Showing posts with label Lucky Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucky Me. Show all posts
Saturday, July 31, 2010
My Summer is Coming to a Close
My summer break ends Sunday night and I will remember this one fondly. It did not involve raves or speedboats, but I had a great little party of my own all summer. I took a lot of naps, I read a lot of books. I played with my food and did a lot of yoga. I got a new car and a new phone, both of which have stretched me technologically. I played with my friends and family. We took a nice trip to Minnesota, where we saw all our family...both sides. Even the ones in Saskatchewan! We saw one niece play her senior recital and another get engaged. We met our one of our new grand-nieces, too.
And the other day we said hello and goodbye to our second son, Riley, who graduated from Army Basic Training. We had a graduation dinner at Yesterday's in Columbia, where he experienced for the first time the gratitude of our country for his service as the owner thanked him and paid for his lunch.
Any regrets at all about this summer? I don't think so. The only thing I didn't get to do that I wanted to was see a Twins game at Target field. But I figure that will be around for many years to come.
And so on Monday I'll go back to work rested and happy, peaceful and calm. Maybe it will be Endless Summer in my mind.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Back into the Oven!
We have had the most unseasonable weather here this past week. The temps have only been in the low-to-mid 80s and we've gotten up to high 50s in the mornings. But that will end now, as we start to climb back up to the high 90s.
I'm grateful for the new car. Mensa Boy bought a 2010 Prius for me when the van decided to retire. Big Green had 182,000 miles on her, and she was going to need a couple thousand dollars of the work in the coming months. The most pressing of which was the air conditioning. Again. The new car cools off in minutes and this week I will be thinking about that whenever I get into it.
I have to confess I'm a little sheepish about the car. People exclaim and congratulate me, and my best pal has been teasing me unmercifully about it. But it seems so extravagant right now. I loved my van and could have happily driven it for many more years (if they'd ever been able to stop that creaking noise it made when I turned the steering wheel). With a kid in college and new carpet needing to be bought for the house, my salary and days being cut this coming year, and Bob's salary still the same as two years ago, I really feel dumb taking on a car payment. But at least this will be a known car expense and not something that bolts you out of the blue like car repairs do.
So when people exclaim over the vehicle and talk about it, I find myself wanting to just say "let's talk about something else."
This year's Independence Day was probably one of the most fun we've ever had. Mensa Boy organized the "First Ever Henry Nesbitt Grand Day Parade," which was a whopping 1/10th of a mile long. Henry Nesbitt is the end of our Shelley Mullis Rd as it crosses into North Carolina. Apparently you can't just let a SC road name cross the state line, so that last 1/10th of a mile is named for someone else. We still aren't sure who Henry was, but he was probably a war hero of some sort. Could be Revolutionary War, could be "The War of Northern Aggression," who knows?
So after the 10 of us marched down to the end of the road and then marched back, we repaired to our home for supper. We grilled portabello mushrooms and corn and had sliced tomatoes and watermelon. After supper we progressed to Kriz's house, where we lit a bonfire, shot off fireworks and had blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream. A great time was had by all, particularly Taylor and Ken, who tended the pyrotechnics. Mensa Boy was too tired to stress about the explosives, so Taylor just went to town with them...I think maybe he'd never done that before.
All in all a very nice 4th and a wonderful weekend. Now it's back to the hard work of...oh wait! I still have a month of summer left!
Oh...the Tour! If anyone thinks watching a bike race is boring, they should have watched yesterday's stage 2. Crashes, underdogs, demonstrations...it was all there.
I'm grateful for the new car. Mensa Boy bought a 2010 Prius for me when the van decided to retire. Big Green had 182,000 miles on her, and she was going to need a couple thousand dollars of the work in the coming months. The most pressing of which was the air conditioning. Again. The new car cools off in minutes and this week I will be thinking about that whenever I get into it.
I have to confess I'm a little sheepish about the car. People exclaim and congratulate me, and my best pal has been teasing me unmercifully about it. But it seems so extravagant right now. I loved my van and could have happily driven it for many more years (if they'd ever been able to stop that creaking noise it made when I turned the steering wheel). With a kid in college and new carpet needing to be bought for the house, my salary and days being cut this coming year, and Bob's salary still the same as two years ago, I really feel dumb taking on a car payment. But at least this will be a known car expense and not something that bolts you out of the blue like car repairs do.
So when people exclaim over the vehicle and talk about it, I find myself wanting to just say "let's talk about something else."
This year's Independence Day was probably one of the most fun we've ever had. Mensa Boy organized the "First Ever Henry Nesbitt Grand Day Parade," which was a whopping 1/10th of a mile long. Henry Nesbitt is the end of our Shelley Mullis Rd as it crosses into North Carolina. Apparently you can't just let a SC road name cross the state line, so that last 1/10th of a mile is named for someone else. We still aren't sure who Henry was, but he was probably a war hero of some sort. Could be Revolutionary War, could be "The War of Northern Aggression," who knows?
So after the 10 of us marched down to the end of the road and then marched back, we repaired to our home for supper. We grilled portabello mushrooms and corn and had sliced tomatoes and watermelon. After supper we progressed to Kriz's house, where we lit a bonfire, shot off fireworks and had blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream. A great time was had by all, particularly Taylor and Ken, who tended the pyrotechnics. Mensa Boy was too tired to stress about the explosives, so Taylor just went to town with them...I think maybe he'd never done that before.
All in all a very nice 4th and a wonderful weekend. Now it's back to the hard work of...oh wait! I still have a month of summer left!
Oh...the Tour! If anyone thinks watching a bike race is boring, they should have watched yesterday's stage 2. Crashes, underdogs, demonstrations...it was all there.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Kingklip
Last night we tried Kingklip. I'm glad it didn't look like this when I bought it. Kind of eel-y lookin', eh?
I was looking for salmon to make our favorite salads with and saw this. The meat was gorgeous-looking and the price was $8.99/lb. I asked the fishmonger about it. He told me it's a lot like grouper.
And it is, but it has a very firm, almost crabmeat quality to it too. It kind of strings like crabmeat, if you get what I'm saying. We grilled it. I put Jerk seasoning on it after brushing it with olive oil. I started with it on foil on top of the grill and then moved it to the grates to finish. We also had roasted corn on the cob and salad. Excellent meal! We had a little piece left over so today I've shredded it and added to pasta, fresh tomato and pesto for my lunch.
Last night we watched an episode of "Expedition Africa." I think it's on the History channel. Too lazy to stop and look it up. Anyway, these people are reinacting Stanley's journey when he ended up finding Livingston. Kind of cool.
Did Jazz and then yoga this morning. I have one month to do as much yoga as I can before school starts. I intend to do that. I also talked to the teacher about doing a couple of private sessions. I've told her what my goals are and she'll craft a home practice for me. Woot!
Mensa Boy is out fixing the sprinkler system. It got stuck on the last station the other day and sprayed for something like 90 before I noticed it. He says it was a bad solenoid...is that how you spell it? He's so cute when he fixes something he's never fixed before. Proud of himself. And he should be! His next couple of projects are the ice dispenser in the refrigerator and the carpet cleaner.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Mensa Boy's Resolution Passes SC UM Annual Conference
Today the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church affirmed a resolution regarding human trafficking. Mensa Boy has been on the Board of Church and Society for the past year and asked the board to consider this issue.
Here is the text of the resolution:
A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
TO BEGIN COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Whereas, Human trafficking is defined as a modern-day form of slavery, in which victims are subjected to force,
fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
“Human Trafficking Fact Sheet”); and
Whereas, Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion annually and is the fastest-growing type of criminal activity in
the world today (U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; The Polaris Project);
and
Whereas, As many as 27 million people in the world today are victims of human trafficking (Sociologist Kevin
Bales, “Disposable People”); and
Whereas, Some 600,000 to 800,000 victims are trafficked annually across international borders worldwide, with
about 14,500 to 17,500 of those trafficked into the United States (U.S. Department of State); and
Whereas, An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year
(The Polaris Project); and
Whereas, All people are created by God and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); and
Whereas, God is a God of justice (Isaiah 61:8), who calls on His people to work for justice and to defend the
oppressed(Isaiah 1:17), and blesses those who work for justice (Psalm 106:3); and
Whereas, God hears the cries of the oppressed(Psalm 10:17-18); and
Whereas, Jesus Christ defined His mission as ministering to the poor, the captive, the ill and the oppressed(Luke
4:18-19); and
Whereas, The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church has studied the issue of
human trafficking while participating in the U.N. Commission on the Status and Role of Women; and has endorsed
and promoted the “Rescue and Restore” initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and has
publicized the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline: 1-888-3737-888; and
Whereas, The United Methodist Church’s 2008 Book of Resolutions calls us to educate ourselves about this issue
and work for its eradication; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church encourage its members
and churches to join in fighting against all forms of human trafficking, in working to rescue and restore its victims, in
promoting vigorous laws and prosecution of perpetrators, and in working to reduce the demand for trafficked persons.
And be it further
Resolved, That the following action steps are suggested:
• Educate yourself and others. Resources include the following:
U.S. State Dept. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons: www.state.gov/g/tip
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services: www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women: www.catwinternational.org/
The Polaris Project: www.polarisproject.org/ ECPAT International: www.ecpat.net
Not For Sale: www.notforsalecampaign.org/
• Pray for victims to be freed and restored, for demand to be reduced, and for perpetrators to stop
their evil deeds.
• Work with other churches and denominations in supporting the provision of safe houses for
victims of human trafficking.
• Call on all people to recognize their particular responsibility to raise awareness of the issues
involved in human trafficking.
• Observe the “National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness” on the Sunday before January 11
each year.
• Identify advocacy groups and consider contributing financially to the work of freeing victims of
human trafficking.
• Determine what services are available locally for runaway teens (who are particularly vulnerable
to traffickers) and how you can support these services.
Submitted by The Board of Church and Society
Mary Lynn Polk, Chairperson
Here is the text of the resolution:
A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
TO BEGIN COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Whereas, Human trafficking is defined as a modern-day form of slavery, in which victims are subjected to force,
fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
“Human Trafficking Fact Sheet”); and
Whereas, Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion annually and is the fastest-growing type of criminal activity in
the world today (U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; The Polaris Project);
and
Whereas, As many as 27 million people in the world today are victims of human trafficking (Sociologist Kevin
Bales, “Disposable People”); and
Whereas, Some 600,000 to 800,000 victims are trafficked annually across international borders worldwide, with
about 14,500 to 17,500 of those trafficked into the United States (U.S. Department of State); and
Whereas, An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year
(The Polaris Project); and
Whereas, All people are created by God and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27); and
Whereas, God is a God of justice (Isaiah 61:8), who calls on His people to work for justice and to defend the
oppressed(Isaiah 1:17), and blesses those who work for justice (Psalm 106:3); and
Whereas, God hears the cries of the oppressed(Psalm 10:17-18); and
Whereas, Jesus Christ defined His mission as ministering to the poor, the captive, the ill and the oppressed(Luke
4:18-19); and
Whereas, The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church has studied the issue of
human trafficking while participating in the U.N. Commission on the Status and Role of Women; and has endorsed
and promoted the “Rescue and Restore” initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and has
publicized the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline: 1-888-3737-888; and
Whereas, The United Methodist Church’s 2008 Book of Resolutions calls us to educate ourselves about this issue
and work for its eradication; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church encourage its members
and churches to join in fighting against all forms of human trafficking, in working to rescue and restore its victims, in
promoting vigorous laws and prosecution of perpetrators, and in working to reduce the demand for trafficked persons.
And be it further
Resolved, That the following action steps are suggested:
• Educate yourself and others. Resources include the following:
U.S. State Dept. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons: www.state.gov/g/tip
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services: www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women: www.catwinternational.org/
The Polaris Project: www.polarisproject.org/ ECPAT International: www.ecpat.net
Not For Sale: www.notforsalecampaign.org/
• Pray for victims to be freed and restored, for demand to be reduced, and for perpetrators to stop
their evil deeds.
• Work with other churches and denominations in supporting the provision of safe houses for
victims of human trafficking.
• Call on all people to recognize their particular responsibility to raise awareness of the issues
involved in human trafficking.
• Observe the “National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness” on the Sunday before January 11
each year.
• Identify advocacy groups and consider contributing financially to the work of freeing victims of
human trafficking.
• Determine what services are available locally for runaway teens (who are particularly vulnerable
to traffickers) and how you can support these services.
Submitted by The Board of Church and Society
Mary Lynn Polk, Chairperson
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends
Last night after Jazz, the posse came over to celebrate Rena's birthday. It's on Friday. We had fajitas, veggies, fruit, cake and wine. Lots of wine.
Fajitas are great for stuff like that. You can do all your prep ahead of time for the most part. We had shrimp (Harris Teeter had bags of frozen, cleaned shrimp for $5.99--12 oz per bag) and beef. Lately I have been buying skirt steak, which is tough and kind of cheap, and putting it in my small crockpot with some onions, garlic and a little beef stock. I cook it on high all afternoon and then slice it and saute it a bit to get some caramelization going. It's a great weeknight meal because it's quick and easy. The shrimp I just tossed in butter and Old Bay in the skillet until done. Some cilantro from my herb pots and a squeeze of lemon was all that was needed for the shrimp ones. For the beef fajitas I had tzatziki to put on there, or sauteed peppers and onions. It was a nice meal.
We sat out on the patio and talked and laughed for a couple of hours. The weather has been perfect for that kind of thing.
Off to work!
Fajitas are great for stuff like that. You can do all your prep ahead of time for the most part. We had shrimp (Harris Teeter had bags of frozen, cleaned shrimp for $5.99--12 oz per bag) and beef. Lately I have been buying skirt steak, which is tough and kind of cheap, and putting it in my small crockpot with some onions, garlic and a little beef stock. I cook it on high all afternoon and then slice it and saute it a bit to get some caramelization going. It's a great weeknight meal because it's quick and easy. The shrimp I just tossed in butter and Old Bay in the skillet until done. Some cilantro from my herb pots and a squeeze of lemon was all that was needed for the shrimp ones. For the beef fajitas I had tzatziki to put on there, or sauteed peppers and onions. It was a nice meal.
We sat out on the patio and talked and laughed for a couple of hours. The weather has been perfect for that kind of thing.
Off to work!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving
How do you like this? Two blog entries in less than an hour. I was sifting through my recent photos and thought I'd stick these up.
This is my friend Tambri (left), Chris and me in front of part of our meal. Peeking out behind Tambri is Chris' daughter Samantha. I have to say it was one of the best Thanksgivings we've had. Food, talking about food, preparing food, laughing, games....just a wonderful day.
Bear also had a good day, even though he didn't get a single bit of people food. The poor little guy hasn't figured out how useful chairs can be:
This is my friend Tambri (left), Chris and me in front of part of our meal. Peeking out behind Tambri is Chris' daughter Samantha. I have to say it was one of the best Thanksgivings we've had. Food, talking about food, preparing food, laughing, games....just a wonderful day.
Bear also had a good day, even though he didn't get a single bit of people food. The poor little guy hasn't figured out how useful chairs can be:
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. At least, to all the Americans that read this blog. For the rest of you, I give thanks for your friendship and interest in my blog. Every day, really, is a day of giving thanks.
Here is the first installment of food entries for the day. These pies were made by my dear friend Chris last night here in my kitchen. She and her husband have moved to Tennessee and she came "home" for the weekend to pack up the old house and have Thanksgiving with us and our friend Tambri. We hope this will be our new annual family tradition.
I'm more excited about this Thanksgiving than any other since we moved here. I enjoy the day and all the hustle and bustle of nonstop cooking that it entails. We always have someone with us, and every year but one I have hosted. But this year my friends Tambri and Chris are coming and the three of us women will hang in the kitchen and cook together. It's at my house but all three of us are hosting. It'll feel more like a family holiday to me than any other Thanksgiving we've had here.
Here is the first installment of food entries for the day. These pies were made by my dear friend Chris last night here in my kitchen. She and her husband have moved to Tennessee and she came "home" for the weekend to pack up the old house and have Thanksgiving with us and our friend Tambri. We hope this will be our new annual family tradition.
I'm more excited about this Thanksgiving than any other since we moved here. I enjoy the day and all the hustle and bustle of nonstop cooking that it entails. We always have someone with us, and every year but one I have hosted. But this year my friends Tambri and Chris are coming and the three of us women will hang in the kitchen and cook together. It's at my house but all three of us are hosting. It'll feel more like a family holiday to me than any other Thanksgiving we've had here.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Double Yoga
I can't get Mensa Boy to do yoga, but I can get him to interfere with mine. I wasn't actually doing my routine this time. I was playing with the camera to get my 365 shot for today when he snuck up behind me. Cute, isn't he?
It was a pleasant Saturday all around. Jazzercise, a little light landscaping work (for me, anyway. MB caught the brunt of it...moving the old, used pine needles around the house to the trees for the winter), a nice nap while listening to "The Sound of Music." Tonight I think I'll watch the movie "Stripes." It's been a while, and buddy Sarah keeps saying "lighten up Frances" to me.
It was a pleasant Saturday all around. Jazzercise, a little light landscaping work (for me, anyway. MB caught the brunt of it...moving the old, used pine needles around the house to the trees for the winter), a nice nap while listening to "The Sound of Music." Tonight I think I'll watch the movie "Stripes." It's been a while, and buddy Sarah keeps saying "lighten up Frances" to me.
Friday, October 12, 2007
IL Posse
Back left: Chris, Rena, Tambri, Cassie
Front Left: Chris' daughter Samantha, me, Nannette
"Tied together by stuff too difficult to explain to someone new"
Front Left: Chris' daughter Samantha, me, Nannette
"Tied together by stuff too difficult to explain to someone new"
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Yeah. I had fun...
This week I'm catching up on insurance work and trying to take back hearth and home. Mensa Boy returns from Uruguay on Thursday and then Saturday is the BIG KOMEN RACE! I'm so excited about that. I've raised $495 so far! Amazing! I'm thinking Mensa Boy may need to pledge a few bucks, too. (of course, what's mine is mine and what's his is mine, so I guess that would be me pledging...)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
This n That
First, the Komen Race. I'm getting pledges already and have met the $125 goal that they automatically put on my site! Cool! Thank you. I have not listed it, but I think my personal goal should be $700. I raised a little over $600 last year. But this year I sent the notices out a little later, and I haven't done any talking about it around the neighborhood, so I've been reluctant to go on record with the goal.
But thank you, Candy J, Julia, Sheryl B, and Steve P, for your donations! Sheryl is giving in honor of her Mother, who is currently battling cancer...not breast cancer, but mantle cell lymphoma. I've not heard of that before. And also in honor of Elaine Lidke, a mutual friend we have that currently has breast cancer. I didn't know Elaine was going through this. Our prayers are with you, my friend.
So keep the pledges coming, folks! I'll have this little link up here every day for the next three weeks.
The puppy training is going quite well. He's notified us more and more that he wants to go out, so that's a relief. The main thing is that he's so darn quiet. If someone is in the kitchen area, it's noticed right away and all is well. But if not...then we've got trouble. For two nights now he's woken us up with a couple of yips while he's in his kennel. We get up, take him outside, he does double duty and then goes right back to bed. I'm grateful that he's telling us, grateful that he goes right back to bed without saying anything, but not really excited about losing the sleep. The first night, Mensa Boy heard him. That's good because MB falls right back to sleep immediately. Last night it was me. That's bad, because I lost about 90 minutes of sleep after that. Once I wake up in the middle of the night, it's pretty hard for me to get back to sleep. I do learn a lot about the world that way, though. I listen to the BBC.
Julia asked if we are having him go potty in the same spot every time. Not by design, but yeah...pretty much. The bad thing is that it's right there on the edge of the patio. So we could have dead grass right there instead of in a less conspicuous spot.
She also asked if we are using clickers to train him. We are using treats. Mainly because he doesn't eat much. And he really likes treats. If we used clickers then I think we'd have to have several of them around so everyone could use them, and they'd get lost, etc. Treats are easy because the bag is right on the counter and we all can grab handfuls for our pockets. Also? I suspect the clicker would bother the pack leader...ME! Sharp loud noises like clicking tend to wreak havoc on my nerves.
Enough about the dog.
This weekend I had a chance to go hang out with some guys from our community there were competing in a BBQ competition. The competition was to benefit the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill. Our guys, who have a team called "Pork O Butts," invited me to tag along, help out, shoot photos and in general just be underfoot while the prepped their butts and ribs Friday night and then took them off the smoker for judging Saturday morning. We had a great time. They are wonderful guys and even promised to share their rub and sauce recipes with me. They've agreed to let me print the rub recipe, but the sauce one...NOT! So I'll devise a sauce of my own to print with the food story I'm writing for the paper.
I haven't found out yet how they did.
Here is the gang getting their pulled pork ready for judging:
And here are some ribs on the grill:
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Love Notes
I found this note in my car Monday afternoon after Jazz.
And then this came to my inbox yesterday:
"When did you move to South Carolina, and are you ready to move back yet?
Michelle Maher, Partner
The Cleveland Company, Inc."
Aren't I lucky?
And then this came to my inbox yesterday:
"When did you move to South Carolina, and are you ready to move back yet?
Michelle Maher, Partner
The Cleveland Company, Inc."
Aren't I lucky?
Friday, September 07, 2007
The Rest of the Story
The dog.
It's been crazy around here, and the dog is really only 1/3 of it. But to ease your curiosity, this entry will be just about Bear.
We've been kind of murmuring about a dog for most of the summer. Many of you know that we lost our beloved Soya 3 years ago. At the time, Taylor was about 9 or 10. He said, "I don't ever want to get another dog because then they die."
Just in the last few months he's been mentioning a dog. Mensa Boy has not been a big fan, but said he wouldn't stand in our way. Nate has been supportive, but not really pushing it.
Taylor and Soya were pretty close. She was mostly my dog, but she always spent a lot of time sleeping next to Taylor as he watched TV or played video games. He would talk in her ears.
Nate will be graduating from high school next spring and going off to college and that will leave Taylor here as the only kid. Also, our carpets are in bad shape and need to be replaced.
So it seemed like no time like the present to house train a puppy.
Bear was owned by a family in Chester who tried to surrender him to the Lancaster Animal Shelter. They would not take him because there are so many surrendered, found, or taken every day that they can't also take animals from other counties. The woman sounded like she didn't want to go "all the way" to the Chester pound. So B.J, a volunteer, said she'd foster him.
He's about 13 weeks old, according to the vet. (note to self: have Taylor pick a birthday)
He's very cuddly and for the first two days he was quiet and slept a lot. He was also crawling with fleas, which we had killed before we even let him in the house. We took him the local vet and they gave him a magic pill that killed them all in about 30 minutes. I just gave him another pill today and put on some Topspot. We also had him tested for a skin condition, which he passed, but we have another culture working for ringworm. He's got a spot on his front leg that he's been chewing on.
Buddy Sarah loaned us two Kennel Cabs, one he just fits in now, and another he can grow into. He's very good about it. We let him out, tell him he's going to bed, and he sleeps all night. Hasn't said a word for 2 nights. Each morning he goes straight outside from there. I suspect we are in the honeymoon phase with that.
He's not a great eater. In fact, I suspect all the food he's getting right now is what I put in his little Kong. So I put puppy food in there rather than treats. His foster home fed him scrambled eggs for breakfast. At my house, dogs eat dog food. So he's going to have to get over this pickiness. NO ONE is allowed to be a picky eater.
His personality is starting to come out now, and I suspect we will be referring to him as "the terrorist" soon. Tomorrow I'll have to take Taylor to a bookstore to find a training book. We'll need to keep a firm hand on this one. We do, after all, suspect that he's mostly Jack Russell Terrier.
My circle of buds have been teasing me now, saying they want to get me a pooch purse. A big, flowered, pooch purse. HA. They are soooooo funnnnny!
My assessment of this whole thing is now I've given my adversaries (and believe me, there are adversaries with this library thing) a pretty good response when I tangle with them:
"I'll get you, my pretty! And your little dog too!"
It's been crazy around here, and the dog is really only 1/3 of it. But to ease your curiosity, this entry will be just about Bear.
We've been kind of murmuring about a dog for most of the summer. Many of you know that we lost our beloved Soya 3 years ago. At the time, Taylor was about 9 or 10. He said, "I don't ever want to get another dog because then they die."
Just in the last few months he's been mentioning a dog. Mensa Boy has not been a big fan, but said he wouldn't stand in our way. Nate has been supportive, but not really pushing it.
Taylor and Soya were pretty close. She was mostly my dog, but she always spent a lot of time sleeping next to Taylor as he watched TV or played video games. He would talk in her ears.
Nate will be graduating from high school next spring and going off to college and that will leave Taylor here as the only kid. Also, our carpets are in bad shape and need to be replaced.
So it seemed like no time like the present to house train a puppy.
Bear was owned by a family in Chester who tried to surrender him to the Lancaster Animal Shelter. They would not take him because there are so many surrendered, found, or taken every day that they can't also take animals from other counties. The woman sounded like she didn't want to go "all the way" to the Chester pound. So B.J, a volunteer, said she'd foster him.
He's about 13 weeks old, according to the vet. (note to self: have Taylor pick a birthday)
He's very cuddly and for the first two days he was quiet and slept a lot. He was also crawling with fleas, which we had killed before we even let him in the house. We took him the local vet and they gave him a magic pill that killed them all in about 30 minutes. I just gave him another pill today and put on some Topspot. We also had him tested for a skin condition, which he passed, but we have another culture working for ringworm. He's got a spot on his front leg that he's been chewing on.
Buddy Sarah loaned us two Kennel Cabs, one he just fits in now, and another he can grow into. He's very good about it. We let him out, tell him he's going to bed, and he sleeps all night. Hasn't said a word for 2 nights. Each morning he goes straight outside from there. I suspect we are in the honeymoon phase with that.
He's not a great eater. In fact, I suspect all the food he's getting right now is what I put in his little Kong. So I put puppy food in there rather than treats. His foster home fed him scrambled eggs for breakfast. At my house, dogs eat dog food. So he's going to have to get over this pickiness. NO ONE is allowed to be a picky eater.
His personality is starting to come out now, and I suspect we will be referring to him as "the terrorist" soon. Tomorrow I'll have to take Taylor to a bookstore to find a training book. We'll need to keep a firm hand on this one. We do, after all, suspect that he's mostly Jack Russell Terrier.
My circle of buds have been teasing me now, saying they want to get me a pooch purse. A big, flowered, pooch purse. HA. They are soooooo funnnnny!
My assessment of this whole thing is now I've given my adversaries (and believe me, there are adversaries with this library thing) a pretty good response when I tangle with them:
"I'll get you, my pretty! And your little dog too!"
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Sunday, September 02, 2007
The Party Had to End Sometime!
Today we will go out the northwestern part of the state and see if we can hike to some waterfalls. With the drought becoming so severe, I'm a little anxious about what we'll actually see, but the hike will be good and it'll get the guys out and breathing hard.
The weather has finally cooled to a pleasant mid-80s in the afternoons now. I'm very glad of that. I'm not really bothered by the heat, but it does make moving around outside arduous when it's close to 100 everyday. It's exactly like moving around Minnesota in January when it's 15 below zero every day. Really.
We are going to go either to Jones Gap State Park, or Caesar's Head State Park. I'm not sure which at this point. They are just 10 miles apart. Both have hiking and waterfalls. Because the guys don't get as much exercise as I do, I imagine we'll try to go to the one that will get us a waterfall quicker...closer to the trail head. I don't want to wear them out by having them hike 3 miles to a waterfall if they can reach one in 1.5 miles at a different park.
I plan to take my camera and shoot lots of photos. I have to figure out what to take. I can just take my entire bag, but it gets heavy after a while. I know Mensa Boy would be happy to take a turn wearing it, though, so I'll probably do that. (it's a backpack bag)
So, I'm trying to get those guys up so we can leave by 7:30. I imagine we won't get out by then.
It's been a fantastic birthday for me this year, and the 3-day celebration is the main reason why I haven't written. Here's brief account:
MB was working late all week. Deadline. My friends all stepped up to the plate a did a lot to make it a wonderful celebration.
Sarah and I went to lunch on Wednesday, Rena and I went to dinner Wednesday night, and the evening ended with a surprise gathering of my buddies that night. Cassie, Chris and Tambri were waiting at the Rec Center, where Chris and T had been signing up kids for T's dance classes. Cassie made a wonderful cheesecake and they showered me with serving pieces I can use to do my food photography. It was a fun hour of eating and laughing.
Thursday Chris and I took her 4 year old to the Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville. I'd never been there. It was a hoot! We rode a horse-drawn wagon while animals came up and begged for food. I shot a lot of photos, one of which is the ostrich photo I posted here the other day. Here's one of the giraffes taking a leaf from someone on the wagon:
Friday I spent the day on my favorite hobby: cooking. People always say to me, "too bad you have to cook your own birthday meal." But I love it! I smoked a pork butt I had rubbed the night before. I used a rub recipe from Southern Living's "Ultimate Grilling & BBQ Guide" that they put out this summer. I normally don't think much of Southern Living...especially their recipes...they tend to be too high in fat for my cooking and I've had more than one occasion where the recipe has just been plain wrong or unworkable. But I saw this guide at Julia's when we were in Minnesota, so I rushed around looking for before it was taken off the magazine racks in early August. I liked this recipe enough that I will use it again, and I will definitely try others, now the the weather is cooling enough to cook outside again.
That's it! Gotta get those guys up and hit the road! I leave you with this photo of some kind of duck I shot at Lazy 5. I wish I'd checked to see what it was. It's beautiful, isn't it? Maybe Raymond will google it and find out for me.
Friday, June 22, 2007
My Mail
Anyone who spends any time on my blog knows by now that I have cool friends.
I have one that lives in Rochester, MN. I went to visit Julie in February and managed to snarf down most of a box of Cocoa Almonds she had on the counter in her kitchen. She bought them at Trader Joe's in Minneapolis.
We don't have a Trader Joe's. For a year I've been driving by the little mall where the Trader Joe's is supposedly going to be, but it never seems to appear. Just the same sign taunting drivers that it is "Coming Soon!"
Julie has kept me in Cocoa Almonds by mailing me boxes of them. I hoard them, allowing myself only 5 each day. She seems to know when I am just about out. The box that showed up last week was when I was down to around 10 left (I skip days to make them last longer).
Julie is indeed "She Who Makes It So!"
I have one that lives in Rochester, MN. I went to visit Julie in February and managed to snarf down most of a box of Cocoa Almonds she had on the counter in her kitchen. She bought them at Trader Joe's in Minneapolis.
We don't have a Trader Joe's. For a year I've been driving by the little mall where the Trader Joe's is supposedly going to be, but it never seems to appear. Just the same sign taunting drivers that it is "Coming Soon!"
Julie has kept me in Cocoa Almonds by mailing me boxes of them. I hoard them, allowing myself only 5 each day. She seems to know when I am just about out. The box that showed up last week was when I was down to around 10 left (I skip days to make them last longer).
Julie is indeed "She Who Makes It So!"
Saturday, June 09, 2007
I Just Like this Photo
I shot this photo last weekend at my friend Tambri's dance school recital. This is Tambri coaching her 3-year-old dancers through the song, "Mr. Sandman."
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Gone to Carolina Archive: Everyone Else
Today's blog is all about everyone else...not us.
Here is a picture of the other our nephews, Jim & Anne's guys. Anne writes that They had these photos taken for their Canadian Citizenship Cards. So now they have official dual citizenship for life. See photo on old blog
I also have a picture of my cousin Wayne's new baby colt: Yup. Photo on old blog
Lila writes He was born Friday, April 25th. They haven't picked out a name yet. He's a registered Appaloosa. I can't wait to get over there to see him!
And my old high school and college friend, Mary F also sent some comments. She says her family just returned from a cruise to the Grand Caymons and Cozumel. Right after returning they traveled back to Farmington for celebrate Mary's Mother Marilyn's 75th birthday. Sister Cindy even came back from London to attend the open house. Happy Birthday Marilyn! Oh and for the record, Mary thinks perhaps there is a marshallow shortage...explaining the lack of chocolate covered ones. Good theory Mary, but apparently you don't remember ever eating my Mom's chocolate cake with homemade marshmallow frosting! Just karo syrup and some other stuff...
And finally, from "brother" Becky...
We are in the middle of prom week here in Litchfield and are starting to wear down. Can't believe that Stacy is as old as she is. She is pretty excited about the whole event and we know she will look like a fairy princess and are hoping she has a good time. Mike and the kids are all busy with golf. With Kayti now joining her older siblings it makes for fun golf talk around our table. It is so fun having a common interest with our kids. The next thing for us is the band season and the swim club season. Both of those are enough to keep our heads spinning. Mike keeps saying that we are at the pinnacle and we are trying to enjoy each moment.
You know Beck, that's a very healthy perspective to have about the kids. I should also use that thinking those days when Nate forgets to turn in his homework ....these are the best days of our lives!
Here is a picture of the other our nephews, Jim & Anne's guys. Anne writes that They had these photos taken for their Canadian Citizenship Cards. So now they have official dual citizenship for life. See photo on old blog
I also have a picture of my cousin Wayne's new baby colt: Yup. Photo on old blog
Lila writes He was born Friday, April 25th. They haven't picked out a name yet. He's a registered Appaloosa. I can't wait to get over there to see him!
And my old high school and college friend, Mary F also sent some comments. She says her family just returned from a cruise to the Grand Caymons and Cozumel. Right after returning they traveled back to Farmington for celebrate Mary's Mother Marilyn's 75th birthday. Sister Cindy even came back from London to attend the open house. Happy Birthday Marilyn! Oh and for the record, Mary thinks perhaps there is a marshallow shortage...explaining the lack of chocolate covered ones. Good theory Mary, but apparently you don't remember ever eating my Mom's chocolate cake with homemade marshmallow frosting! Just karo syrup and some other stuff...
And finally, from "brother" Becky...
We are in the middle of prom week here in Litchfield and are starting to wear down. Can't believe that Stacy is as old as she is. She is pretty excited about the whole event and we know she will look like a fairy princess and are hoping she has a good time. Mike and the kids are all busy with golf. With Kayti now joining her older siblings it makes for fun golf talk around our table. It is so fun having a common interest with our kids. The next thing for us is the band season and the swim club season. Both of those are enough to keep our heads spinning. Mike keeps saying that we are at the pinnacle and we are trying to enjoy each moment.
You know Beck, that's a very healthy perspective to have about the kids. I should also use that thinking those days when Nate forgets to turn in his homework ....these are the best days of our lives!
Monday, April 21, 2003
Gone to Carolina Archive: Easter Weekend Reflections
Twins 9-10 Braves 10-9
I've decided to leave the comments section off this blog. But, I will post any comments that come to me in an email, as long as they are appropriate for "family viewing". Kristen B suggested we leave the section on there and "we could all just ignore the idiots out there, just like we do everywhere else... " But hey, I've got nieces who read this, so....
Click on the little yellow envelope over to the left on this screen and send me a comment. The next morning I'll post it on the blog in purple with whatever name you put in there for yourself.
Someone named "Da Prince" mentioned the Old Market in Charleston in a comment the other day: "The Market actually started out as farmers market and city market... the Slave Markets were elsewhere... the remaining one, the Old Slave Mart Museum is closed now because of a lack of funds". Thanks Prince, whoever you are. You're a...well...a prince...for giving us that tidbit of info. Sad though, that whole lack of funds thing.
Mom and Dad left this morning. Boston Terror Mickey seemed anxious to go...dogs always know when your're leaving. He started pawing at the door as soon as he saw the luggage. Soya didn't really pay attention, but of course, once she saw a car door open she had to jump in, in hopes of getting a ride. Took a bit of coaxing to get her out. She's been looking for Grandpa all day now.
Yesterday, Easter Sunday, we had a nice, but a bit busy, day. Mensa Boy and I actually did go to the Sunrise service. It was just so nice being outside at 6:30 am on Easter Sunday morning, and it was 53 degrees. I thought I hadn't been to one since I was 15 and my fingers were freezing on the strings of my guitar. But later hubby reminded me of ones we used to go to at Advent UMC in Eagan, MN. Those were not outside, but we used to go to this cold cabin-type structure and light a fire in a fireplace, I think. You old-time Adventers will need to remind me...I can't seem to call up those memories too well.
Our choir's cantata went well, although we didn't get to hear Tony preach, except during the children's time. The church was packed, except for the front pew. Tony said that isn't all bad. It's a good reminder that there are always more possibilities for people to come to us. I'll step out on a limb here and give an opinion online about the Easter service. I think when you have all the "Chreasters" come to church you should trot out your best assets. And since I see Tony as one of ours, I think he should always preach on Sunday and Easter.
So there. Post your comments by clicking on the little yellow envelope...and let me know if you don't want your name mentioned.
One of the truly surprising things for me yesterday was how cool our cross looked. They wired it up with chicken wire and told everyone to bring cut flowers "from your garden or someone else's" and they would put them on this cross. It was absolutely the prettiest thing I've seen. After the service they carried it outside and it's still out there. I'll try to get a photo of it tomorrow and post it, if it's still out there. I think I was just so skeptical because I'm not used to seeing flowers out at Easter time.
Mary R came to church with us yesterday. Tony asked her how the bread and beer diet was going. I would just like to say in my defense that I did ask permission from her before writing about it.
We had Nanette and husband Jesse for dinner and then walked all the pooches afterward. Nannette and Jesse have two schnauzers, Josephine and Sophia. They are great fun to watch, as they walk Nannette everywhere and treat her a bit like a maypole, twisting themselves around her. I do think they are a bit annoyed that their kerchiefs are Valentines Day ones. It seems Jesse was too busy sewing backdrops for Nannette's concert this week to make them Easter kerchiefs...Memorial Day is coming, Jess. Better get out the machine again.
I think I'll quit here. I think I'll go crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head. The Twinks lost 15-1 to those Yankee people this afternoon.
Confidential to Valerie, c/o Heaven: No one here greeted us with "He Is Risen" on Sunday morning. But I think I heard you whisper it to me. And I reply: "He Is Risen Indeed. Just As He Said."
I've decided to leave the comments section off this blog. But, I will post any comments that come to me in an email, as long as they are appropriate for "family viewing". Kristen B suggested we leave the section on there and "we could all just ignore the idiots out there, just like we do everywhere else... " But hey, I've got nieces who read this, so....
Click on the little yellow envelope over to the left on this screen and send me a comment. The next morning I'll post it on the blog in purple with whatever name you put in there for yourself.
Someone named "Da Prince" mentioned the Old Market in Charleston in a comment the other day: "The Market actually started out as farmers market and city market... the Slave Markets were elsewhere... the remaining one, the Old Slave Mart Museum is closed now because of a lack of funds". Thanks Prince, whoever you are. You're a...well...a prince...for giving us that tidbit of info. Sad though, that whole lack of funds thing.
Mom and Dad left this morning. Boston Terror Mickey seemed anxious to go...dogs always know when your're leaving. He started pawing at the door as soon as he saw the luggage. Soya didn't really pay attention, but of course, once she saw a car door open she had to jump in, in hopes of getting a ride. Took a bit of coaxing to get her out. She's been looking for Grandpa all day now.
Yesterday, Easter Sunday, we had a nice, but a bit busy, day. Mensa Boy and I actually did go to the Sunrise service. It was just so nice being outside at 6:30 am on Easter Sunday morning, and it was 53 degrees. I thought I hadn't been to one since I was 15 and my fingers were freezing on the strings of my guitar. But later hubby reminded me of ones we used to go to at Advent UMC in Eagan, MN. Those were not outside, but we used to go to this cold cabin-type structure and light a fire in a fireplace, I think. You old-time Adventers will need to remind me...I can't seem to call up those memories too well.
Our choir's cantata went well, although we didn't get to hear Tony preach, except during the children's time. The church was packed, except for the front pew. Tony said that isn't all bad. It's a good reminder that there are always more possibilities for people to come to us. I'll step out on a limb here and give an opinion online about the Easter service. I think when you have all the "Chreasters" come to church you should trot out your best assets. And since I see Tony as one of ours, I think he should always preach on Sunday and Easter.
So there. Post your comments by clicking on the little yellow envelope...and let me know if you don't want your name mentioned.
One of the truly surprising things for me yesterday was how cool our cross looked. They wired it up with chicken wire and told everyone to bring cut flowers "from your garden or someone else's" and they would put them on this cross. It was absolutely the prettiest thing I've seen. After the service they carried it outside and it's still out there. I'll try to get a photo of it tomorrow and post it, if it's still out there. I think I was just so skeptical because I'm not used to seeing flowers out at Easter time.
Mary R came to church with us yesterday. Tony asked her how the bread and beer diet was going. I would just like to say in my defense that I did ask permission from her before writing about it.
We had Nanette and husband Jesse for dinner and then walked all the pooches afterward. Nannette and Jesse have two schnauzers, Josephine and Sophia. They are great fun to watch, as they walk Nannette everywhere and treat her a bit like a maypole, twisting themselves around her. I do think they are a bit annoyed that their kerchiefs are Valentines Day ones. It seems Jesse was too busy sewing backdrops for Nannette's concert this week to make them Easter kerchiefs...Memorial Day is coming, Jess. Better get out the machine again.
I think I'll quit here. I think I'll go crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head. The Twinks lost 15-1 to those Yankee people this afternoon.
Confidential to Valerie, c/o Heaven: No one here greeted us with "He Is Risen" on Sunday morning. But I think I heard you whisper it to me. And I reply: "He Is Risen Indeed. Just As He Said."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)