Momdotcalm.com – “Tips, tricks and confessions of a calm (and sometimes not-so-calm) Mom”. That is how this blog started over ten years ago. I had intentions of just sharing some recipes and life hacks I had picked up along the way as a (single on and off again) Mom of four. Some tips and tricks to make life easier, etc. I didn’t realize it would become a platform for all the grief I was experiencing and, unbeknownst to me, was about to further endure.

Looking back, I usually write when I am “going through” something. Whether it be a loss, I am angered about a situation…or even to poke fun at my dating sagas. When you don’t hear from me, it is a good bet that life is good and on an even keel. It is safe to say life is and has been really good as my last entry, I was shocked to see, was two and a half years ago!! Wowzers!!!

To bring this page up to speed, after the last post of Mexico or Bust, it was learned that I was not the only Ms. Mexico slated for that Cancun trip that Mr. Mexico was planning. There was actually a Mrs. Mexico and a Miss Mexico, and so on! After I posted the last entry, my blog got into the hands of a friend who recognized my story to be very similar to one of another friend of hers. We would learn that Mr. Mexico had a collection of Senoritas slated for the SAME trip! It turned out that the original tickets were purchased for his then wife years back. The vacation got postponed due to Covid and in that timeframe, the couple divorced. The candidates to fill that spot were eagerly gathered over time and weeded through (I am not entirely sure of the thought process or the mechanics of what this guy was doing…or his actual intentions, but it is clear that he is whackadoodle). We now knwo that there were several local girls that were invited to the same getaway and were being “talked to” during the same courting period. For whatever reasons (we will likely never know), the suitors didn’t pan out and Mr. Mexico ended up taking just his daughter on the vacation after all. This almost-Mexico-bound ladies’ list slowly materialized and grew through word of mouth. Like, “Wait…what? There’s another one of us?!” We have all (at least I think all, there might be more out there) met and chatted and we have become quite fond of each other! If not anything, I am thankful for that crazy situation to have happened and happy to have met a great group of strong, smart and beautiful women!

That brings me to the next topic. I continued on with the dating apps here and there but didn’t put too much effort into it. It occasionally helped me pass the time. It was adult conversation and a few hours out of the house when I had a break in the action. The restaurant I bartended at for years (and I still make cameos) was another place I would swing into when I had a spare few minutes. I would belly up to the bar while out on errands and always see familiar faces and good friends, whether it be patrons or employees. A bit over two summers ago, I believe that it was a grocery store trip that I was out for. I stopped into Lilac City Grille to grab a beverage before or after shopping. Per usual, there were all familiar faces. I planted myself in an empty chair and joined in the conversations around me. My attention was drawn to the three amigos next to me that I was very familiar with. Two of them were counseling one of them about a broken marriage. I joined in the conversation and was adding that life is too short to allow yourself to stay “stuck”, as a lot of people do. That conversation continued outside that restaurant bar with “Jay”, now and then, over several months, while I shared my dating sagas and just talking about life in general. That married couple finally pulled the trigger and made plans to officially separate the household that had been living in separate bedrooms for several years…and I stepped up to an opportunity in front of me! 2023 had me starting out on a new journey with someone I had known as a friend for over 15 years. I always thought he was crazy handsome with an infectious and beautiful smile…and those eyes!! Over those months of chatting about this and that, though, I saw the real beauty was his heart and soul. He loves his children (including his stepchild brought into his 20-year marriage) to the core. He would do anything for them…which is sometimes a contention between us now as I am more of a “fend for yourself” kind of parent of my adult kids…but he is transforming into that kind of “parent” to my own children, as well. He just has a big heart. A huge heart. A heart of gold. He deserves all the love he gives, and I plan on waking up every day showing him that. Albeit sprinkled with a bit of nagging and moodiness, but showing him the love just the same!! We have both longed for the type of relationship we have together. We enjoy each other. We are kind, giving and forgiving. He wins at showing grace to me and I win at the complaining to him, but we are both invested in making each other happy and comfortable. And we are both focused on family first. I feel the foundation is pretty rock solid for the second half of our lives to be built. (I’d also like to add a warm thank you to Mr. Mexico. The plane ticket voucher I earned through that little fiasco paid for airline tickets for a vacation in Outer Banks, NC with my handsome guy in spring of 2023!)

So, now to the real reason I sat down to write. I got distracted, as I easily do, by the timeframe and content of my last post! But, here I go. Our family has two pups. Whiskey is a purebred Yellow Labrador Retriever (7 years last April 1st) and Mississippi (“Missi” will be 7 on Halloween-ish) is a rescued Black Mouth Cur from… you guessed it…Mississippi! This summer has proved to be very challenging for these “Kids”. Missi was diagnosed with advanced heart worm disease in May. We started her treatment in June and her last injection was the 30th of July. She is being seen in two days for a follow-up blood test to see if she has any baby worms. If so, we start the process all over. The regimen for this treatment is brutal. It is very painful for the dog and they are at complete exercise restriction. Imagine that with a brother that is a lab! It includes steroids that cause all sorts of side effects that are unpleasant for all involved. It also includes prescriptions for pain and to sedate her to help keep her calm. If all goes well, the blood test will show no worms and she will cease the exercise restriction the end of this month. Missi also managed to get an infection in one of her hind paws having it swell to twice its’ size and she was unable to bare any weight on it. More meds.

Now let’s focus on Whiskey for a moment. About a year or so ago, he started losing weight and was vomiting here and there. He was seen with no finding and after switching food, he seemed to snap out of it. Whiskey is prone to ear infections, and we chalked up that in addition to everything else, it was symptoms of allergies. Shoot to this summer, another bout of weight loss, vomiting, tremors…along with other symptoms, he was finally diagnosed with atypical Addison’s Disease (simply put, his adrenal glands have stopped working). A lifelong not curable, but treatable disease…as long as you get the medications right and dosing proper. We are not there yet. If not well managed, Addison’s is fatal. Positive vibes on this are welcomed. For both pups actually.

So, the “dog days of summer”, have been just that. All about the dogs with vet appointments ($$$) and medication administering. I actually have pill containers for each of them I have to put them together weekly to help keep track! Next expense, aside from the vet bills, is a vehicle to get the pills ingested! Whiskey would eat dirt…but Missi is a princess and will navigate a pill out of a piece of cheese like it is her job. I started purchasing “pill pockets”, which worked fabulous but pricey, from the box pet stores. I then went to order from Chewy to save a few bucks, but they are still SO expensive. I love to mix it up in the kitchen…so I decided to find a recipe to make our own. The following is the easiest that I found and saves me loads of money. The dogs see me get out the pill packs and get so excited for their treat. They watch me put the pills in the little nuggets of dough and pay no mind! Win!!

DIY Pill Pockets for Dogs

The ‘secret’ formula to making a diy pill pocket recipe work is 2:1:1; two parts flour, one part peanut butter, and one part liquid.

The batch pictured was actually 3 cups of oat flour, 1 1/2 cups each of milk and peanut butter.

I use my Ninja to grind old fashioned oats into a flour. It is healthier than white flour, but you can use any type of flour. You can even use coconut flour for a gluten-free option. Be sure that the peanut butter you use is either no or low sugar and does not contain xylitol. Xylitol is being used in many peanut butters today. And it is HIGHLY TOXIC to dogs, even the smallest amount can cause a reaction. In some cases, it is fatal. As far as the liquid, I typically use milk, but you can use water if you’d like. As I am writing, I am thinking a good beef or chicken stock would be a great addition, although I have never tried it.

If you blend the ingredients together in these proportions, you will then be able to create a dough. I work it though with my hands after it is mixed. Most recipes go right to “rolling them into small dough balls” from there. I have learned that a time saving trick is to roll portions of the dough into a cylinder “snake” (which brought back memories of playdough playing with the human kids in past years). After rolling the cylinder until it is about an inch in diameter, using a sharp knife I cut the “snake” into small about 1″ to 2″ pieces to portion out the pockets. From there, it is simple enough to roll into a ball and make a pocket with a utensil. You can use the end of a chopstick, the end of a meat thermometer, or the end of a BBQ skewer to do this. Really anything that you can manipulate the treat with, to work a hole part way through in the center, will work. Also, I have learned this step is not really necessary, if you’d like to skip it, because you end up just forming the dough around the pill in the end.

To store, DIY pill pockets will last in an airtight container (or baggie) in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days. They also can be frozen for a few months. The pill pockets can be made in larger batches by simply following the 2:1:1 ingredient ratio I shared above. Using the amounts I listed above for this batch, I made 65 pill pockets. Depending on what type of flour and peanut butter you use, the cost will vary, but will be just a small fraction of the pockets you buy from the store!! Not a hard a pill to swallow after all!!

In closing, my hope is to get back to the roots of this blog in sharing recipes and hacks. And on a regular basis. Yay for life being steady and secure…but sharing through writing makes my heart full. Hopefully though, I won’t be sharing any new sagas anytime soon! Be well everyone! ❤ 👩‍🍳