12 Awesome Things I'm Going To Do In 2012

1. Go to Disney World
2. Get a haircut (it may just be a trim, but I'm not even sure I got a trim in 2011)
3. Buy a new (used) car
4. Get a tattoo (probably not)
5. Read a book a month
6. Wait in line to see the very first showing of the Hobbit, most likely in full costume
7. Clean out my car (if you could see my car you'd realize how big of a deal this is)
8. Dress up and go to the Renaissance Festival (I do this every year, but whatever)
9. Move
10. Learn to preserve at least one fruit or vegetable
11. Go back to yoga and maybe learn a headstand
12. Blog more

What awesome stuff will YOU do?

The English Inn

For our wedding, Louie's co-workers gave us an "Ultimate Getaway Package" from the English Inn in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.  This weekend, we FINALLY went there, and it was wonderful!  Thank you!!!

We arrived just in time for our dinner reservation.  We were seated right next to the fire (ahhhh) and given a bottle of champagne.  Our meal included one appetizer, house salads, two entrees, and dessert.  We split mushroom caps stuffed with Swiss cheese, watercress, onion, and bacon for our appetizer.  The house salads were amazing!  They were topped with this awesome olive tapenade - yum!  I had a stuffed quail with a mushroom farce, Madeira cream, green beans, and whipped potato.  It was SO rich!  They managed to de-bone the entire quail except for it's wings and little legs that were sticking up in the air (hehe).  Lou had the pork gratinee which was a grilled bone in chop with carmelized onions, gruyere cheese, port wine reduction, green beans, and crisp polenta cakes.  It was also delicious.  Then came dessert.  I had a mango white chocolate mousse (oh my gosh!), and Louie had this fudgy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate sauce.  I have never had such a fancy dinner!  It was delicious!  

Then, we headed over to the Ivy Cottage.  The Ivy Cottage used to be the estates milking barn, but now it's this cute little cottage complete with Jacuzzi, fireplace, and deck.  The views were lovely!  We could see down the hillside to the river.

Breakfast the next morning was just as impressive as dinner.  We started with coffee, a muffin, and a fruit cup.  I had poached eggs over a potato cake with a side of bacon.  I cannot even begin to describe to you how delicious this was!  The potatoes had this excellent herb flavor, and the eggs went with it perfectly.  The chef even apologized for breaking one of the yolks.  Seriously, I have never been to a place fancy enough for someone to care if a yolk is broken!  Totally not a big deal.  It was amazing.  Lou had pancakes with an apple chutney and a side of bacon.  Unfortunately, the pancakes left a little to be desired, but the chutney (and bacon, of course) was amazing!

Then, we took a walk around the property...

We checked out around 11 am and headed over to the Potter Park Zoo.  Amazingly, it was entirely free!  This, my friends, is why you must go to zoos in the off season.  Not only do you avoid annoying crowds and get to see the animals actually moving, but it's cheap!

Momma tiger (I think), and the babies!  They were so sleepy!

Mr. Lion was sleepy, too!

Even though the big kitties were pretty tired, we got to see lots of animals playing around including the river otters, snow leopard, camels, lots of the monkeys and lemurs, and the birds in the aviary were having an awesome time playing with their toys.  The kookaburra even sang for us!

We had an awesome weekend!  It was so nice to escape the craziness of everyday life and just get away with Louie for a while.  The food was amazing, and I really love visiting zoos, so that really topped everything off.  Thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible!

Farewell my friend...

One of my Dogs of the Week was put down yesterday.  I am heartbroken. 

This information does not get widely shared because some people have wildly negative reactions due to conflicting beliefs about euthanasia or the attachment they have formed with the animal. These people don't always see how much the HSHV staff tries to fix the problem, and the shelter has to keep a positive image. So please, if you have any issues with this situation, please contact me directly, and I will put you in touch with shelter staff.  

HSHV helps thousands of animals each year.  If an animal comes in with an illness or behavior problem, it is not automatically put down as they often are at other shelters.  Instead, HSHV does everything they can to rehabilitate and heal these animals.  A small percentage are terminally ill or have behavior problems that cannot be fixed.  This is fewer than 20% of the animals they take in.  Compare this to other shelters such as the Michigan Humane Society which only saves 20% of the animals they take in.  It is truly an amazing thing.

Occasionaly during the rehabilitation process, the shelter staff determines that the animal is not treatable and will never get better - physically or behaviorally.  This is when they have to make the hard decision to put the animal down.  It has only happened a handful of times in the 2 years I have been volunteering with HSHV, and it never gets any easier.

This particular dog came in to the shelter with a rocky past and minor aggression issues that became more and more serious as time went on.  He was reactive to other dogs, and eventually he turned his aggression onto a staff member.  The staff tried everything.  They tried extra exercise and enrichment.  They tried training.  They contacted dozens of rescue sites asking for help.  Nothing could make this dog better.  It is not in the best interest of the public or the breed of the dog (yes, he was a pit) for the shelter to adopt out an unsafe dog.  It is so very sad, but it is necessary.  I responded to the news with great grief and understanding.  Apparently, many volunteers did the same.  Our volunteer coordinator stated in a response, "...it is overwhelming how much people respect HSHV and the tough decisions that have to be made.  We do all we can."

This was a wonderful dog who had a rough start in life.  It is so sad that he was unable to overcome these difficulties.  I wish I had known this was happening sooner so I could have taking him on one last walk and given him one last hug.  I will light a candle in his honor and never forget this special dog who gave me so much joy during the time I was able to spend with him.  <3

Remember King.

Dog of the Week: Aggie!

Meet Aggie!

Aggie is a sweet 6 month old pit bull mix.  Usually, the youngsters are super rambunctious, but Aggie, though full of energy, is a sweet, smart dog that really impressed me.  She walked nicely on the leash, knows her name, and knows how to sit!  Not bad for a puppy!

Aggie's got an issue with her eye, and is currently wearing a cone.  She doesn't let it get in her way one bit!  It's pretty funny to watch.  She runs through her doggy door full speed, "vacuums" the floor for food and treats, and  slams her face, cone and all, into the ground to grab sticks.  Hilarious!

Due to having a cone on her head, she can't scratch her ears.  I gave her a good cuddle and scratch and boy did she LOVE it.  Poor girl.  I hope her cone comes off soon!

Another dog I wish I could bring home.  Hopefully, she won't have to wait at the shelter too long to find her fur-ever home.

Welcoming Winter

Well, it looks like the cold weather is finally here to stay.  This week's high will be a warm 37 with the low being 18 on Friday.  Brrrr!  Time to sort through the hats and gloves to find the matching sets!

I love winter.

A lot of people don't understand this.  They live for shorts, sunny days, and the grill.  I live for sweaters, tea, and soup.  Winter is my chance for a respite from summer's hectic heat.  I can slow down and rest.  Because I get cold, I can enjoy being warm.  And there's nothing better than putting a pot of soup on the stove to cook all day while you decorate for Christmas.

I will lament summer come February.  Let's enjoy the snow for now :)