One of the great things about living near a college is all the great things our kids get to experience. The Zoology Club brought in a group from a neighboring zoo, who brought with them a selection of exotic animals. The kids got a bit squirrelly, but wheee! Animals!
Did I mention the weather is gorgeous? And that I forgot to send my first grader to school wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day. I have clearly dashed my chances on that Mother of the Year Award.
Thank goodness all the stuffed animals are comfortable on a pillow. Wouldn’t want them to have a bad night’s sleep.
A little over 14 years ago, I walked by a pet store and saw some puppies in the window. They weren’t puppies bred for a pet store, as I'm not really a pet store girl, but three 12-week-olds someone was trying to find homes for. Ellie was the smallest. With her umbilical hernia, the clerk working the store knew she would be a hard sell.
The next day I returned to take her home with me, dubbing her my 30-dollar-dog, as they only charged me the cost of her vaccinations.
Strong-willed, stubborn, and as smart as any dog I’ve met, she was immediately a handful. Always on the move and often leaping several feet into the air to get there. Early on I took her to a trainer who told me he’d work with her for three weeks and have her following basic commands. Three months later the trainer and I finally said our goodbyes. He shook his head and declared her one of his toughest, but most wonderful, challenges. I think she might have been preparing me for another headstrong (and just as delightful) girl who would enter my life nearly a decade later.
She got me through the tough years. The ones where you go home to an empty house and swear you're going to be alone forever. Except you’re not because someone is wagging their tail and impatiently nudging her food bowl. She kept the bed warm, made hikes more enjoyable, and never failed to join me on the couch for Saturday afternoon football.
My dear girl, I’d like to think you’re resting somewhere peaceful now, in a perfect spot of sunshine, with a belly full of something delicious you just stole off the counter.
It’s always fun to see what shows up on my computer when I download photos. In case you’re wondering, this is the center of a sunflower from the bunch currently sitting on our counter and making me smile.
We met Chris’ friend Chris P. a while back. He and his partner came to visit on the farm last year. And then when we went to San Diego, their neck of the woods, we met up again.
So when Chris P. came to town last week for business, we jumped at the chance to meet up for dinner. He brought with him two bottles of wine, as it was Open That Bottle Night. This is a holiday which we knew nothing about, but we adore the idea. Pick one of those wines you’ve been saving for that perfect moment (which we all know often never comes), and open it with friends or family. Both bottles were fantastic (in my very uneducated opinion).
Chris wandered in today with this lovely bottle of wine, a gift from Chris P. I am always amazed when folks have the ability to put their hands on the perfect thing. The label on this wine is illustrated by Gary Taxali, one of Tom’s favorites.
A big thank you to Chris P. for all his generosity and thoughtfulness. Currently mulling over that something extra-fantastic to send out west…
The idea started brewing mid-week. It was kind of a joke where a few friends started talking about boarding a plane this weekend to get away from the February grey skies.
And then we all started asking if maybe we could really make it happen. And for a few hours, we thought it might. Husbands offered to watch children. We compared itineraries. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
As a consolation, Beth and Becky came down for the day and joined Anne, Libby, and I for a girlie day out. And Mother Nature sent the sun out to make a guest appearance. Not quite the beach, but I’ll take what I can get.
Have you seen this scrumptious ball of delicious I get to call my nephew?
He was at our house this afternoon, the day he turns one. He sat still for the camera (I would adopt him based on this fact alone). He got fed and carried and tickled and hugged. There is no doubt, this boy is surrounded every day with family who adore every edible bit of him. And a momma who loves him exponentially more.
A lucky boy, that one.
