new sofa and clementine

Hello from moody, windy Illinois. Today's view of the maple tree across the street...

There are so many fallen leaves right now. Brian's already cleaned out our gutters twice. He'll have to do it two or three more times before the trees are stripped bare. Today looks like it'll be the last warm day for a loong time. The extended forecast shows temps dropping into the low 50's and even one day where it will only be a high of 48F. And lots of rain. Cue the sobbing. And the start of Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

After waiting six weeks for our Crate and Barrel Willow sofa to be made and delivered to us...it's finally here! We love it. It is comfortable and cozy, perfect for lounging, yet firm enough to have good support. We are super impressed with the quality of the sofa itself and the slipcover, which is washable.

I decided to put the new sofa on an angle instead of up against the wall under the opening where the old sofa was. More photos coming up, but first let me tell you that getting this new sofa and putting it in a new spot got the snowball effect rolling. The black ladder bookshelf and floor lamp do not look good behind the sofa. My cousin, who is a designer, told me I need a higher bookshelf, that the proportions are off. I agree. I might try a tall corner bookshelf. We also need an arc floor lamp so it comes over the couch for reading. And, of course, we need artwork for the walls.

This "cheap" IKEA chair you see to the side will also eventually be replaced with something a little nicer. And my grandma's coffee table, which I love but is too big and angular for the room, will be going into the downstairs family room. I'll be looking for a smaller round or oval coffee table, probably with a glass top to make the room look more open and airy. No hurry on any of these things though. I am taking my time looking on Facebook Marketplace plus online sales.

This is the view across from the sofa. The sofa now faces the fireplace, which is on a diagonal. And we moved the TV from Brian's office into the living room. Neither of us ever watched TV in Brian's office so it was useless in there. And yet another thing I'm looking for: a console TV stand, preferably one with shelves or glass-front cabinets so I can display some books and my vintage pottery.

Thank you for all the kind and helpful comments in my last post about Clementine and her receiving subcutaneous fluids. She received her first treatment this past Monday. The two young, sweet, caring vet techs let me in the room with her so I was able to pet her and talk to her while she was receiving her treatment. She did flinch and let out a little meow when the needle first went in, but then she immediately settled down and was fine the entire time. Watching the tech do the procedure convinced me I cannot do this on my own. 

The techs told me that the vet wants Clementine to have these treatments twice/week for at least three weeks. We then might be able to go down to once/week. How they will determine that, I have no idea. I'm going to ask again tomorrow when I take her in again. 

They also told me (and I was aware from reading online ahead of time) that the fluid doesn't get absorbed all at once, that it can take hours for the body to do so. The fluid accumulates under the skin and forms a "bubble" and can travel down to the torso. You can see the fluid bubble at the bottom of her tummy, near her leg. You can also see where she chews her skin...see how her fur is ragged on the left leg and there's a pink spot? She's been excessively barbering for a couple of years now. Long story short, she sees a vet dermatologist for this and they have done tests and tried four different meds and changing her diet and nothing works. Her regular vet and I agree: it's most likely anxiety. The thing is, she can't be on any anti-anxiety medication because it would affect her kidneys. 

One small blessing that came our way Monday at the vet...when I was checking out, the amount I was charged was 40% less than what I was originally quoted over email. So the cost of bringing Clementine in for these fluids is not as terrible as we had feared.

Have a wonderful week and stay safe.

💓