the big solar storm was a really clear night in Central Wisconsin. Being my hometown is a small village located in the quiet countryside where there’s not much light pollution, Alex and I were able to drive up the road, cut the lights, and get some pretty cool pictures. To our naked eyes, we saw faded swirly lights, but with our cameras, we captured really cool green swirls throughout the sky. It’s crazy how different areas experienced different lights, but I loved our experience! It makes me want to travel somewhere cool to see them again.

Klein’s 10th birthday

Quite unbelievably, our orange tabby cat, Klein, turned 10 on July 9th. It’s crazy to think he’s been in our lives for so long when it feels like just yesterday Alex and I saw a cute little orange fluff up for adoption at the local shelter. We knew immediately we had to have him and the rest is history! I’ve said it before, but he was our first friend in North Carolina; back when we didn’t have our own circle of friends, we were just two happy people hanging out with their cat on a Friday night. I’m so thankful I convinced Alex to become a cat guy. Well, I wouldn’t call him a cat guy, but I’m glad he was convinced to become a Klein guy. What would we ever do without Orange Lightning aka Archy Cat aka Kleineken aka The Orange Bill Gates aka Bill aka William Del Gato aka Oscar Von Schnitzel? Sorry, if you don’t have fun names for your pet, we can’t be friends.

Klein, even though you escaped the house on two separate occasions (including the time you tore out the screen and JUMPED OUT OF THE WINDOW)… and killed our beta fish (RIP Cornelius)… and bite our ankles from time to time… we still love you. Thanks for tolerating us. Here’s to the next 10!

So yeah, aside from the above, life in 2024 has been busier than ever. We’ve done a lot of beaching, boating, and exploring so far, and the year is still young. Looking forward, we’ve got a few concerts coming up, and in a couple weeks, Alex and I will be celebrating our very first wedding anniversary, which feels like a CRAZY thing to say!

Keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of new posts in the coming weeks. We’ve got so much to catch up on!

Enjoy!

JBW