Today I am thankful for the night sky. While I did not get the vibrant colors captured, I did learn a thing or two about my phone's camera settings and got some interesting night shots. My daughter in law got some pretty vibrant photos on Tuesday evening. This one is from Thursday night at Ember's "last call" time, shortly after sunset.
Today I am thankful for a sense of humor and the whimsey that marketers put into the delivery of entertainment with our coffee choices. Buddy the Elf cups of coffee, and this time of year their special flavor is maple. Turned out to be "too sweet" for me, so what's in that cup is hot mocha with a squirt of cherry syrup, making for my "chocolate covered cherry" festive cup!
Today I am thankful for the Nebraska Animal Medical Center. They combine veterinary services with grooming, and day care and boarding, as well as selling pet supplies. Kind of like a one-stop shop. Oh, and they are open for emergency vet service on weekends.
I am thankful that Ember loves everyone there, and on Tuesday she came home so totally chill, freshly groomed by Tony. He has been her groomer the whole time she's been with me.
She looked so happy, I had to take the mug shot!
This is Veterans' Day, the classic day to show our appreciation for and gratitude to those who have worn the uniform of the armed services of the USA and served in our defense.
My older sister posted photos of our paternal grandfather in his WWI uniform on the 10th, in honor of his birthday. I found it interesting that he was in Europe as a Prisoner of War and Armistice Day came the day after his birthday. Funny how family stories make history come alive for a kid.
The photo is unrelated, just the chili mac I put together on Monday. Monday was the coldest day of the week, and it put me in a mood to bake a hot casserole.
Today I am thankful for a place to shelter inside. I know The Prisoner and Ember are also thankful to have a warm refuge when the first snowflakes dance in the air, as they did on Sunday morning. The temperatures outside are stronger this morning, and the wind is making the "feels like" temperature even colder.
Having a place to "hunker down" is certainly worthy of gratitude.
Today I am thankful that the government shut down does not stop people from caring and helping one another!
I am blessed in having "enough". I'm not a rolling in dough rich person, mind you, but even though prices are freaking me out a shade, when something major breaks in the house, I can fix it and still have groceries in the pantry, if you know what I mean.
I may defer purchases, choose not to make purchases, but I am not in danger of freezing or starving. So, I can donate money to the food bank or other charities that help, and I can purchase things to help stock a little free pantry. For this I am thankful.
And I am even more thankful that I'm not the only one who does, because it takes more than one or two of us to fill the gap of a program this big. I was grateful to note that when I delivered my offering to the little free pantry, it was not empty, someone else (maybe more than one someone else) had already put things into it.
One of our regional grocery chains was offering free breakfast to children under 12 this weekend.
I am hopeful that the courts will stand firm and the SNAP program gets funded. In the meantime, I am thankful for every single person who adjusts their own lives to help "stand in the breach".
This morning, I told Facebook that I was grateful for good sleeping weather, and for good neighbors.
The good sleeping weather led to my "sleeping in" clear 'til about 5:50 a.m. Which is why I'm late posting this blog. I didn't prepare the night before, and this is the first I've got to my computer!
I'm grateful that Ember is a "big girl" now and doesn't have accidents in the crate unless she's downright ill.
There are LOTS of examples of why I'm grateful for Ember's almost grown up version. She hasn't torn up my couch since the really bad "oops" bite in the Summer. She is better about stopping behavior that she "knows better than" when I tell her, "You don't want to get in trouble!"
She's past her car sickness, which makes it so much easier to entertain her... just take her with on my errands! The "good sleeping weather" ties in with this one, too, because it's not too hot to leave her in the car while I cart the recycles to the big bins at the center, or while I dash into the library to change out books. The extra mental stimulation of going on human errands with mom helps keep her more ready for the quiet parts of the day, too.
Today I am thankful for people who care enough to foster children in need. Animals in need, too, but today, let me focus on the human children in need.
I am a backup to the back up when it comes to providing transport for a foster child to appointments in the middle of a school day. Thursday was such a day. I relished the brief time in the car, conversing with a curious child who seems to accept my role as his foster dad's mom, an extra grandma figure in his life.
Naturally, I did a little grandma spoiling in the process. I've been on the periphery of this kid's life for a little over a year now, and I just know I will think of him as family forever, no matter the final outcome of the situation.
Today I am thankful for my little car, with over 52,000 miles and 13 years old based on model year. Dexter has served me well during those 13 years, and I anticipate he will for some time to come.
When I purchased this little car, I said it was my "last car". I wonder whether in fact it will end up being just that, 'cause he seems to have life left in him, and I'm a little leery of the fancy new "computer surrounded by vehicle" jobs they sell these days.
Today I am thankful for whatever soft, fluffy, gentle comfort thing there is to offer comfort when anniversaries like this one roll around. Fort Hood families from November 5, 2009, reach out to one another, this is a tough date.
Got a pet? A loved one in the household? Hugs and snuggles are good. Comfort foods? Allowed. A drink for a fallen comrade? Yep! Whatever it takes to honor and hold on. And remember to breathe.
How have I managed to get to day 23 without already having expressed how thankful I am for my morning coffee, and the technology that lets me brew it one mug at a time?
I'm pretty sure I haven't done so, as I've been prepping my posts the night before and scheduling them to post at 6 a.m. for the most part this season!
Which reminds me, I'm thankful for that feature of blogger that allows me to schedule a post ahead! I know other bloggers that I read have been doing this right along, but this is my first use of the feature.
Today I am thankful for the pretty fall colors. The trees are close to their peak of yellows, reds and oranges at this point.
More than just pretty colors, the progress as the season changes remind me of the cycle of renewal. We fall from a peak, maybe go dormant, to the quiet of Winter, then the promise of Spring. I am thankful for the years I have had to experience the changes, for knowing about renewal allows us to live in hope.
Also on the plus side, this year's Halloween decorations did not freak her out the way they did a year ago when she was a nine-month-old puppy. Now, at a "grown-up" (almost) 21 months, she's calmer with a lot of the distractions of a neighborhood walk.
However, on November 1st, she spotted a pumpkin about the size of a soccer ball, sitting at the base of a tree, within leash length of the sidewalk (almost). A squirrel had already gnawed a bite or two out of it, and it had a very attractive handle (stem).
Ember dragged me across the yard to the pumpkinand started an intensive investigation of it. The garage door of the house we were in front of was opening, and the man of the house was stepping out to his truck in the driveway. "Help," I said weakly.
Ember picked up the pumpkin by the stem and started to trot in the direction of my house. She looked proud, but I was still trying to convince her to "drop it" or "leave it". Too bad, mom, I've got hold of it now, she might have said. I got no photos of her proud prancing!
The gentleman in question followed us down the block in his truck, and when we got to our own yard and I kind of shoved it away from her, the pumpkin rolled down the driveway and across the street. The neighbor man stepped down from his truck, retrieved the pumpkin from the gutter where it landed and drove off.
I felt guilty, so I bought the pumpkin pictured above at the grocery store and left it with a note of apology on the porch of the house from which she had swiped it.
Not wanting to repeat the problem, I avoided that side of the street on Sunday morning's walk. It was even chillier, leading to a heavier coat. We walked the other direction around our "normal" neighborhood loop. We had two episodes related to a dropped treat in the street. Ember laid down and refused to leave the middle of the street, ignoring two dogs who walked by with their human dad, and avoiding an alert lady driving her car, who rolled down her window and asked if we were OK.
Anyway, I managed to convince her to come out of the street and put Mommy on the sidewalk (that's the puppy's job, don't you know?) in time to avoid two more cars driving on that street. I thought we were going to make it home smoothly when on another side street someone's cat decided to sit and observe us. Ember, not to be outdone by a cat, treated this one the same way she does The Prisoner. She sat and watched it. Cat by garage. Dog on sidewalk as it crossed the driveway. Children enter the picture, a couple of doors back the way we had come from. Laughing and playing. Dog is now completely ready to stay put.
But I did eventually sing her (and I do mean sing) to the tune of "The Candy Man". "Put mommy on the sidewalk, that's the puppy's job..." "The Puppy Dog walk. We're on the puppy dog walk..."
Whew... onward. We almost made it home. We walked down the far side of the street where the pumpkin theft happened on Saturday. Only I did not spot the pumpkin someone had left at the base of their mailbox, right next to the street. And fully within leash length of the sidewalk!
This turned out to be the case on this particular morning, too. We got her into the garage and loaded up into the car, while mom put the pumpkin on top of the car, shut her in, and took the "walk of shame" back up the street 3 houses to put the pumpkin back. I took this photo after I put it back. You can see that it's missing its stem!
Anyway... we shall see if tomorrow we can avoid any more pumpkin adventures. Maybe people will start taking them in?
Life is good. Spark on!
Today I am thankful for the distraction / entertainment of sporting events. Saturday night the final game of the World Series of baseball. College Football and Volleyball, and of course I still follow several friends who are still out there running!
The magic of television brings all these unifying events into hospital rooms as well as living rooms, so even the family members who are not yet discharged are able to keep an eye on their favorite teams and not be totally "locked" in the mindset of diagnosis and treatment every minute of their stay.
The family on-line chat allows it to be a shared experience, whether it's the Huskers or the World Series or both interspersed!
Today I am thankful for hospitals and doctors and nurses, oh, my! ER's and ambulances and fancy medical machines. You don't know how much good these do until you run across the need for them, for yourself or your family or friends!
A couple of weeks back, it was an online friend who had such a need. This week it was one of my son's in-laws. But at various times it has been many others, including myself. I am thankful for those who study these things and offer their services. So many caring individuals, so much education and practice! So many different "happenings" in life that require the expertise they offer, from my dog bite in the Summer to heart, lung, or liver issues that need immediate attention followed by changes in lifestyle.
I'm thankful when there are answers and things that we can do to make life more livable! I thankful that once there was a SparkPeople dot com, and that some of us have remained in contact from that shared interest of doing what we could to live healthier lives.
Ember started the evening as a quiet girl in her crate but as the activity began she got restless and I let her out and put her in her "walking clothes".
Not a puppy to sleep through the whole thing in her crate, Ember was a good girl in leash and harness, content to let mom know when trick or treaters arrived. She knew before I did. She knew before a doorbell would ring.
Naturally, I overbought the candy. Should have started out the evening having the kids just "grab a big handful" (as I did with the final group). I let them take 3 to start with and didn't complain if they couldn't count and got five or six.
Now, of course, I have plenty of leftovers!
One family as it was starting to get dark. Total trick or treaters: 9. This matches last year's count.
I could not resist... son's costume: Clark Kent changing into Superman.
Hope everyone had a good Halloween!
Today I am thankful for cousins and nieces and nephews a generation or more younger than I am. I am delighted that they are still OK being Facebook friends with me, and when they introduce me to the current "things" in their lives.
It was another young cousin who invited me to run the Gasparilla half marathon more than a decade ago, that kept me training for an extra year.
Minor things, to be sure, but it's the minor things that bring much joy into life, proving that even seven decades into life, one can discover new joys.
Today I am thankful for a working furnace and warm blankets. We're having our first hard freeze of the season this week. It's nice to be able to get up to warmth.
I am thankful for a supply of warm clothing from sweats to coats and hats and gloves. I am thankful that Ember now lets me don these without going nuts (remember her puppy land shark days when if I changed clothing, she would attack the new item or the limbs it covered?)
Speaking of warmth, I am thankful for my companion animals who warm my lap when it suits them.
Today I am grateful for public libraries. Reliable, hopefully always there when we need them.
On Tuesday, while the electricians had the power cut off at my house, I discovered that the street that had been under construction between home and my nearest branch library had recently reopened. I drove down it and did something I'd been meaning to do for quite some time: I got my library card renewed.
It expired during the pandemic, you see, and I never got around to showing up at the library and taking care of that little chore!
I used to so enjoy wandering through the fiction stacks, scanning the titles to see if anything jumped out at me. That morning, I found familiar authors, including this one, who wrote mysteries starring an ex-steeplechase jockey turned private detective.
I know that the author passed away in 2010, but I picked one of his titles off the shelf. It looked only vaguely familiar, and if I've read it before it has escaped my memory banks. It seems at this point (48 pages in) as though I am familiar with the main character, but in a slightly different time frame. I sank right into it, checked it out, had coffee with it, and brought it home.
Libraries are magical places. A refuge for so many who need a quiet, free place. May they grace our communities for a long time to come.
Today I am thankful for goofy memes and t-shirts that re-awaken the math nerd in me and tie it to social fads. It keeps me in touch with the younger generation when I have to go "look it up" and discover that the square of 67 is 4489. Foster grand kid noted that the license plate number of his best friend's mom started with 6-7.
It's one of those funny things. I think I have the rap origin of it figured out, thanks to a YouTube video that I trust just a shade more than the rest... and I'm grateful that I'm interested and curious enough to go looking.
They can call me "OK, Boomer" all they want... I'll own it!
Today I am thankful for the simple joys of the comfort foods of youth. Depicted, a grilled cheese sandwich, but there are many, many foods that fit this category. Grilled cheese was something mom used to make, and pair with tomato soup. Warm and filling for a kiddo's chilly weather hunger.
I know I already put out a gratitude post about full bellies and clean water and about my upbringing... this one is sort of a specific of the full bellies one, combined with memories of my mom serving it up at lunchtime. If you can believe it, when I was in grade school, we lived close enough to come home for lunch, and we did, thus getting a hot meal.
Nowadays, when the weather starts to turn, I start to make this for myself.
Today I am thankful for my amazing daughter in law. I thank God for putting her in my son's life, and I thank my son for sharing her with me.
But I also thank her for carrying so much of the social weight of now parenting, keeping all the parts and pieces of people together. I know this is not easy! And I know that her heart tears with the ups and downs of the whole family, and especially of that fully costumed foster kiddo in the photo. Since nobody can see his face, I can share a group photo from mini golf Saturday night. A kind-hearted woman is blessing to all and deserving of all we can do to help support her in her mission!
She's not only kind-hearted. She's capable and resilient and to repeat amazing.
May all be blessed in having this kind of person in your lives. And if you do, remember to tell them how much you appreciate it!
Sigh. This old one gives me the directions I first learned, with mom and grandma available to assess my progress.
It was to this book I went when I wanted to make pudding from scratch. It is to this book I return when looking for the proportions and spicing for holiday standards.
It is not the ONLY source of favorite recipes, but it is the foundation, and I'm glad that I have it to rely on.
Here I am, in the traditional autumn season phase of "trying to kick-start the economy single-handed".
Last week, when I expressed gratitude for the service people that come and keep my house running, I did not mention the new electrical panel that the fellow who came out that day recommended. $$$$! The work is now scheduled for Tuesday the 28th of this month.
This week, on Wednesday morning it was the plumber's turn, and he fixed a slow drain and replaced a shower head. $$.
Wednesday afternoon it was the garage door opener guy, who replaced my keypad and lubricated the tracks of both doors, and showed me what I need to do when the "off" side door starts acting up. It has to do with level and alignment of a couple of sensors and cleaning off their lenses. $$$.
I also scheduled replacement of the back shocks on my 2012 vehicle, probably worn out from schlepping my triathlon gear all over God's green acres for the years I've had it. An oil change and a running light replacement will likely make the November 6th expenditure just into the $$$$ range.
Then I booked Ember's next grooming for Veteran's Day. $$.
It adds up. The workman is worthy of his hire, says the Bible, and believe me, when it comes to living as an old-er lady, I'm grateful I'm able to pay them their hire.
On Thursday, I indulged in cooking. I made vanilla pudding from scratch. I used to do this back in the days when my son was small. It does take a long time, mind you, but it's such a classic comfort food. Haven't done this in years. I found myself missing Ember, who was in day care for the third day in a row, due to all the human stuff going on. Next week she'll be in day care three days as well.
Life goes on, and it's good. Keep on breathing, and keep on Sparking, my friends!
Today I am thankful for the magic of garbage day. One day a week, the big trucks stop and the workers haul off whatever I've put to the curb (within reason, and even outside of some level of reason if one calls first). This is hard labor, done in all weather. It's honorable work, and most of the workers smile at Ember if we're out walking when they come by. Ember, for her part, loves workmen of all sorts, and wags her tail. I have to think she's thankful for them, too.
Would you believe I second guess nearly everything I write and everything I say, for concern that someone might be hurt or offended by it? My favorite beatitude, growing up in Sunday school, was "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (KJV, Matt. 5:9)
I so wanted (still do) everything to be peaceful! Hurting souls are not at peace, they are in need of comfort. And we live in a very divided time.
My social anxiety and desire for everyone to be "happy"/"peaceful" has led me to listen to and have a heart for those who hold opinions and positions with which I may not agree. I'm one of those "both sides" people that are so bitterly objected to by those who just don't get how anyone might disagree with them. The first thought that pops into my head when presented with something is whether there is another way to look at it, that may not lead to the same conclusion. Is there a kinder motive possible? Can I give the speaker the benefit of the doubt?
This sometimes gets me into trouble with those who hold their own point of view strongly and may want something more from me than I can in conscience give. It gets me into trouble when two persons with two opposing views both think I agree with them and "put me on the spot" to give an opinion or judgement and I'm like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof... "he is also right".
Given that social anxiety is NOT a comfortable thing to live with, it still blesses me by helping me feel compassion for others.
Today I am thankful for people who keep me "in the loop" about shared "invisible friends". You know, those friends of friends or online friends that have become so important to so many of us.
I have been fortunate to have met in person several of my online friends. I have not been able to meet in person many people who became important to me through their service, help, and friendship to my son, for example.
Online friends are easy to lose track of, especially if you're relying on social media posts and comments for awareness of their presence and well-being. I'm thankful for those who "check in" now and again with a post.
In the past week, I have learned through some of these "keep others in the loop" folks of the passing of a man dear to my son, and of an online friend being hospitalized. Is this passing along of tidbits of the lives of others "gossip"? Perhaps. But the word "gossip" has a negative association. I suppose you could say "I'm thankful for kind gossip", not the kind that rejoices in the troubles of others... the kind that alerts one to be kinder, or to reach out and help, or to direct prayers (those of you who pray, you know this one).
I have learned through check-in posts of the progress in life of a beloved but not often contacted niece, and another online friend
As we sink into the virtual world, let us not completely withdraw from the one we breathe in.
I already wrote Monday's before I posted the "week" title, so starting the week label with the second day of the week.
Today I am thankful for the health of my body. At a month shy of 73 trips 'round the sun, it still serves me pretty well. I am thankful for the concept and recognition of the phrase "for your age". Priorities change over time, as we mature.
I am thankful for the medical technology of cataract surgery, and that this has enabled me to still see, and drive, do my own shopping, and in general live independently. Given that while I no longer run half marathons or participate in triathlon, I am grateful my body let me do it as recently as seven years ago.
 |
| Diamond, 1996 - 2013 |
The fact that my body serves me well "for my age" gave me the courage to adopt a puppy in 2024.
The fact that my body does well "for my age" gives me the freedom to get to know my foster grand child.
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| Ember, 2024 - present day |
Today I am thankful that I can keep up with my current dog and walk her usual route of about a mile and a quarter. Twenty years ago, the dog I walked had a usual route of 2.6 miles.
Feeling blessed, indeed.
Of late, Ember is apparently thankful for finding an old/newly accessible place to hide (or to chase a bug). That little nose poking out under the slipcover skirt makes me smile, as long as I know she's not chewing on the couch from the bottom up!
Today I am thankful for Ember's growth in self-control over the past year. And I'm thankful for the lessons that have come to me as a result.
The tail end.
Today I am thankful for my upbringing. My thoughts turn this way because it's close to Yahrzeit for my dad. He shaped a lot of my thinking and attitudes.
I am thankful for instructions. Wherever I can find them: on paper, on line, or stuck to the appliances they teach one about.
Recent example: my automatic sprinkler controls. The electrician that was here on Thursday tripped the power off, which reset all the clocks in the house, including the one that drives the sprinklers.
It took me three days before I figured out everything that was going on with those sprinklers. I got it all sorted in the end. I am glad that these instructions are on the door of the control box, and they are written in words, not those international symbols that so confuse me!
I am thankful for helps that enable me to figure stuff out on my own! I
I don't care if you are a Republican, a Democrat, an independent or even a non-voter... this country was founded on the principle of having No Kings!
You cannot characterize people who peacefully protest policies as all being terrorists or hating your country. Many may be conservatives, old-fashioned small government conservatives, who believe in the institutions of government, separation of powers, and the sanctity of the voting booth. Many of us would not be getting "in your face" except for the slurs that have been directed!
Today I am thankful that it takes more than one person's will to remove my right to political speech in favor of democracy! And if someone has to come bail me out, well, as the line from the movie/play Mame said, "I lived!"
It was a peaceful and joyous adventure, my first attendance as a rally participant.
With my daughter in law on the Capitol lawn. The crowd looks sparse in this photo but it was packed from where we were standing about 10 feet to the street. I had to park about 8 blocks away.
Whatever your news may be telling you, even in "deep red" states, Americans take offense at being called terrorists just because we happen to disagree with the current administration! Nobody was behaving like a terrorist today.
Add to this that I commend the local police force. No huge presence (I don't think I saw even one uniformed officer, though there were several veterans among the protestors). Crowd control is understood in Husker Nation. And it can be done in a de-escalating and respectful manner.
Today I am thankful for naps. I find myself taking more of them as I grow "older". Naps with a cat or a dog (in my case a dog's head) on your lap are the best. Doesn't have to be long, just checking out and being at peace for a few minutes is enough.
Today I am thankful for the technical tradespeople who service my home. I note they have gone to a "subscription" model which I'm sure helps their business budget better, but it gives such peace of mind to know I have plumbing, heating, electrical services available, and that they even take care of calling me up to schedule annual or semi-annual inspections to prevent the buildup of problems.
I'm also grateful for the infrastructure that brings utilities into my home. Maintenance of the systems only works if there's a larger system it plugs in to!
Today I am thankful for routine. The workday routine that I lived for decades, and the retirement routines that I have established with my furry companions. Routine is something to hang on to during unsettled times. For me, routines have regularly changed and adapted with the changes to school, jobs, homes (apartment or house), and household composition as marriage, births, and yes, even passings occurred.
Getting the pup outside in the dark of pre-dawn, and for her last call after sunset gives me the chance to do a little star or moon gazing as the dark months of the year are creeping upon us here.
The moon and the stars, the wonders of the heavens bring a Psalm to mind: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" I am grateful to be able to see these wonders and for the sense of awe that they inspire.
Today we (Ember, The Prisoner and I) are thankful for full bellies and clean water. Talk about the basics!
These deserve visible gratitude not just daily, but with every meal.
Point to ponder: does God expect us to offer up a form of polite obeisance? Saying a grace when sitting down to eat, blessing the meal and the work that went into it is a practice that I need to renew, even when eating alone.
The Prisoner shows signs of being agnostic or atheist... he crowds right in as I fill his dish. And he hunts, still.
For several years (more than a decade) I've been involved with the "Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving" gratitude exercise. While most of us strive to have a specific thought to gratitude every day of the year, this specific practice was "viral" when my brother, some of my sisters and I took it up. At the time it was a "month of November" exercise, and it involved posting something, large or small (at least one thing) each day on social media. Back then, it was Facebook. I think it has migrated to various platforms over the years.
I changed the date range in 2010, to span the six weeks or so from when Canada Celebrates Thanksgiving Day, which this year is Monday October 13th, to the US Thanksgiving Day, which this year is Thursday November 27th. I did this because there were some rough "memorial" dates for me in early November, and I needed the warmup days before I got to the rough patches. It's not as hard anymore, as the magic of time passing has smoothed out some of the edges. Those rough anniversaries still sit there, but since I've been around the block a few times with them, finding the silver linings attached is now a more mellow experience.
So let's start... I invite all to join in, however they care to do so... in comments, blogs of your own, off on another social media space, or even on paper. Let's put some gratitude in our hearts, and work at healing our world!
So peaceful on the back deck. Photo from Sunday October 12th.
Sunday, October 5th, on the deck, watching the world go by. We had a good "normal" mommy and me morning, with a nice neighborhood leash walk. We got some extra car ride time to take the recycles to the drop off before going through the coffee drive-through and get her special "bone" (just a Milk Bone, no whipped cream, still trying to get my pup down to the weight the vet has specified).
Putting your dog who is a total chowhound on a diet is not an easy task. It takes a lot of discipline on the part of the human.
Since I use treats to reward good behavior on walks as well as in training, I have done some adjusting over the months to lesser caloric treats. One pouch in my bag just has her regular kibble. Another has a mix of her treats, with only a very few of the "best" ones, the freeze-dried chicken liver.
She also gets a little taste (lickings) of my own 1% milkfat cottage cheese and 2% plain Greek yogurt, and to lick the plate when I've had something "safe" for dogs, like eggs.
Sunday evening: rain with thunder rumbles overhead and varying intensity of light to heavy rain. Glad we got some outside yard play in before the skies opened up.
Monday morning: I woke to the sound of rain on the roof around 3:45 and suddenly remembered the automatic sprinklers! I crept down the stairs with my phone flashlight to turn them off for the day as we're supposed to be getting rain almost all day long, and I don't have those "rain detectors" to prevent them clicking on at 4 a.m. Mondays. Trying to go back to bed after that was a bit of a joke, so I gave up and got up, thus writing this little snippet.
Observations on a rainy morning:
Observations of puppy's increasing maturity:
However, this "golden" situation did not last the whole day. We went out for a second leash walk in the afternoon, and a couple of lovely ladies stopped to pet her. We got plenty wet as shortly after that bonus, it started misting, then as we got further along, it turned into a genuine, if gentle rain.
The noises it makes almost sound like words or a baby's or animal's cry. It makes a different sound in opposite directions (i.e. if you have a north pole and a south pole on the globe and you turn it upside down, you get one sound. If you turn it back upright, you get a different sound). Clearly it has two axes, making for four distinct sounds, and if you slowly roll it with a spin, it's quite interesting what it sounds like.
Anyway, between and among ALL these stimuli, Ember got overexcited about an hour before supper time and started into her frenzy kind of "go under the couch and gnaw at its underpinnings", "reach for the calendar", "put paws on the counter", and "grab mommy's arm when she goes to refill the water bowl". I tried to calm her down, with mostly success, but found I had to put first myself outside to calm ME down, then come back in and put Ember outside so I could clean up the spilled water dish, wash myself (3 Band-Aids), and put away the over-stimulating toys. When she came back in, she seemed ready to be civilized. I fed her about half an hour early. Once fed, I gave her a chew stick, and she completed her self-regulation cycle and got her couch privileges back to nap there while Mom watched Jeopardy.
She went into her crate before Jeopardy ended for her puppy nap prior to "last call".
Tuesday 10/7: As if to make up for the frenzy of Monday's rainy day, Ember got a nice compliment from her daycare person on Tuesday. Seems they have a five-month-old golden retriever who was a bit rambunctious for the other pups his age, and they started putting him in Ember's play group. When the young man brought Ember out to me Tuesday afternoon, he asked if I'd heard about her new "best friend". I shook my head "no" and as we were packing her into the car, he showed me the video of her playing with Bailey, the golden puppy. Says the day care fella, "She is so sweet with him." Guess Carl and Barnaby taught her well how to be an adult dog around a puppy! I wish I had remembered to ask him to send me the video!
Wednesday 10/8: Brrrr! I'm glad I switched from A/C to Heat mode because with all the extra warm days, I'm really not ready to wake up to 43F. The full harvest Super Moon was putting on a show in the western sky as it was lightening toward dawn.
Despite the significant cooling, I put on my jacket and hat, and even gloves during the walk. Ember did not steal any of them, nor did she grab at my jacket. She did try to put her nose in the pocket (where I had tucked the glove while fishing a treat out of the training bag). But it was a good walk. Some detours to follow her nose, tracking who knows what, but she was pretty obedient about getting mommy back onto the sidewalk.
We went through the drive-thru for mommy's "special coffee" and her dog biscuit as a reward.
New strategy with the giggle ball. I just left it in the basement rec room and I did not try to "help" her play with it. She found it at one point in the mid-day and looked to me for guidance. I told her it was OK to play with it, it's her toy. She picked it up and brought it upstairs and investigated it.
Thursday 10/9: I felt at loose ends. Puppy was off at day care, thank goodness, but I was bushed. Paid bills. Got a few groceries, refilled a prescription.
When Ember came home and had her supper, she went into her crate in time for me to go to the family gather for my DIL's mom's birthday.
Traffic and road construction nightmare. I was about halfway to the agreed upon venue when I got a message from DIL. The place we intended to go was closed for a private event. They were formulating a change in plans. I pulled into a parking lot and waited for the decision, then drove to the alternate place.
It was a steakhouse that I had not been to in probably 40 years! They are famous for their prime rib. They are also famous for their French onion soup. It was marvelous! But I don't have the capacity for even the six-ounce portion of the prime rib, so there's a leftover box in my 'fridge for Friday. It was Donna's birthday celebration but both of us "grannies" got a gift... our own copies of "Our first year with" FGC... all the photos and little snippets... from adventures with this rapidly growing youngster. Favorite foods, favorite color, photos with pets and with people, photos with his siblings and auntie. So much bonding over the course of that "first year", September through September!
I stayed up too late, flipping through the pages of the book, remembering for myself, and savoring the progress.
Speaking of Friday, I slept in a bit. Didn't wake until about 5:50 a.m. I had to get up, because the garbage bin needed to be trundled to the curb, something I didn't do Thursday night. Ember and I had our normal morning routine. We made it around our neighborhood walk, and through the coffee drive-thru before her first puppy nap.
That wraps the week in Emberville. Life is good. Keep on Sparking!
Friday, November 14, 2025 Today I am thankful for the night sky. While I did not get the vibrant colors captured, I did learn a thing or tw...
