Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was awesome. I went to the mountains - Elljay - about 2 hours outside of the city. I drove up the day of and then drove back that night. The cabin and the setting were really awesome. The food was ridiculously good and plentiful for 5 people. We had a ham and small turkey, sausage stuffing, cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, kugel, green beans, mashed potatoes, spinach salad, and rolls. Ridiculously yummy! I had a really great time cooking and hanging out with all. I took some photos - but since I am so LATE in getting this post up - just going to send you flickr to look at them. Good times. Good people.

Dog Spot - No. 1

being a dog isn't easy. i spend a lot of my time napping so that i am ready at any moment to do what i do - walk, eat, chase, bark, nap, eat, chase, bark. i am excellent and protecting my bones from Newman and making sure everyone knows when the neighbor's drive up and when Ray, the mail man, is 100' from our door. HE'S ON HIS WAY. HE'S ON HIS WAY.

i am a people dog. i live for people. i live to have people come over.

christmas was nice. except for the vacuum. but my true day of bliss was the 26th. SHE invited people over for brunch. from my perspective - food and people are about the best the world has to offer. and people dropping food is pure bliss and i was certain i would get some petting and some snacks. i wasn't let down at all!

here is me with stacy. poor thing had bacon on her face. here let me help.

here i am with my people...

special thanks to tiff - for snapping these shots...and rubbing my ears. i LOVE that i tell you. LOVE it!

Stream of My Conscious

It is Friday night. I am at home and I have my soft clothes on. (Soft clothes would be pajamas except my soft closes are flannel and too hot for me to sleep in.) I have been wearing them since 5:45pm when I returned home from my last appointment of the day. It is cold, windy and damp outside. I have been on a construction site a good portion of the day in cute shoes not so much designed for the cold. I am thankful to be home. Thankful to have warm toes. Thankful to not have any real plans for once. I am thankful to be just be quiet for a little while. It will all change. Tomorrow I will hit the ground running with another trip to the vet for Sadie along with some work and chores around the house. The past week has been trying with Sadie as I try to learn her new ways. Ways that change without notice. My patients have been tried and tested and I imagine it might be this way for awhile. One day at a time. I have turned on the television to find Mary Poppins on. Can't think of the last time I watched this movie - but I always loved it. So, I am happily going to work on a little house pick up session with Mary Poppins as my company.

Geography

My brother sent this to me. Thanks, Jason. It is fun and annoying all at the same time. I did much better the second time. And it makes me realize my eyes are old trying to find things on the screen - just a squint to see the countries. I am disappointed that there weren't any questions on the USSR but there again I am showing my age.

Click here for the fun and the horror.

My Kids

Pictures from my secret Santa kids - I loved flipping throw all of the pictures and seeing the smiling happy faces. I recognized my kids by the gifts.

Rowan is the girl on the right - she got roller skates/protective gear, Hanna Montana Books, Scrapbook, Barbie drawing thingee with glitter & lots of pink.



My boy is on the left in the yellow/blue shirt with the beaming smile. He got a soccer ball, Mexican Train game(one of my favorites), robot with remote control (this was pretty cool - I must say!) and books including Scooby Doo!

MINE!!!

Dags doesn't really care about toys. She never has. She loves people, raw hides, cats & squirrels. I purchased dog toys for the gift giving season. I laid the gifts on my coffee table in the living room. Dagny helped herself to one of the toys. So I let her keep him. He is pretty cute. I like him too. She carries him around with her like a blanket.

Here is what happened while I was photographing her baby...

Fashion Rewind

Last Tuesday I went shopping for the refuge kids I agreed to secret Santa. My friends Dean & Amy were spearheading the movement and it was really exceptionally well organized with information about the kids - what they like to do and their interests. I set aside Tuesday am to get the shopping done. I knocked off my shopping at Target and Barnes & Noble. While I was at Barnes & Noble, I happened to come across the Dick and Jane reading series. You remember it don't you? See Dick run. Run, Dick, Run. Well, it seems that Dick and Jane are wearing the same things they have been wearing since the 1950's. Check it out - here. I would have thought at some point in 5o+ years they would have updated the kids' wardrobes and loosened up Dick's collar. We made fun of them when I was a kid and I can't imagine what kids say about 'em now.

Its the end of th World

I am not having a good time. I am not at all happy about this unusually hot weather. I am not enjoying it. It is December and I want it to be cold. I want to wear my sweaters. I would even like to have one glimmer in my head that we MIGHT get snow. Right now - there are no glimmers in my head connected to snow. My friend Mary calls it the end of the world weather. And that is how it feels. One day it is 30 degrees and then the next day it is 72 degrees. And I swear one day it was 75 degrees and the sky was covered in an ominous gray sky that was dark with this bright light behind it trying to push past the ugly clouds out of the way. The kind of sky that tells you snow is coming or some bad ass thunder storm at the very least. But we had no snow. No storm. Not even a drop of rain.

I want cold. And I want it NOW.

Minor Miracle

I bought my house in April of 1998. When I bought the house it came without a City of Atlanta issued trash can and a broken recycle bin. I called to order both - a herbie curbie (trash can) and a recycle bin. Same call. I waited and then I bought a temporary can which the trash guys took and destroyed - it wasn't City of Atlanta issued. Finally after about 12 weeks, my herbie curbie showed up. I never received the recycle bin.

Over the last 9.5 years I have probably called 6 times requesting the replacement recycle bin. You can't go pick them up and you can't buy them either - that would be too easy. I called again about 6 weeks ago not really expecting to see one. I began thinking that I would pen a letter to the Mayor's office to see if they could help me procure one. I was paying for it every year with my trash bill and it was annoying.

Yesterday I walked out to find a new one on my stoop. I was shocked and excited. I now have a recycle bin that isn't broken AND has a lid. I am certain the recycle guys will be thrilled because now when they pick up in the rain the papers won't be all mushy. I should not be as thrilled as I am but now finally I have my recycle bin neatly tucked away on my porch. Oh, so convenient. And my neighbor, James, joyously was able to catch the guy and procure one for himself. We figure our bins will be run over within 6 weeks but for now it is a minor miracle.

You Got Mail!

Today's mailbox. the real one.

3 Holiday Cards
1 Statement on my IRA/SEP
3 Magazines - Pottery Barn, Front Gate & Allen Brothers
1 Comcast Bill (credit b/c I paid twice by accident)
2 Junkmail pieces

Kitty Kat

This is Sadie, who was recently diagnosed with beginning stages of kidney disease. She didn't seem to really care about any of that though. This is her annoying me as I tried to change the linens on the bed. She is beside herself with glee.

Daily Coyote

I love all things cute and furry. dogs, cats. and now coyotes. check out this blog.