Random-ness

I happened across a blog yesterday that must have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.  It was light, lovely, cheerful--although still unblogged upon.  And that was the moment it became clear--if I'm beginning to gaze longingly at blank blogs, it's way past time to finally change the look of my own.

I checked out the designer listed at the foot of the light and lovely blog, which led me to Blogger's new design wizard.  I struggled with letting the wizard doing it all for me (no, no, no!) and ended up with something that Salem Man graciously and accurately pegged as "bold".  I struggled and surrendered and finally let most of the default settings be the chosen settings.  I don't feel totally settled yet, so I may still make a change or ten.  We'll see.

It felt so good to finally stick a toe into my usual Summer routine yesterday.  Classifying the washing of blankets, rugs and cleaning the garage door as invigorating may elicit a giggle from some, but those are the kind of activities that can make my entire week.  Ever since F's pain filled journey began 3+ years ago, I've had a difficult time finding my rudder let alone guiding it.

How happy was I to finally go camping with N?  Extremely, greatly, intensely, exceedingly, exceptionally, excessively, to nth degree, too, too much, totally.  You get the idea.  First there was the problem of one of F's (hand delivered only pain med variety) prescriptions needing to be filled mid-week, then N's work having an important grant deadline unexpectedly moved up a whole month.  I braced myself for the disappointment, but we did it.  We both pushed and made it happen.  Whew!  Yay!  Who cared if it was sweatshirt and jeans weather at the coast?  Not us!  Although, a good list of rules for cribbage along with the Rummy Cube game would both be good things to add to the trailer.

Pups trip to the coast

Dutch Oven Meatloaf

Maybe next time I'll not only put more thought into what I'm going to say, but also make sure the camera is charged before we head out. {hurry, K, hurry, it's about to die!}

Children and dogs

A young mother and toddler, near the park playground, stood smiling and watching the pups and I on our walk yesterday. I have to admit, the three of us do have some humorous moments. Izzy bounds from one interesting spot to another, while Hope looks like a miniature bloodhound on an important search and then there's me--doing my best not to be hogtied with the twisting, retractable leashes. You're right, we should take some basic training classes together, but it's not on the schedule of priorities right now.

I had this feeling that the mother wanted us to walk over to the two of them, so her toddler could pet and meet the pups. While small dogs often look furry and adorable, they're not a sure bet for a child. I know our two aren't. Izzy hasn't been socialized with children and her first experience with a child wasn't a good one {smack on the head with a toy!}. Dogs probably don't forget those moments, plus they have that pack mentality of just knowing a small person doesn't have as much authority as an adult.


N and I have witnessed parents bringing their (very) young children to the dog park. We're not alone in being concerned. A child's first instinct, when they feel threatened, is to run and a bite or snap can happen quickly. I certainly don't want to be a part of a child's horrible first dog encounter memory.  I understand there are some good resources to help you and your child learn some basic dog safety tips (local Humane Society?), but a good rule to remember is, always ask an owner before approaching their pet.

Driver's Training

I can still remember when Mr. Finstad, our driver's ed teacher showed us this film in class. Maybe I learned a few things--I haven't forgotten after all these years. :>)