Dog of the Week: Max!

Meet Max!

I went into the shelter this morning to do a doggy play-date.  This is where a pair of volunteers (or staff members) supervise the interaction of two dogs while they play and burn off some energy.  There were only two dogs paired up today since one dog of the second pair was adopted out yesterday (hooray!).  So, I was only tied up in my play-date for half an hour instead of the two hours I was signed up for.

After my play-date (which went very well, thank you), I stuck around to walk some dogs.  I took a couple of pullers and needed a break.  I saw "Max" written on the puppy room sheet.  He hadn't been out for a while, so I figured I'd give him a whirl.  I'm so glad I did!

I thought Mr. Max was an older doggy since he has a bit of gray on his tail, but nope!  This little guy is only 9 months old.  He walks perfectly on a leash and is super friendly.  He runs in the most adorable little leaps and bounds with his hair floofing around him.  Floofing is a word, right?  He LOVES cuddles.  In fact, he crawled up into my arms numerous times and laid his little head on my shoulder like a baby.  He didn't want to get down!

If I could have a dog right now, Max would come home with me in a heartbeat!

A Day of Rest

I am home sick today.

Usually, I love being at home, even if it is because I am sick.  I'm a homebody at heart.  But I am finding today to be quite frustrating.  Often times when I am ill, my brain goes into a kind of sleep mode while my body recovers.  I am tired and can't really think or focus on anything.  Yet, with this cold, my brain has been functioning pretty well for most of the day, but my body is still sick.  I've had trouble keeping occupied because nothing has been stimulating enough for my brain that doesn't require the use of my body.

Maybe I should have suffered through work!

However, as the sun is beginning to set (it's only 4:15 - what's up with THAT?!), I'm trying to embrace today for what it is - a true day of rest.  Today is a day where I rested my body and tried to keep a calm mind.  I don't get many days like today, and I always complain about not having them.  Even when I have days off I always fill them up with something, even if it's just dishes and laundry.  Not today.  Today I have done nothing.

It has been wonderful.

A Year of Marriage

A couple weeks ago, Louie and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary.  It is amazing how quickly time goes by.  It feels like just yesterday that we were staying up late together doing homework, walking the streets of Plymouth during the annual art fair, and making plans for our future together.

Many people told me that the first year of marriage is one of the most challenging.  I didn't find this to be true.  In fact, I found it to be very comparable, if not easier, than the previous couple of years we've spent together.  I think for many couples, the first year involves a lot of change - moving in together, realizing that marriage always a fairy tale, finding independence and maybe a new job.  For us, many of these challenges occurred before we were married, and our first year was a break from big life changes - we didn't move, we had no large events to plan, no job changes, we already lived together, etc.  Not to say we didn't have our challenging moments.  "For better and for worse, in sickness and in health" - those vows rang true.  Yet overall, we became closer to each other and developed a deeper understanding of where our life together will take us.

We had some amazing adventures!  Our honeymoon to Mackinac Island was a blast.  It was the end of the season, so there wasn't much to do. That was fine because we have strong homebody tendencies, and we were able to spend a lot of time bumming around the city and our hotel without feeling like we needed to always be doing stuff.

We went to Chicago last winter to see Les Miserables and the art museum.  I finally got to see some of Monet's works in person!

We attended the wedding of some of our best friends.

We went on our East Coast road trip which had been on our "to-do" list for years.

It has been an exciting year, and I'm looking forward many more together.  The vastness of "The Future" lies ahead of us.  There are unending choices to be made, challenges to face, and adventures to be had.  I am glad I  have Louie to hold my hand through it all.

Thoughts on Home

When I was a little girl, I would dream of the day I would have my own home.  I would picture it in my mind - a gorgeous 2 or 3 story home, complete with balcony, fireplace, spiral staircase, a horse barn and pasture, and acres of gardens off a bumpy dirt road, secluded in the forest.  I thought I'd grow up, get married, move into a house, and start a family - very 1950s style.  It would be an organic move from one home to the next.  But what no one ever tells you is that when you move out you have to make a home.  Home doesn't just happen.

I've been struggling for nearly four years to feel at home in various apartments in various cities. I'm embarrassed that it has taken me this long to accept that yes, I live in an apartment. This is our home.  While it never automatically felt like home, I doubt that any place, even my dream house, would automatically feel like home.

Home is something you create through decor and tradition.  Home is something you live through your actions and values.  Home is love because of what you bring to it.  Home is cozy because it's safe.  Home is where you keep everything that is valuable to you - people, pets, things, thoughts, dreams... Home is just as much inside of you as it is a physical place, and whose to say you can't have more than one?

I'm not giving up on my dream house by any means, but I'm working towards creating a home to bring with me when I get there.

Dog of the Week: Shades!

This week's Dog of the Week is Shades - a gorgeous7 month gray and white pit bull mix.

I saw Shades on HSHV's website last week (www.hshv.org) and immediately fell in love.  She's SO cute!  This week, I got the chance to walk her.

When I stepped into her kennel, I was bombarded by dog.  She was jumping all over me and wouldn't stay still enough to get the harness on.  I was a little discouraged.  I'd been walking a lot of difficult dogs, and I'd been hoping she'd be as easy as she is cute.  I held her still and managed to get her leashed.

Once we got to the play yard, my whole perception of this dog changed.  What a goofball!  She loved chasing after her kong and would bring it back to me enthusiastically.  She looked up at me with those puppy dog eyes and smiled a HUGE smile.  Then, she flopped over and let me rub her belly, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.  What a silly girl!  She was all over me with cuddles.

On our walk, she did great.  She only pulled a little, but that's expected as she is still a puppy.  She was super goofy - she kept looking back at me as if to say, "Am I doing this right?".  She responded to all my ques with tail wags and smiles.

This is one of the things I love about walking dogs at the shelter - you never know what to expect.  A dog can begin a walk one way - in this case, with a bad impression - but by the end of the walk you want to take it home with you.  It just goes to show that you can't judge a dog by it's photo or breed.  Each dog is unique and worthy of a chance.  Shades is no exception.

Dog of the Week: King!

Meet King!

King is a lovely black and white pit bull mix with a sad story.  He was found locked up in a school yard with wounds on his face and neck - poor guy!  Apparently someone dumped him over the fence!  He's almost all healed up now and doing great.  It's hard to imagine why someone would be so cruel to such a sweet dog.

King is a big fellow - as far as pits go - weighing in at over 50 lbs!  I love big dogs, but I am slightly intimidated by them, at least until I get to know them.  I was nervous about King.  A beat up pit.  A big pit.  But he turned out to be a favorite.  He is very obedient and smart - not to mention super goofy!  When I asked him to sit, not only did he sit, but he lifted his paw up to shake as well.  He really wanted that treat!  He walks lovely on a leash and is a big, silly cuddle bug.  Check out the evidence!  

Be still my heart!

Celebrating Fall

Fall is my favorite season.  You can't beat chilly days, sweaters, hot apple cider, leaves changing color, boots...  The list goes on.  Fall is a cozy time of year where I start winding down from the crazy spring and summer.  My body is happier with the cooler weather, and my mind begins to focus on the coziness of the upcoming holidays.

This year, I have decided to celebrate fall daily in order to really make the most of it.  Technically, fall doesn't begin until next Friday.  However, last Thursday was the first day it really felt like fall to me, so I'm counting that as the first day of fall.

Follow my daily celebration of fall on Facebook, and watch for additional posts here.

Happy Fall!