The Fabulous B@ker Blog

Today was the Second Annual 4 th Avenue Street Sale. Bargain seekers started driving slowly by about 8am, but the neighbors did not really get their goods out until around 9am (the official starting time). By then, the place was swarming with people. We got rid of a lot of stuff, and the kids, in particular, sold about $50 worth of toys and books each. We were joined by our friends, the Vetters, who had a ton of new and used kids clothes and toys, and our friend, Kay, who brought along a lot of her husband, Scott's, fishing rods and tackle (he's a manufacturer's rep for fishing equipment). Their stuff was a fisherman's dream. Tell all your friends we'll be open again on Saturday until around 2pm! As usual our earnings are burning a hole in our pocket - we'll blow the whole wad on a fish fry tonight!

Jasper loves to leap through the pachysandra in our back yard. The grass stains on his coat is a very funny sight. He better change into his other fur outfit!

Those are just a few of the words the Fairport community is using in an attempt to comprehend the tragic accident that happened last night at 10pm when a car caring five senior girls, who had just graduated last Thursday, collided with a tractor-trailer, killing all five girls. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070627/NEWS01/70627002 Fairport is a very close-knit community, and, I'm sure I speak for many, when I say our hearts are breaking for these girls and their families. Please keep them in your prayers.

Mark took Bailey to the vet this morning, and he offered the option of trying a liquid phenobarbital treatment for her seizures. So, we're going to try that for a week to see if it works. Other than that problem, she's been "fine," so, as Mark says, she used up one of her lives to buy herself at least another week. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Today we will be putting our beloved 18-year old cat, Bailey, to sleep. Being so old and in relatively good health until the last couple of weeks when she started having seizures, we really feel that having her until such an advanced age has been a gift. Always aloof, she was nonetheless a loving companion, and her loss will be felt most by Mark, whom she loved best and was entirely devoted. There was a time, when we had our two cats, that I said we could never live without a cat (there was nothing more comforting than the "cat sandwich" at night, with Bailey asleep on one side of my legs, and Pru asleep on the other). But, with our sweet and loving puppy, I think we'll see how it goes for a while, and for the first time in 18-years, we won't be "cat people." We'll miss you, old girl.

What a busy day yesterday! We were on the go all day - from bringing Jasper to visit the kid's teachers to visiting my work to going to the vet to having a bunch of friends visit. One of the highlights was having a little friend, Abby (a Cockapoo ) visit. After a really heavy rainstorm, the pups ran around the yard, getting into the dirt and standing water. This picture is the result! Of course, that playtime resulted in Jasper's first bath. Today I head up to Watertown (well, technically, LaFargeville , for my nephew Andrew's high school graduation). Congrats, Drew! You will certainly take the world by storm!

...he'll be bigger than his bed.