Last day of September and the start of October.

 

Last call moon through the tree branches, taken from the deck.  It was beautiful, but the camera doesn't always capture the essence.

I have been truly savoring these evening deck times with Ember.  She curls up on one deck chair while I sit in the other.  And we just breathe and watch the neighborhood pass by.

Next morning there was a gorgeous sunrise.  While driving Ember to daycare Tuesday morning, I saw a man out walking, stop to take out his phone and photograph the sky.  I had taken a shot pointing East from the deck maybe 10 or 15 minutes earlier, but I didn't get the full flame of the rising sun in my little photo.

I will note that it does not feel like October.  We got over 90F Friday afternoon.

Mid-week was routine stuff.  Ember had daycare on Thursday.  I had a semi-annual meeting with my financial guy to review status that day, too.

Friday was a big day for the across town family.  Court date for bench trial for termination of parental rights of the biological parents of my foster grandson.  Both my son and his wife were subpoenaed to testify, as the current foster parents of one of the three siblings in the case.  Due to being witnesses, they were then sequestered during most of what went on.  Up until that decision was made they were able to observe some of the action on motions, etc.  Biological mom was a no-show, so she will lose her parental rights, with no chance to appeal.  Biological dad chose to contest the action, so that's what this is really all about.

Bio dad's lawyer was 15 minutes late to court, which I'm sure did not endear him to the judge (bench trial, no jury, judge is sole decider).  He got a bit of a lecture over the issue.  He is also at risk of a contempt of court ruling related to failure to provide discovery.  Anyway, my DIL's mom was able to stay in the courtroom as a spectator, during testimony of others.  But it was a long, long day.  The GAL (guardian ad litem, represents the minor children) had anticipated that my son would be called either right before or immediately following the lunch break.

This turned out not to be the case.  Only one of them needs to take the stand, but the testimony of others was prolonged, and it turned out that he didn't get called on Friday at all.  Two more court dates have been scheduled, for November 25 (two days before Thanksgiving), and December 2nd (a week later).  Agonizingly long process, this.  But hopefully it means that all the t's will be crossed and the i's dotted and a good decision reached.  The silver lining?  Nothing changed for FGC until the next court date, at the earliest.  Seven more weeks of a stable life with my son, DIL, the therapist and medical providers he's used to, and his same school and rec center adults.  There's a lot to be said for a stable home life to help a kid over prior trauma!

My own task for Friday was to take Ember over for a mid-day play date with Carl.  Gave me something to focus on and made both dogs very happy!

Meanwhile, the last flag football game, and the last soccer game wrapped up for FGC on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.  Next sport in the hopper is Basketball.  Both FGC and his best buddy have requested one another to be on the same team.  Fingers crossed.  These two boys are just such great companions.  They swap visits at one another's houses in between practices and games, so it really is another part of the whole stability picture for this boy!

That's about it from Emberville this week.  Coming up in the next week is a delayed birthday get-together for DIL's mom.

Keeping reactions to the bigger picture of "the news" which can be quite unsettling out of this blog, for now.  I fall down the rabbit holes of YouTube posts, but don't really completely trust either those OR the mainstream media to be giving us the whole picture.  If the pandemic taught me anything it was that even those outlets that you THINK are giving out facts, and that tend to confirm your own opinions, spin the facts to suit their own narrative.  

LIFE itself is by definition a GOOD THING!  Spark on and preserve yours.  Be kind.  That helps others to persevere through their own struggles.  Matters not the opinions they hold, all humans are worthy of respect and dignity!

Human stuff intersects with Emberville

When we last posted, it was Tuesday.  No rapture, sorry.  Or if there was one, I was not among the raptured, nor was anyone I encounter on a daily basis.  

Out of the blue, maybe to make up for it, I got an invitation from an old workmate to go see a couple of classic bands from "our youth" in concert under the stars on Saturday night.  Of course, I said yes. 

Got into the planning stages for this and decided it would be good to get a couple of things out of the way before hand, and took the risk on Friday.  Ms. Left Arm, meet this year's flu shot.  Ms. Right Arm, here's this year's Covid19 booster.  All set for Fall and Winter.  Except for the side effects, which were about "as normal".  Sore left arm, restless Friday overnight, things clearing up during the day on Saturday.

Little River Band

So I considered myself all clear for the evening's plans.  Ember got bedded down for her evening nap at close to the normal after supper time, then a couple of "little old ladies" went out for comfort food at the local legendary "Lee's Chicken" on the way to the park for the concert.  We joined an audience of mostly gray-hairs like ourselves. We rocked out with Little River Band (on its 50th Anniversary Tour), and Three Dog Night.

I had not been to a rock concert at this venue before.  It's on the airport flight path for landings.  I'd been to Broadway musical style productions there and planes going overhead would drown out the performers.  That was not a problem with these classic rock bands.  

Three Dog Night

In fact, a couple of planes went directly over on their way to touch down, and it reminded me of the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", as the concert kept on doing its thing, while the lighted planes made like shapes in the sky.

In any case, it was a lovely night.  Ember needed a little extra time out of the crate when I got home, as she had been confined since about 4:30 p.m., and it was nearly 11 by the time I got home.  

Youth juice is what I call the music that was the backdrop of one's young adulthood or coming of age years.  And a few thousand of us drank deeply at the fount.

Sunday was a quiet day for Ember and her hu-mom.  We had a nice morning "pack migration" while it was still cool enough that Mom wanted a cap!  I resisted trying to put on gloves, and the morning then rapidly warmed up for the afternoon.  It became warm and sunny, and felt pretty good, as it wasn't humid.

When Ember went into her crate for puppy nap #1, Mom stretched out on the couch and fell asleep for a couple of hours.  I needed that.  Ember was happy to have me home and close.  She got lots of extra pets and snuggles.  

This week's new toy, Ollie the Mondo Octopus.  

Life's still good. (It will always beat the pants off the alternative?)

I'm still avoiding the news, hug your kids and your pets!

And Spark on!

Well that happened!

I have taken to ending our walks with coming in the garage, loading up into the car, and going through the coffee drive-through.  This goes along with having my own breakfast later.  But usually when we get back from a walk, I am on the edge of "need the bathroom", too.  Friday, I chose to go through the coffee drive-through and use the restroom when I got home.  

Ember's a good girl, most of the time.  And especially after a good walk.  Surely, she can wait with her own treat while mommy goes to the potty, right?  Friday?  Not so much.  No photos, as I was too intent on rescuing the remains of my pumpkin spice, and mopping up the spill before it got to electronics...

Saturday morning, I did not leave the coffee on the counter but carried it into the bathroom with me and shut the door!

Any idea how far half a small coffee spreads on a kitchen counter, when it only had a small lid-hole to leak through?  If you guessed "the whole surface" you would be right. Ember had to wait a while for her usual after-walk treat while mommy sopped it all up.  I put her chew stick in the cupboard until I finished that chore.

I did not have an "extra caffeine" kick Friday night!

Saturday morning, I woke at 4 a.m. to the sounds of rain on the roof.  I had turned off the automatic sprinkler system based on the forecast, so didn't have them running on Friday when we had some overnight and some afternoon rain, and it's paying off now.  

But it does mean I have to think about indoor "fun" for Ember, so she doesn't get into trouble.  It turned out not to be quite as challenging as I feared, in that there were gaps in the showers. We managed two outdoor walks, one just after it quit raining, and another around noonish.

Sunday brought the adventure of "trying on our Halloween costume".  I'm amazed that she tolerated it as well as she did, but then again, she had to wear a surgery suit after her spay last year for two whole weeks. 

I would not be doing this except for the FGC wanting costumes for all!  He chose her character, too.  I am dressing my female dog as Spiderman.  Seriously, Mom?  With ear-slots in the hoodie?  

The ear holes were a bridge too far for Sunday!  Even with cheese as an enticement / bribe.  But I was very pleased that she tolerated it as well as she did and sent a photo collage for the FGC to view.  

The weather was quite pleasant over the weekend.  The Prisoner agreed, sharing "coffee time" with me on the deck.  Regal pose there, kitty!

Monday morning's walk was a good one with two negotiations with other dog walkers (of much smaller pups).  In one case, the doxy was skittish of Ember when Ember wanted to go sniff after having been petted by one of said dachshund's two walkers... in the other case, the two walkers separated while one took their pup through the yard to the park path and the other skirted around Ember's "good girl" attempt at control posture.  

Ember really wanted to go say "hi"!  Mommy really did not want her jumping up on other people.  Mommy won.  So did the other lady.  I feel very fortunate that there are so many dog-aware people in the neighborhood.

Tuesday dawned with rain on the roof... again.  Ember was very happy to go to day care.  That gave me some human time to format my USB memory for the smart TV that's been complaining of late.  Education never ends while technology keeps evolving, eh?

In short, despite the news of the world spinning on, LIFE remains good.  Keep Sparking!

Oh, and if you're reading this, a sweet Rosh Hashana to you if you celebrate (even if you don't).  Also if you're reading this... you and I did not get raptured today!

Autumn is coming

 

The drive-through got my coffee order wrong on Saturday morning and they gave me both the mistake and my corrected order.  The lovely gal at the window quipped, "You won't sleep tonight".  It was something like 8 a.m. when this transaction took place.

"Won't sleep tonight?" I mused, "But I have all day for it to wear off."  However, she was right, I woke a little before midnight and was wakeful until nearly 2 a.m. Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ember got a new toy.  I could not resist.  She wore out her old corn cob toy some time ago.  That one was a treat-holder.  This one is a big huggable plushie, and she loves it.

It's as big as her "comfort carrot".  We are enjoying the resumption of Summer here, but you can hear, feel, and smell that Autumn is just a week away.  The temperatures are quite warm in the afternoon, but tops of 90F are an improvement over some of the triple digits we got during the peak Summertime.

The Prisoner having purr time with the hu-mom on Thursday the 11th, while Ember was off in day care.  We talked about the topics we can't voice to other humans for fear of "other side-ism" reactions!

Seriously, whatever happened to the mediator in us all?  The one that recognizes we are all flawed, fall short of the mark, and that the consequences of this fall on those we love, not even necessarily on ourselves?

I have gone way too far down the social media (both sides) attempts to understand what happened last week in Utah.  I feel for the mourners, but I also feel for those close to the young man who has been taken into custody.  Problem with being young and passionate, it's easy to slide down the proverbial slippery slope.  But actions have been taken that cannot be undone.

I took this next photo for a laugh... I had seen a meme on FB that had "close" numbers, claiming to drive those with OCD or ADHD nuts.  When the pump clicked off at this point, I could not resist snapping the photo.

Speaking of things that drive me, personally, nuts, it would be my hair when it gets a certain length.  Wednesday the 17th, I went and got it cut!  

Thursday morning the 18th, on the way into day care, Ember came nose to nose with a chihuahua sized brindle cutie.  That dog's mommy was saying how her dog thinks she's bigger than she is.  I laughed, "My dog thinks she's smaller than she is".  In fact, on the ends of their respective leashes, they were very polite to one another.  Then Ember got extra pets from the other dog-mom, so she was in a very good mood getting handed over to the day care person.  She even briefly sat on the scale without prompting, and it happened to be on and zeroed, so I got a glimpse of her 87-pound reading.

It was grooming day for Ember.  I clued the groomers in that she's on Zyrtec for allergies and they volunteered adding on an allergy bath.  I think I approved it.  I also gave them the heads up about the flea that the vet found on The Prisoner.  Such a helicopter dog-mom, me.

Cleaning the tile floors, assembling the backup crate, vacuuming out the x-pen room, all part of Ember being at her "spa day."  I laundered her crate pad and towels so that when she came home, her environment was also fresh and clean.

I took the corrugated cardboard from several recent purchases to the recycling center while she was there, too.  I picked her up just a shade later than usual.  She pranced out to the car, like the diva who knows she's all pampered and pretty!

As is normal, you can't tell at a glance that she's freshly groomed, but she's a bit fluffier and softer and smells nicer.

We visited the secondary x-pen room with the new dog bed in it and practiced "hop it up" and "lay down" on the bed.  We did a couple of "four paws in" with the old plastic-sided crate that's in that room, too.

When we went downstairs, we explored the new backup crate.  I have it currently sitting there with both doors open, just to allow her to get used to its existence.

Life is good here in Emberville.  Spark on!

Enjoying the great outdoors

 

Moonrise on September 4th.  I am enjoying deck time with the doggo while the weather is mild.  There is something that grounds one and offers up peace in the natural setting.

Friday night I had some wakefulness and upset digestive tract, so was moving slow Saturday morning.  Ember had to wait until about 9 a.m. for the walk she usually gets between 7 and 8.  She was a little grumpy before we went.  But she also got a lot more stimulation because of the foot traffic around garage sales once we did get out and about.  As for me, I was grateful for the rise in temperatures from 46 to 52 in that wait time!

Kid sis Alicia and I had a coffee date, and that came off well, playing sister catch-up at a nearby coffee shop while Ember snoozed in her crate for puppy nap #1.  After that, Ember and I enjoyed a pretty quiet Saturday.  I know I needed it, and I think she did, too.  Part of the day she was snoozing on the couch, head on my lap.

Friday with her horse ball.  Somehow, she managed to get both it and herself onto that chair!  Mom pulled out the "big toys" and sprinkled both giant Easter Eggs and the horse ball in the back yard.

Sunday morning deck play with smaller toys.  

Sunday afternoon we had a play date with Carl at the big dog park.  It was all FGC's idea of something fun to do.  The dogs were both ecstatic.  The humans were pretty chill, too.  It was a gorgeous day.

Doesn't the angle of the light just shout "Autumn"?  I love this time of year!  Oh, yeah, I'm repeating myself.

Lots of running around in big open spaces, and a ball to chase, too.  What could be better?  Ember would chase around with other dogs for brief periods but always found her way to Carl.  FGC had brought one of Carl's favorite balls to toss and chase, so both dogs got LOTS of exercise.

Ember got a snout full of something; I'm thinking the water... and had some sneezing fits.  These continued on beyond the park visit.  Mom is monitoring even Monday morning.  

A new toy is pretty awesome, but it doesn't rise to the "another live dog" level!

Monday morning, we had a few sneezes before the morning walk but managed the first mile on leash without sneezing.  Then we had a little episode as we turned the corner and took a treat.  There was at least one bright red leaf in that yard, fallen from something "maple".  We got past that and made it safely home, where we jumped into the car inside the garage and went through the drive-thru at Scooter's.  The hu-mom had experienced her first taste of a pumpkin spice latte on Saturday with her sister, and yowza!  So she wanted another one.

We got up to the window, and the worker smiled and said, "our system just went down, so this one's on us"... so nice way to start a Monday, huh?  Free coffee treat for mom, and dog biscuit for Ember!

I made up for it on Wednesday, paying for the car behind me.  It feels good to "make someone's day"!

While Ember was in day care on Tuesday, I again baked banana bread.  What else does one do when the bananas ripen so fast, eh?

Enjoy your autumn when it arrives.  Ours is going to be put on hold for a week of "the remainder of Summer" that appears to be headed our way.

Life is good!  Keep on Sparking.

Leftovers for Monday

 

Monday I had leftovers from the cookout for lunch.  Nums!

Ember wished Mom could turn off the rain, but Mom does not control the weather!  This is the rain gauge Monday morning, last emptied before this stretch of 3 days.

The rain gauge Monday evening from when I emptied it above until "last call" about 7:00 p.m.  In short, we've had some moisture going on here!

Next prediction of rain possibilities Wednesday.  As of Thursday, the drought map being published shows we are finally back to normal!

Of course, all the moisture makes the ground soft, so when the motorized minibikes came racing through Sunday night and one of them lost a bit of control, he tore up my lawn!  A muddy mess.  And he just rode off into the sunset!

Tuesday was indeed drier.  Ember headed off to day care and had a really good day there.  I had my workout with the trainer, and did housework, including laundry.

I was later than usual picking Ember up from day care, and her group was out playing when I arrived.  I said to let her finish her play time, so I got a very tired and happy pup to bring home.

I adjusted pickup time on Thursday to allow for her to get the extra playtime.  I'm thinking this might become a regular thing.

I built "x-pen #2" in the family room as the extra panels had arrived.  Note the mostly destroyed leather couch has had a couple of replacement cushions added, and some fabric draped, although it's still pretty trashed.  Three partially chewed end tables are fenced off, as are the couch, the router, and the fireplace.

Ember showed curiosity about the new space, and I took her inside on leash, briefly, for her first visit in there.  Then I shut the gate and turned off the lights.  We'll go in again at various times, and it is my hope that it might become a training space.

I do purchase "destroy" toys, as well as allowing her to chew on certain "empties" (TP rolls, paper towel rolls, boxes of various kinds).  Some days she's a wonderful shredding machine, other days, she's fine just licking the leftover yogurt out of the little tub and leaving the tub intact.

Thursday I was supposed to have the whole house electrician check but they rescheduled me, and I felt relieved.  I spent the day cleaning and taking it easy.  

Friday continued the cool and pleasant morning streak.  The sunrise pinked up both east and western skies.

Ember had an outstanding leash walk including:

• walking on the other side of the street parallel to another dog she knows (Bella) for a couple of blocks leading up to Bella's home.
• Calmly coming with mom across the street to allow a little dog to do his business in his own front yard.  
• Staying calm and walking on past a human walking in the street and a barking dog in his fence on the other side.  (Competing distractions).

• Staying calm and getting past three, count 'em, three garage sales, including one where a man was carrying his purchase to his truck right across our path.  She did pause to beg for pets and got a little excited after he obliged, but she didn't jump at his bungee cords!

•  Last, but not least, she walked along the same side of the street where a garbage truck (big and noisy) was picking up other people's trash, and she didn't lunge at the garbage worker who was picking up and putting down the cans/bins.  Yes, mom used up several treats along the way, but we "walked on", did not need to sit and wait.
• She got an extra half a block detour as reward / calm down time after the encounter with the garbage truck.

The day is starting off well. Hoping for a good weekend ahead!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Labor Day weekend - the end of Summer

Socially speaking, this weekend is the end of the Summer season.  Even though school started a couple of weeks ago, this is the "end of the Summer" blast.

Ember came along, and she and Carl wore each other out. FGC played video games while DIL's dad watched the Husker women win their volleyball match.

The dogs stayed out in the back yard the whole time.  Except for the couple of times they broke inside, then got sent right back out.  They definitely stayed out while people were eating!  Grillmaster made sure of that.

Highlight of the day was when FGC came back into the kitchen and told Ember to stay and to sit... and she did!

A really sweet mom - daughter hug!  

DIL's mom brought cookies that she made especially because FGC had been asked to name his favorite kind, and he said simply, "Yellow cookies with yellow frosting" (Yellow is his favorite color).  I didn't get any photos of them, but they were very good!  Everything that lady makes is outstanding, and desserts in general are her specialty.

I brought the classic Greek salad, undressed.

DIL contributed salsa and fresh produce from her carefully tended garden.  I got to bring extras home, including the season's "gold"... homegrown tomatoes!

Mythical Son was the grill master.  He had brought the grill up onto the deck because of predicted rain but we got really lucky with the forecast changing and rain start being put off, then put off again, and again.  In the end, we did not get rained on at all!

The dogs strategically stayed near the grill while playing but did not crowd the grill master.  Carl shared his toys like a good boy.

Everything was yummy, and I got some good chill time on the deck with my son after the meal.  The VB game was over and FGC, DIL, and her mom were playing a video game inside.  The dogs were happy.  The people were happy.  It was a good day.

As it got close to Ember's supper time, I snuck her out the gate and she hopped up into the car just like after day care, and we had a smooth ride home.  She had her supper, and we chilled together on the couch until time for her after supper nap before "last call".

The dynamic canine duo, keeping the deck safe from squirrels and flies.

Hope your Labor (or Labour) Day observance was as good.  

Life is Good!

Spark on!