Hmmmm...

So. I registered for the foreign service exam....step one in a process of a lot more steps.

An intriguing option for a new career path. Living overseas again intrigues me. I was invited to take the test which is a good sign. The test, from what I have read, is pretty heavy on Social Studies content---US History, US Economy, World history, current events, geography......it really shouldn't be a problem and if it is I should be embarrassed to not have passed it. There is also a writing portion, again, not worried about it. I took the GREs last spring and writing was my best score.

We shall not discuss my math scores.

Test date is October 3rd. I am excited to get moving on it.

People. It's Power to the People Time...Just Do It Before Sunday.

Folks, I need your help. I have a great friend who has been working hard at setting up her own business. She works out of her home, she works hard and she works a lot. Now, many people hate when others ask for this kind of help, but I can vouch for her, she is top notch.

She has been working hard the past couple years, and is doing okay, but this vote could really help her out. It is through American Express and NBC. The winner can get $50,000 in marketing money to help support their small business efforts in these tough economic times. It is really difficult for small businesses to get grants. And that is what this is; it's not a loan, it is a grant. To a small business owner, manna from heaven.

Here all I need you to do:

1.) Go to this page: (Sorry for no hyperlink, for some reason, it shows up when I am editing, but not when I publish the post. My sincere apologies.....you'll have to do it the old fashion way: copy and paste.)


http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=8283

2.) Do the quick registering in order to vote, up in the upper right corner of the page.

3.) Go back to the "simply homemade" (The same link above) page and click on the "Endorse now" button with the flashlight at the top of the column on the left.

That's it. Clickety-Click-Click.

So simple.

If you want to check out what she simply home makes, just to make sure it isn't some lurid site specializing in niche market porn, there is a link to her website on the page linked above.

I assure you, it's all above board, people.

Power to the Peeps. Here is your chance to make your voice heard. Don't squander it.

Seriously? I am so in love with this dog. Someone in our house has made the comment, "You really like taking pictures of his snout, don't you?"

Yes, yes I do. I am not really sure why.
The jowls?
The whiskers on the front that tickle you when he comes in close to sniff you?
It doesn't matter. I like it all.


He is growing so fast. He is still all legs and paws and ears. People think I am starving him because he is so skinny; not true people. Giant breeds have really delicate joints, especially when they are puppies. You can't let them pack on the pounds too fast because it can do serious, permanent damage to the joints. Also, too much running and gallivanting around.

With him? Really not a problem most of the time.


I mean, he IS still a puppy. He likes to play. He likes to chase after moths and catch them (it is hilarious---he really stalks them and gets a hunter pose, even though mastiffs are not hunters, per say.).......when he does catch them, he is as surprised as we are and he dutifully eats them since he has them in his mouth anyway.


He is still a puppy and figuring out his world. Sniffing is huge. In this picture, the neighbors were having a pool party....some new smells. 13 and 14 year olds. Lots of them. Lots of squealing--a noise he had been unfamiliar with coming from this side of the house. The other side? He's got those neighbs down like a textbook. Lots of kids, lots of high pitched screaming and shrieking from those kids. He doesn't even bother turning his head. When we are outside, he will just look at them when they are making noise and then look at me like, "Why, mama, why?"


And his is a total doofus. He still sleeps on his back, but now his jowls flap open to expose his new white big boy teeth.


His paws are huge. They keep getting bigger and he can't catch up.


And then.........the crash. The drugged out look when he can no longer go on. The dropping on the floor or yard wherever he is and instantaneous sleep. He fights it most times, especially if he is having fun.


He is getting really mastiff-y. I love with puppies sit on their butts. I hope he always does this because it slays me everytime.


He is growing into more of his brindle. He will be mostly black, like his dad, but he has gotten more of the fawn color.



He does love laying in the sunbeams in the morning. Sniffing...surveying his kingdom.

School starts tomorrow. I am gonna miss hanging out with him during the day. That, I know for sure.

Growing...

Our garden, our dog, my impatience to find out what I am teaching this year (in less than five weeks...) my love of our life at this house.

Garden:
Just pickled the first pickling cukes from the garden. Eh. I think I could have done better, but I am definitely getting better at just diving in and not worrying about it being perfect.

This could potential be a problem. Botulism and what not.

Dog:
Lionel gained 20 pounds in 4 weeks. Enough said.

School:
Frustrated.

My love of our life in this house:
We have been working on sprucing up the "Grounds". We took down two apple trees......and by we, I mean, not me. I was brush duty. Lopping off branches, hauling branches, loading branches, unloading branches, raking branches.

Which is fine because no one wants to see me try and operate a chainsaw. And theoretically come out of the experience with all limbs still attached.

I'm just saying.

You're welcome.

Tonight, we worked on the creek bed and getting a lot of the brush knocked out. And by we I mean mostly not me. I was primary pickler at the time and also supper maker. I can't believe how low the creek is. Or that we have a creek. It looks really good already---way better.

Plus, with us taking the house off the market, I have been in the process of changing my mindset on staying here for a while longer.

And directing all my concentration at winning the powerball so we can put a fence.

Saturday Morning Update.

So far this morning, we.....and by we I mean Lionel with me observing---and occasionally intervening....have done the following:

-Come downstairs all by ourselves:

Bunny Hop from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

-"Helped" (Attacked) bring the hose up from the garden to the house

-Chewed on all the toys in the house

-Chewed on the leather ottoman (That may have gotten us an ear bite from me)

-Drank all the water and shared with everybody via the drips from the jowls (He got those this week....he is really starting to look like a mastiff)

-Defended the homestead from the Evil Angel Bulldog:

Defending the Homestead from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

-Tried to dig a hole to China (Another ear bite when we didn't listen to the mama dog growl from me)

-Tried a second time to dig a hole to China after we were told to knock it off (another ear bite.....five minutes after the first bite. Attention Span or just Short Term Memory Problem? Nah, just being a puppy.)

-Sat and watched the runners and walkers go by in a race around town

-Investigated the culvert at the corner of the property.....not too much though, cause it was dark inside and a little scary

-Defended the homestead from the Trifecta of Fiendish Foes:
*Sundry Rocks (Stellar bit of luck that we have a gravel driveway!)
*Bark-Slash-Sticks-Slash-Things-That-Can-Come-Off-Trees-Including-Leaves
*Pine cones
(Hand to God, I have my hands in his mouth or prying open his mouth at least once every 3 minutes when we are outside)

-Had a light breakfast of kibbles---just 1 of the 2 cups for the morning feeding. We'll finish it when we wake up from our morning crash.

Snuggied up to the radiator for said nap. Our legs and as much of our body that can fit, is shoved under the radiator. We can't fit under the Hoosier Cabinet any more.

We need to rest up for our second Puppy Playtime at Petco today at 3.


Seriously, this dog is hilarious. We went to puppy playtime on Thursday and I was a bit concerned when he wouldn't come out of the corner of the bigdog pen for the first 40 minutes. There was a pretty aggressive puppy that Lionel would have NOTHING to do with except when Aggresivo tried to engage him in "playing".....it was more of an attack/fight. Lionel bared his teeth for the first time to defend himself successfully. Which was good; that is the whole purpose of puppy playtime. Learning how to behave like a dog and get along with other dogs.

Once the aggressive dog left (Got kicked out......in a passive aggressive Minnesota way. The trainers didn't ask the owner to take the puppy, they waited until the owner finally clued in that the puppy was terrorizing everyone and asked: "Should I take her home?" The response: "Uhmmmm, yeah, you know, I think that might be a good idea. She seems to have had enough today."), things got better.

Lionel started trying to play with the toys first and then worked his way up to actual other puppies. Two golden retrievers, a 1/5 his size, were clowning around and Lionel started barking.

And then wagging.

And then he got up.

And then he was playing.

And all the puppy parents cheered for Lionel.

And then, 10 minutes later, puppy playtime was over and someone---I am not naming any names but it starts with a "Lie" and ends with an "O-Nell"---didn't want to leave the store.

So, we go back today to a different store. Big plans for the day, and for the evening as he absolutely CRASHED when he can home.

He is still crammed under the radiator, but now he is dreaming and barking in his sleep. I love this dog.

All this, before 9 am.

The Italians Are Coming! The Italians Are Coming!

I just like saying it as if I was Paul Revere. I am pretty sure there will be no gun play upon their arrival. The family I nannied for almost 20 years ago is all grown up, mostly. The father is coming with the two boys as the eldest is going to a attend a couple courses in Ann Arbor and the youngest is traveling with dad to come visit after they see the eldest off on the train from Chicago.


Wow. Good thing I am not an English teacher. That sentence is a wicked run on.


The youngest was 10 months old when I arrived. He is now in high school.

I refuse to admit, officially, any sort of aging on my part.

June. A Few Highlights.

Seattle, Washington. I was so excited to show my family this as I loved visiting in college (crap...20 years ago.). Somehow, it wasn't the same. I don't know why I am surprised. It's been 20 years, but, it seemed like just yesterday. Wah.

Blueberries, Tongass Rainforest, Sitka, Alaska.

Mosquito Bay--through the trees, Tongass Rain Forest, Sitka, Alaska.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska.

Docks in Sitka, Alaska. I pretended that we were moving here and life would be dreamy. Then.....I realized that there is a lot of down time in small towns and Alaska is really far away.

Just kidding. I would move to Sitka for a while in a heart beat.

Ketchikan, Alaska. There were lots of diamond jewelry stores. I think maybe I was done being on the ship on this day. I did like this little area, though.

Monkey Puzzle Tree, Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. One of the highlights of the trip for me. This place was flipping amazing. I really, really liked it.

Sunken Garden, Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada....this was a surprise. You would never know it is there.....the amount of time and effort put into these gardens was mind boggling.

Himalayan Blue Poppy. Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. Poppies. We Already established that I heart them. But blue??!?!?!? What will those crazy kids come up with next? I may or may not have bought some seeds to bring home regardless of the fact that they probably won't grow in zone 4. A girl can dream.

A cedar.....I think. A flippin tall tree, at any rate. Same place.

We went on a family cruise to Alaska. Second family trip in 39 years. Plus various spouses. That's a lot of family time. It went much better than I expected..........AND I won $500 the first night in Bingo. That doesn't stink.