New Floor and Renewed Old Dog

It has been a beautifully lazy afternoon sandwiched in between a jam-packed Saturday and a very full upcoming Monday.  Lots of good stuff going on around here...and I'm in the mood to blog a bit, so here are some unrelated happy highlights!

Brad is finally wrapping up a very slow-moving project.  He is not fond of leaving things unfinished...it actually drives him a bit crazy.  Once he starts something, he goes at a dizzying pace until it's done.  Well, about a month ago things were taken out of his hands and forced a project to come to a stand-still.  The cracked rib?  That happened the day he had begun the demo of the bathroom floor to replace it with tile.  He couldn't lift the boxes of tile, couldn't be down on the floor...lots of frustration for him.  So for about a month now, the bathroom has been in a state of in-between.  He's feeling well enough now to get it finished...and it's looking so great.  His attention to detail shines through in these projects!  Now it's my turn to pick the paint and get that room painted, which I hope to start and finish tomorrow.  Then baseboards and all the "little things" and it will be done.  Here's a peek:

On a totally unrelated topic, I'm amazed at what some doggie Advil can do for a fading pooch.  Archie's brother passed away recently from a nasty bout with cancer, so when some lumps and bumps showed up on Archie, and an eye began to get a very strange droop, we were thinking he was going the way of his brother.  As much as I complain about this dog, and the daily vacuuming he drives me to, I really had a knot in my stomach at the thought of saying goodbye so soon.  However, a trip to the vet and some x-rays revealed that the lumps are not the bone cancer we, including the vet, suspected.  And the droopy, ugly eye is just a droopy, ugly eye.  Horner's Syndrome, it turns out.  Still have to watch him to make sure there's nothing underlying causing that syndrome, but for now he is in no immediate danger.  Some strong doggie meds and this dog is downright perking up!  He's back to being annoying, I'm happy to report.  The eye even looks better!  This is a picture of his "good" side.  I tried to get one of his whole face, and it's just a bit too pathetic.  But the same could be said of myself, so I'll choose a flattering shot.  It's the least I can do.

And, in case you are itching to know, the running is going quite well!  I am being very good with a gentle re-entry, and so far only mild soreness.  I'm believing for more of the same!

Now I have a new Paula Deen magazine to enjoy.  Hoping to be drawn to some new recipes to help me crawl out of that disastrous Fig Newton debacle!!