Three Things Thursday

Three Things Thursday: Liam, Wee Garden Shed, Blue Beauty

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Three Things Thursday is a  weekly tribute to being grateful for the good things in life. This tradition was  started by Emily of Nerd in the Brain and is currently hosted by Natalie of There She Goes.  

Last week  and this week were rough for us and for our dog, Liam, who’s twelve years old and blind. He had digestive/intestinal problems that kept us all hopping, sometimes twice during the night. My, we’re tired. At one point, we were even considering canceling our Fourth of July gathering. But, after a few days of a chicken and rice diet and a trip to the vets, Liam’s system seems to be settling down, and we can carry on with our Fourth of July plans. This is all a preamble to say that first, I am thankful for the Winthrop Veterinary Hospital and especially for Dr. Marie Barengo for helping to get Liam on the road to recovery. (The bacteria in his system was out of whack, and he’s on medication.) Twined with this is how thankful I am to have this wonderful dog. We love our dog buddy, that’s for sure.

Second, on a much lighter note. I have a fondness for cute little things, for knickknacks and garden ornaments and various other folderol. Mostly I keep this in check, but a couple of weeks ago I went to D. R. Struck Landscape Nursery and succumbed, coming home with a wee garden shed and a diminutive wheel barrow. I found a shallow pot, planted some begonias and few tiny hens and chicks, and voilà!  A little scene to great me every time I come up the steps. And I must admit, it pleases me very much to see it.

Finally, I come to Blue Beauty, my bike of twenty years. I received her for my fortieth birthday, and to me she is as beautiful as the day I got her. Together, we’ve ridden miles and miles, up hill, down hill, past the lake, by woods, along fields, even by the ocean. Thanks to Blue Beauty, I can get the exercise I need, despite having arthritis.  Plus, it’s just plain fun to zip, zip, zip with Blue Beauty. Any day I can go on a bike ride is a good day, and I am grateful that at sixty—or nearly so—I can ride twelve miles and not feel like collapsing. As my new blogging friend Tootlepeddle observed, if you can ride ten miles, then you can ride twenty. It’s just a case of taking things steadily. Twenty miles are what I’m aiming for by the end of the summer. Go, go, Blue Beauty!

35 thoughts on “Three Things Thursday: Liam, Wee Garden Shed, Blue Beauty”

    1. Thanks, Clare! It’s been hard on all of us, but Liam seems to have turned a corner.

  4. Yep. Old dogs are more delicate ( me too!) Glad you got it figured out. The beautiful summer is here and we must take every advantage…biking and seeing friends. See you at MIFF!

    1. Thanks, Judy! I bet you could work up to ten miles. I did, and I was in terrible shape the beginning of May.

  6. Hope you can catch a break, Liam can get back on his feet, and you all have a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy that little garden. Looking at it makes me smile.

  7. Glad to read that Liam has recovered. He is a good boy.
    I love your little garden shed and barrow – so cute. Something I would have probably picked up as well. Reminds me of the fairy houses!

    1. Thanks, Eliza! Yes, the garden shed and barrow go right along with the fairy houses.

    1. Thanks, Derrick! Liam is doing much better. We’re working toward that twenty.

  9. I, too, am thankful for our vet–we have quite a few cats, and they seem to constantly need vet care. A good, reliable, thoughtful vet is a gift, and I’m so glad to hear Liam is doing better! Your good, old bike makes me nostalgic for my favorite bike, which got totally ruined in a flood a few years back. I got a new bike but it’s not the same . . .

    1. Thanks, Kerry! I know just what you mean about the bike. I have no desire for a new one.

  10. So glad that Liam, like Max, is on the mend. It is such a worry when they get to that age… and the lack of sleep sure doesn’t help!
    I adore your tiny garden… I wonder whether I could have something similar to decorate the limery in the winter when there are hardly any crops.

    1. Well, if you do decide to do something whimsical in the limery, keep us posted.

  13. I empathize with your feelings of gratitude for your sweet dog buddy’s improvement. I love your fairy garden and I applaud your bike rides of 10 plus miles! I am 60 and you are wonderful inspiration. It is so good for us to recognize and acknowledge our blessings when we struggle with our worries about the world…

    1. Thanks, Betsy! As I approach 60, I’m really feeling the need to get in shape, to eat well, to exercise. I want to keep going for as long as I can. And, yes, so many worries about the world, about this country. Sigh.

  14. Poor sweet Liam. I am so happy to hear that he is feeling better. Dealing with sick dogs (and babies) is so difficult because they cannot tell us what’s going on. A good vet gives good peace of mind that you are doing all you can for him.
    Love your bike. The roads around here are a little too narrrow and curvy for me to feel comfortable bike riding. Maybe we need to push for bike trails. Happy Fourth!

    1. Such a relief that he is on the mend. And you are so right about dealing with sick dogs (and babies). Wonderful vets at the place we go. Clif and I consider ourselves very lucky to live in a town with such great places to ride our bikes.

    1. His system isn’t completely back to normal, but he’s doing so much better.

  17. Glad to hear Liam is doing better, I hope things get back to normal ASAP for you 🙂

    The flowerpot is such wonderful idea! It looks lovely 🙂

    I love the name of your bike, good luck with reaching 20 miles, I hope you have the perfect weather for it!

    1. Thanks, Natalie! Our dog buddy is doing much better. As for the 20 miles…we’re not there yet, but onward, ho! We will be biking the rest of the summer in hopes of reaching that goal.

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