Over at RevGalBlogPals, Songbird writes: Please share with us five ways you redo or refresh or restore your body, your space, your blog, anything in your life that needs perking up this week.
Here we go:
1) A massage does wonders to refresh me. I have a membership at a nearby massage place, and that base fee includes one massage per month. I have three unused ones stacked up. Time to make another appointment and do a better job of giving myself that time that I've already bought.
2) The Alpha got me started on working with 10-pound hand weights this week, in preparation for this and this, which are coming up in OH HOLY CRAP, LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. I'm such a leg-oriented person, though, that in working my upper body, I've actually made myself sore in the quad and hamstring areas because of the way I compensate for the motions I'm not used to doing. Time to restore my body to a previous level of fitness. It's been a while.
3) Last year we decided to finally redo the kitchen, and we are still enjoying the results very much. This year, at a minimum, we plan to use the remaining tile from that project to re-floor our smaller bathrooms.
4) Another way I need to refresh my living space is to get these foster dogs placed in their forever homes! I have a lead on a potential home for Pooh Bear; still waiting for someone to fall in love with sweet Crystal.
5) Something that's refreshing for my mind is to do some reading that has absolutely nothing to do with church or faith! Recently, the latest issue of The Oxford American has been satisfying that need.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Hurried updates
I'm supposed to be on my way to the office already... but I had to share:
- We have been on two walks with all four dogs now. Pooh Bear is a typical puppy who has no idea what a walk is except fun! Crystal, though, seems to have been trained to heel, and to walk calmly. She shows up our dogs. It makes me wonder even more who let her go, and why.
- The two fosters have done pretty well in the back room the last couple of days. After a couple of destructive episodes, we made some modifications to their space, and it has worked well. (They get to watch PBS all day... I showed them Clifford before I left yesterday morning.)
- They are good dogs who really need forever homes. The city shelter sent out a message about an elderly dog who needs a home for 6 to 8 weeks until her owner finds a new place to live. The shelter can only keep her until Tuesday. We would love to help them out, but we have no room.
- We have been on two walks with all four dogs now. Pooh Bear is a typical puppy who has no idea what a walk is except fun! Crystal, though, seems to have been trained to heel, and to walk calmly. She shows up our dogs. It makes me wonder even more who let her go, and why.
- The two fosters have done pretty well in the back room the last couple of days. After a couple of destructive episodes, we made some modifications to their space, and it has worked well. (They get to watch PBS all day... I showed them Clifford before I left yesterday morning.)
- They are good dogs who really need forever homes. The city shelter sent out a message about an elderly dog who needs a home for 6 to 8 weeks until her owner finds a new place to live. The shelter can only keep her until Tuesday. We would love to help them out, but we have no room.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Dog Couch happenings
It's a cold and lazy day here. Not much going on with the current occupants of The Dog Couch, but I thought I'd share anyway.
These two foster dogs were kenneled together at the shelter, and they get along very well. Last night Pooh Bear, the pup, was play-chewing all over Crystal, the pit. Crystal is so patient with this fuzzy baby. It's very sweet to see, but so far they haven't let me capture their playtime on video.
Still looking for loving adoptive homes for them. Maybe -- and I do realize I'm dreaming here -- one loving home would welcome both of them together.
These two foster dogs were kenneled together at the shelter, and they get along very well. Last night Pooh Bear, the pup, was play-chewing all over Crystal, the pit. Crystal is so patient with this fuzzy baby. It's very sweet to see, but so far they haven't let me capture their playtime on video.
Still looking for loving adoptive homes for them. Maybe -- and I do realize I'm dreaming here -- one loving home would welcome both of them together.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Stream of consciousness, business-travel style
I'm in a hotel room two states away from my husband. It's just for one night and wouldn't normally be that big of a deal... but... I left him alone with my hobby. Back home, he's outnumbered four to one. Our two dogs are fine with just one person in the house, but managing two foster dogs in addition to the regular residents... well, that's less than ideal.
A few days ago, I had it all planned out. Pooh Bear was going to go stay with someone who was thinking about adopting her. But then another decision in his life made it a bad idea to adopt a dog right now. "Oh, well," I thought. "That appointment to have Crystal spayed will include an overnight stay, so we can just do that the night I'm gone, and The Alpha will only have three dogs to wrangle instead of four."
Except that Crystal didn't stay overnight after all -- because the vet found a spay scar, which is good news that saved us some money, but which also meant she didn't need to stay overnight. So she's back home, and she's not as comfortable without me there (I think perhaps The Alpha reminds her of someone unfriendly in her past).
So, I've stranded my man with four dogs. And if I get a good night's sleep tonight, I'll just feel more guilty than I do now.
A few days ago, I had it all planned out. Pooh Bear was going to go stay with someone who was thinking about adopting her. But then another decision in his life made it a bad idea to adopt a dog right now. "Oh, well," I thought. "That appointment to have Crystal spayed will include an overnight stay, so we can just do that the night I'm gone, and The Alpha will only have three dogs to wrangle instead of four."
Except that Crystal didn't stay overnight after all -- because the vet found a spay scar, which is good news that saved us some money, but which also meant she didn't need to stay overnight. So she's back home, and she's not as comfortable without me there (I think perhaps The Alpha reminds her of someone unfriendly in her past).
So, I've stranded my man with four dogs. And if I get a good night's sleep tonight, I'll just feel more guilty than I do now.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Foster dogs update
- Pooh Bear met a prospective adopter today. No clue on whether he will actually decide to give her a home. He's going to sleep on it for at least one night, which is good. And he would totally change her name, which is also good. ;-)
- Still keeping Pooh Bear and Crystal mostly separated from our dogs, even though we know that they've all been exposed to the contagious bacterial thing. Angus is showing signs of possibly needing another round of antibiotics. (Pooh Bear has improved drastically since starting antibiotics on Friday.) The other two seem to be okay... for now.
- Speaking of those other two girls, they got into a little tussle today while we were all having some backyard time. Nobody's hurt, but it's another reason to keep the Main Dogs and the Temporary Dogs apart much of the time.
- I'm back into an "I'm not sure I can do this again" phase. The trouble is, when my house is down to two dogs, that means there's room to help another one. It's not convenient, it's not easy, but it saves a life. And I know it's going to get harder to find homes for dogs once everybody I know who might want a dog has taken in one of the ones I've fostered. This is serious Crazy Dog Lady territory here.
- Still keeping Pooh Bear and Crystal mostly separated from our dogs, even though we know that they've all been exposed to the contagious bacterial thing. Angus is showing signs of possibly needing another round of antibiotics. (Pooh Bear has improved drastically since starting antibiotics on Friday.) The other two seem to be okay... for now.
- Speaking of those other two girls, they got into a little tussle today while we were all having some backyard time. Nobody's hurt, but it's another reason to keep the Main Dogs and the Temporary Dogs apart much of the time.
- I'm back into an "I'm not sure I can do this again" phase. The trouble is, when my house is down to two dogs, that means there's room to help another one. It's not convenient, it's not easy, but it saves a life. And I know it's going to get harder to find homes for dogs once everybody I know who might want a dog has taken in one of the ones I've fostered. This is serious Crazy Dog Lady territory here.
*Sigh*
I saw something disturbing this morning.
I think I do a decent job of keeping my political preferences low on the radar. I don't hide them, but I also don't shove them in other people's faces. I don't list them on the social networking site referred to by many RevGals as Spacehook. I don't want my politics to be a barrier to relationship with those who don't share my opinions.
Which is why I found it especially disturbing that a bumper sticker reading, "Yes! I want [last name of the person inaugurated on January 20, 2009] to fail!" was on a vehicle in my church parking lot.
It's one thing to see something like that in traffic. It's in poor taste no matter where it is, and no matter who you voted for. But I saw this sticker where my community of faith gathers. That's what disappoints me. As if we don't have enough barriers to people understanding that our God is a god of love, we have a message that flat-out wishes ill on someone who is trying to do his job.
And, in my opinion, if that person fails at his or her job, the entire country fails along with him or her. So if you agree with that bumper sticker, you're also wishing for my failure and your own.
When someone I don't like is holding political office, I grumble, but I also pray for the person in leadership. The decisions they must make involve factors that I have no idea even exist. That job is difficult beyond belief.
So, am I supposed to say anything? The owner of that truck and I have a long history of seeing the world in different ways. Yet we've been members of the same church for nearly a decade now. It's seems like it's getting more difficult, though. He hasn't been coming to worship very much, and I suspect it's because he disagrees with some people in leadership. I refuse to shut myself off like that. It's a choice I make, and it's not always an easy one, but God created us to love others.
Even when others are behaving in ways that embarrass us.
I think I do a decent job of keeping my political preferences low on the radar. I don't hide them, but I also don't shove them in other people's faces. I don't list them on the social networking site referred to by many RevGals as Spacehook. I don't want my politics to be a barrier to relationship with those who don't share my opinions.
Which is why I found it especially disturbing that a bumper sticker reading, "Yes! I want [last name of the person inaugurated on January 20, 2009] to fail!" was on a vehicle in my church parking lot.
It's one thing to see something like that in traffic. It's in poor taste no matter where it is, and no matter who you voted for. But I saw this sticker where my community of faith gathers. That's what disappoints me. As if we don't have enough barriers to people understanding that our God is a god of love, we have a message that flat-out wishes ill on someone who is trying to do his job.
And, in my opinion, if that person fails at his or her job, the entire country fails along with him or her. So if you agree with that bumper sticker, you're also wishing for my failure and your own.
When someone I don't like is holding political office, I grumble, but I also pray for the person in leadership. The decisions they must make involve factors that I have no idea even exist. That job is difficult beyond belief.
So, am I supposed to say anything? The owner of that truck and I have a long history of seeing the world in different ways. Yet we've been members of the same church for nearly a decade now. It's seems like it's getting more difficult, though. He hasn't been coming to worship very much, and I suspect it's because he disagrees with some people in leadership. I refuse to shut myself off like that. It's a choice I make, and it's not always an easy one, but God created us to love others.
Even when others are behaving in ways that embarrass us.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Crazy Dog Lady strikes again: a one-two punch
This is a first for our household. I had always said just one dog at a time. But Wednesday I rescued two dogs at once.
They were both going to be euthanized. They were the only two left on the week's euth list. So they are with us now... thanks in large part to Karla! When the rescue group I had worked with on my last foster couldn't arrange to pull them, she connected me with her rescue group. A couple of hours later (pretty late into Tuesday night -- into Wednesday morning for them, because they are one time zone away), we had all the paperwork filed with the shelter and were good to do for the morning.
So... meet Crystal, an adult female:
And Pooh Bear, who is about 7 months old:
They are both good girls. If you know anyone who might fall in love with either of them, let me know in the comments!
They were both going to be euthanized. They were the only two left on the week's euth list. So they are with us now... thanks in large part to Karla! When the rescue group I had worked with on my last foster couldn't arrange to pull them, she connected me with her rescue group. A couple of hours later (pretty late into Tuesday night -- into Wednesday morning for them, because they are one time zone away), we had all the paperwork filed with the shelter and were good to do for the morning.
So... meet Crystal, an adult female:
And Pooh Bear, who is about 7 months old:
They are both good girls. If you know anyone who might fall in love with either of them, let me know in the comments!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Another week's assortment
- Went to bed last night before the Oscars were over. They got along just fine without me watching. Hooray, The Dude for picking up Best Actor. Might have to watch that movie of his some time.
- The next two weeks are looking busy. Am I being practical about this fact and trying earnestly to get manageable stuff out of the way ahead of time? No, not really.
- Wanted to give blood this weekend, but still doubted my ability to answer their first question, which goes something like, "Are you feeling well and healthy today?" There's a cough hanging on from that mess I had a couple of weeks ago, so I'm waiting another little while. Hope I don't have to delay it so long that it affects my quarterly church blood drive schedule.... I'm already a week behind on that.
- Change is happening. (It tends to do that, I've noticed over the last few decades.) Even if it's good change in the grand scheme of things, there's still some grief involved for that which is being lost.
- The next two weeks are looking busy. Am I being practical about this fact and trying earnestly to get manageable stuff out of the way ahead of time? No, not really.
- Wanted to give blood this weekend, but still doubted my ability to answer their first question, which goes something like, "Are you feeling well and healthy today?" There's a cough hanging on from that mess I had a couple of weeks ago, so I'm waiting another little while. Hope I don't have to delay it so long that it affects my quarterly church blood drive schedule.... I'm already a week behind on that.
- Change is happening. (It tends to do that, I've noticed over the last few decades.) Even if it's good change in the grand scheme of things, there's still some grief involved for that which is being lost.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Assorted reports from SFM
- If you've been to our house, you probably know what SFM stands for.
- Because of the illness Dustin the Foster Dog brought with him to SFM, The Boy is on antibiotics, and will be for about another week and a half. The worst side effect? He consumes even more water than usual, meaning he requires at least one trip outside in the middle of the night. Last night, the trips were 30 minutes apart. We figured he was just trying to be fair, making each family member who has mastered The Doorknob Principle get up once.
- Dustin/Dusty is scheduled to begin his heartworm evaluation and treatment a week from today (thanks, in part, to those who gave through the ChipIn page -- like RevAnne). I sure hope it goes smoothly! From what I hear, there are points in the next few months where it won't be any fun for him or his adoptive mom. But she's committed to seeing it through to the desired outcome, I know.
- I would normally be getting started on my commute right about now, but I have to report for jury duty at municipal court today. Whee, local government! I hope at least part of the experience is interesting. It's been a decade or so since I've been called, and that was for the county court. I'm really, really hoping to be dismissed since my job involves presenting at a conference later this week.
- We spiffed up the guest room and guest bath last night, because Gavin will be staying with us tomorrow through Friday (see, Gav? we clean because we care). He's helping out with a work thing; actually, he helps out with a lot of work things, because he's on our board of directors. But some of them require that he travel here from Tennessee.
- I'm hitting a higher level of frustration with my particular geographical tribe of Teh Church lately. Just sayin'. I'm sure that this, too, shall pass, but I'm not having a good time with it right now. And I keep wondering about perspective. For example, I might put the dogs somewhere they do not want to be, or do something they don't like or understand. But invariably, I do it because they will be safer and/or healthier in the long run. Is that what's happening here, with a slight role shift? I hope so, because if it doesn't turn out to make sense in the long run, I'll be pretty hacked off.
- We at SFM have given up foul language for Lent. I slipped yesterday... but it was the Sabbath, a feast day... which means technically, whatever I'm abstaining from is acceptable to do. Sure feels like a technicality to me, though.
- I'm losing count of how many times I've said of someone, "He's such a... something I can't say during Lent!"
- We are trying to firm up plans for our upcoming vacation. We already have plans for going up a mountain; now we need to decide the particulars of going down in a hole.
- And it is now time for me to head to the courts building.
- Because of the illness Dustin the Foster Dog brought with him to SFM, The Boy is on antibiotics, and will be for about another week and a half. The worst side effect? He consumes even more water than usual, meaning he requires at least one trip outside in the middle of the night. Last night, the trips were 30 minutes apart. We figured he was just trying to be fair, making each family member who has mastered The Doorknob Principle get up once.
- Dustin/Dusty is scheduled to begin his heartworm evaluation and treatment a week from today (thanks, in part, to those who gave through the ChipIn page -- like RevAnne). I sure hope it goes smoothly! From what I hear, there are points in the next few months where it won't be any fun for him or his adoptive mom. But she's committed to seeing it through to the desired outcome, I know.
- I would normally be getting started on my commute right about now, but I have to report for jury duty at municipal court today. Whee, local government! I hope at least part of the experience is interesting. It's been a decade or so since I've been called, and that was for the county court. I'm really, really hoping to be dismissed since my job involves presenting at a conference later this week.
- We spiffed up the guest room and guest bath last night, because Gavin will be staying with us tomorrow through Friday (see, Gav? we clean because we care). He's helping out with a work thing; actually, he helps out with a lot of work things, because he's on our board of directors. But some of them require that he travel here from Tennessee.
- I'm hitting a higher level of frustration with my particular geographical tribe of Teh Church lately. Just sayin'. I'm sure that this, too, shall pass, but I'm not having a good time with it right now. And I keep wondering about perspective. For example, I might put the dogs somewhere they do not want to be, or do something they don't like or understand. But invariably, I do it because they will be safer and/or healthier in the long run. Is that what's happening here, with a slight role shift? I hope so, because if it doesn't turn out to make sense in the long run, I'll be pretty hacked off.
- We at SFM have given up foul language for Lent. I slipped yesterday... but it was the Sabbath, a feast day... which means technically, whatever I'm abstaining from is acceptable to do. Sure feels like a technicality to me, though.
- I'm losing count of how many times I've said of someone, "He's such a... something I can't say during Lent!"
- We are trying to firm up plans for our upcoming vacation. We already have plans for going up a mountain; now we need to decide the particulars of going down in a hole.
- And it is now time for me to head to the courts building.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)