State of the Union
My life feels very random and crazy hectic busy, and when I stop and sit and digest, wonderful.
Of the 3 appliances that broke on the same day a couple of weeks ago, I could fix two of them. The vacuum cleaner had a penny blocking it's passage and the refrigerator had some (snicker) dog hair covering the compressor. But the washing machine was toast. Full of water toast. After 2 weeks of ruminating (thankfully the clothes were pulled and rewashed elsewhere), I managed to slide it out the kitchen and dump it out the back door. Yeah, we're kinda country like that. The house sits up enough and with the back porch having a lip to the door and 2 steps down, I wasn't worried about water in the house. Well, I really should have been, but let's just say it could've been worse. Now if only I didn't put 2 holes in the linoleum. Shit. Oh well, it is that kind of house, and I refuse to live life bubble wrapping my things. Use them, repair them, band-aid them, move on, but nothing in this house is protected. Except Grandma's china.
Aspen is staying for 2 days to avoid the fireworks. This is my student's dog (and my masseuse!!), and she is an absolute doll. She fits in with my pack perfectly, so I love this kind of situation! I was lucky to only hear 1 firework on Friday night and just a handful on Saturday night. Honestly I don't know why we didn't get the big booms, but I can't complain. My pack is in the middle of the road on the fireworks scale (loud movies and fans and dark closets fix most of it), and I do love fireworks, but I hate seeing all my friends watch their beloved dogs suffer. I can't wrap my brain around it, as I grew up with HUGE family gatherings at the family farm lighting off fireworks, some cherished memories. But everyone deserving to be happy and healthy and not burning down the dang forests, yeah those are important things to me. Hmm. Anyways ... Aspen, she's a lovely beastie.
(this is how most of the group photos looked .. Aspen would start licking Peach or Lu, Peach would start pawing her to play, and Lu was the perfect dog)
Wedding planning is moving right along, and we are at 13 days away! Apparently Travis and Chris (his friend) have installed 5 horse shoe pits and somewhere to do axe throwing. The redneck is coming out. On the axe throwing .. ironically my cousin got overall high scoring logger at the Estacada Timber Festival this weekend. Wahoo - he rocks! And yeah, it's in the genes. As long as I do not think about money, it's fairly low key on the stress level. Except for the dogs. I have 3 dog sitters lined up - 1 to stay Thursday through Saturday, 1 to feed Sat night and Sun morning, and my maid-of-honor is staying at the house Sunday through Tuesday when we get back. My anxiety is super high about Dixie and Lu, my two *special* dogs. I am doing a lot of deep breathing, zen focusing, and am about to go buy 30 Kongs, so everyone can have a daily pre-frozen Kong. Dixie has to be set up with an indoor/outdoor run that no one will need to go into. Everyone that she trusts in her little world will be at the wedding, and my step-sister is staying with her kids in my mom's RV, so no way to just let her tag along. Hence the daily Kongs to give her something to focus on. Lucero really shows off his reserved to strangers when being watched elsewhere. Poor guy. I'm hoping he *knows* Jaclyn enough that he'll be able to do some pasture runs, which will help his attitude immensely. Beam, Yankee, and Peach should be pretty easy overall, and Beam and Yankee will probably even get to sleep in the house. So yeah.
Yes Dixie dog, you've got opinions! We hear ya!
Other than that, I am obsessively cleaning - the laundry room and the guest bedroom - to be ready for two different sets of people to stay in the house. Things that needed to be done, but a bit avoidance. I need to rubberize my A-frame too. Welcome to my world. One of my students got me a table from Steve for my wedding present .. how lucky am I? First time dogs have practiced on the table ... well, since Yankee was taking classes at Barb's! 3 dogs who have never "practiced" the table. Gah.
And one of my student's bought me a Starbucks cup and gift card. I'm floored, and filled with gratitude to be surrounded by wonderful people. Things are happening down here. Slowly, but surely.
Of the 3 appliances that broke on the same day a couple of weeks ago, I could fix two of them. The vacuum cleaner had a penny blocking it's passage and the refrigerator had some (snicker) dog hair covering the compressor. But the washing machine was toast. Full of water toast. After 2 weeks of ruminating (thankfully the clothes were pulled and rewashed elsewhere), I managed to slide it out the kitchen and dump it out the back door. Yeah, we're kinda country like that. The house sits up enough and with the back porch having a lip to the door and 2 steps down, I wasn't worried about water in the house. Well, I really should have been, but let's just say it could've been worse. Now if only I didn't put 2 holes in the linoleum. Shit. Oh well, it is that kind of house, and I refuse to live life bubble wrapping my things. Use them, repair them, band-aid them, move on, but nothing in this house is protected. Except Grandma's china.
Aspen is staying for 2 days to avoid the fireworks. This is my student's dog (and my masseuse!!), and she is an absolute doll. She fits in with my pack perfectly, so I love this kind of situation! I was lucky to only hear 1 firework on Friday night and just a handful on Saturday night. Honestly I don't know why we didn't get the big booms, but I can't complain. My pack is in the middle of the road on the fireworks scale (loud movies and fans and dark closets fix most of it), and I do love fireworks, but I hate seeing all my friends watch their beloved dogs suffer. I can't wrap my brain around it, as I grew up with HUGE family gatherings at the family farm lighting off fireworks, some cherished memories. But everyone deserving to be happy and healthy and not burning down the dang forests, yeah those are important things to me. Hmm. Anyways ... Aspen, she's a lovely beastie.
(this is how most of the group photos looked .. Aspen would start licking Peach or Lu, Peach would start pawing her to play, and Lu was the perfect dog)
Wedding planning is moving right along, and we are at 13 days away! Apparently Travis and Chris (his friend) have installed 5 horse shoe pits and somewhere to do axe throwing. The redneck is coming out. On the axe throwing .. ironically my cousin got overall high scoring logger at the Estacada Timber Festival this weekend. Wahoo - he rocks! And yeah, it's in the genes. As long as I do not think about money, it's fairly low key on the stress level. Except for the dogs. I have 3 dog sitters lined up - 1 to stay Thursday through Saturday, 1 to feed Sat night and Sun morning, and my maid-of-honor is staying at the house Sunday through Tuesday when we get back. My anxiety is super high about Dixie and Lu, my two *special* dogs. I am doing a lot of deep breathing, zen focusing, and am about to go buy 30 Kongs, so everyone can have a daily pre-frozen Kong. Dixie has to be set up with an indoor/outdoor run that no one will need to go into. Everyone that she trusts in her little world will be at the wedding, and my step-sister is staying with her kids in my mom's RV, so no way to just let her tag along. Hence the daily Kongs to give her something to focus on. Lucero really shows off his reserved to strangers when being watched elsewhere. Poor guy. I'm hoping he *knows* Jaclyn enough that he'll be able to do some pasture runs, which will help his attitude immensely. Beam, Yankee, and Peach should be pretty easy overall, and Beam and Yankee will probably even get to sleep in the house. So yeah.
Yes Dixie dog, you've got opinions! We hear ya!
Other than that, I am obsessively cleaning - the laundry room and the guest bedroom - to be ready for two different sets of people to stay in the house. Things that needed to be done, but a bit avoidance. I need to rubberize my A-frame too. Welcome to my world. One of my students got me a table from Steve for my wedding present .. how lucky am I? First time dogs have practiced on the table ... well, since Yankee was taking classes at Barb's! 3 dogs who have never "practiced" the table. Gah.
And one of my student's bought me a Starbucks cup and gift card. I'm floored, and filled with gratitude to be surrounded by wonderful people. Things are happening down here. Slowly, but surely.