Tuesday and Wednesday

 

Ember's first Tuesday morning mission:  let's skin the indoor football!

We also played several rounds of glow in the dark ball retrieve outside.  When she gets going on that rotation, it's a joy to watch.

Mom's Tuesday rejoicing:  What is it about running the vacuum, sweeping the tile floors, and shaking out the rugs that makes Mom feel so much better?  Dog laundry being done is also a good feeling.

Ember did not want to get in the car Tuesday morning.  She wanted to go rip up the wingback chair that never made it to the curb.  It is still sitting in a corner of the garage.  I had to resort to dragging her back to the car, then playing "hide and seek" to entice her into the back seat.

Nonetheless, she had a fine day at daycare and came home good and tired.

She waited patiently for me to brown the ground turkey that I then topped her kibble with, and she "licked the platter clean".  Good girl.

We had an uneventful evening.

Wednesday morning, this hu-mom was feeling kind of weary; she had a bit of a headache.  She took second Covid test.  Still negative.  I'm thinking the headache is most likely caffeine management I've been drinking more coffee and my dietary standards have been tossed out the window, showing that I'm still an anxiety over-eater (the uncertainty over the foster child and his siblings is a huge worry point).  I should be behaving myself better, with the medicalizing last Friday and this coming Friday. 

Regardless, I started feeling better after a couple of mugs of coffee, so my thoughts of caffeine management are reasonable.

I dragged out the dinosaur egg after puppy nap #1 so she would have something to play with on the patio and deck in the sunshine (it's a really nice day).

 Link to video of playing with it on the patio.

Anyway, here's your Wednesday "old, blonde, female" giggle:  noon time, I made Ember her "puppy salad" and put it down in her spot.  She ate some of it, but then after, I wanted to let her out on the deck to play with her dinosaur egg, only to be met with a sliding door that would not open!

I start to freak out.  I crate Ember long enough to take a screwdriver and the key and walk around the house to look for any obstacles that might be blocking that door.  Nothing.  I turn the key in the lock, it does its thing.  I go back inside, the latch locks when closed, but when unlocked, stops at about a quarter of an inch open.  

I look up the company that installed that sliding door (six years ago) and called their service department.  They could not schedule a tech to come out and diagnose the problem until the 10th of February.  Now, keep in mind, this is Ember's potty outside door!  I'm not thrilled with the "you have to take her on leash outside, around the house into the back yard to do her business" for two weeks!

While the lady on the other end of the line is looking things up... and I'm pacing anxiously, anticipating a $225 service charge if they try to virtually diagnose and still have to send a technician out.  I try the door one more time, and mutter to myself to stop, already, it's not going to change by simply trying again and again.  And then I look down, and see a little bit of metal, and a feature I had forgotten about (because I never use it) to "lock" the sliding door at a partially open position.  Guess what one of those positions is?  Yep, the quarter inch open position.  Looks like Ember must have scrabbled that foot switch (or I did, but I don't remember).  I can easily see how going in and out and manipulating that dinosaur egg over the threshold she could have flicked that switch.

When the window/door lady came back on the line, I gave her the church lady line:  "Never mind!"  Sigh.  Yep, I'm still old, blonde, and female.

When you stop laughing at this, choose to live your life, your way!  And keep on Sparking!

Monday's Mayhem

 The crazy thing is if I went through how Monday unfolded, could I even get it in the right chronological order?  I'm not sure.

Let's start with early morning.  I let the Prisoner in before I got Ember up and out, then fed.  We played glow in the dark retrieve.  We played with the Tearrible toy.  We played tug.  All the usual stuff.  Before 6:30 a.m., though, I got a message from my daughter in law that she had tested positive for Covid.  Yikes!

That kind of set the tone for the day.  During Ember's puppy nap #1, I looked up the expiration dates on the Covid tests I have on hand.  Three of them are about to expire, and three tests negative on days 1, 3, and 5 after exposure should ensure you don't have the thing.  So I took a test.  Granted, I only saw DIL and son through the car window on the opposite side while everyone was fussing over Ember Sunday, but if they are going to expire anyway...

Negative!

Anyway, took Ember on a practice car ride and picked her up some treats and a new toy between puppy naps.  When I took a bathroom break and did not contain her, she bit through my internet wire!  Yikes!

I managed to call the Internet company, and they looked up my account and said I was on the list of folks who were eligible for same day service calls.  They had a guy out here within the hour.  He not only replaced the wire, he also replaced the wireless router.  And there is joy in the web again. 

Ember had to cool her heels in the crate while the technician worked, but for the most part, she was clueless as to having done anything wrong.  

Got her up for her "follow the leader" walk with Frank and his hu-mom Susan.  Frank is a little touchy about energetic Ember, and kind of snapped at her a couple of spots in the walk.  She balked on the last leg (like she does) on the way back.  Susan slipped me a note with the name of an e-collar company on it.  This is one of those "the levels", the sound, the vibration, and at the highest level the shock.  She used it to help Frank over his pulling at the leash.  My heart sank at the very thought of putting such a thing on Ember.  Susan said she never had to use the shock, the vibrate seemed to be enough to remind Frank of her expectations.

Carl has such a collar, too.  I only ever put it on him once, and never used more than the jiggly vibration, either.  Mostly I have not used it with him at all.  The very suggestion that I might have to put on his "bark collar" (his particular issue was his barking) was usually enough to remind Carl that Grandma likes a quiet puppy.

Anyway, I sulked a bit internally over the very suggestion but eventually came to peace.  Just 'cause someone suggests something doesn't mean you are obligated to do it.

Simultaneous to the internet drama and the co-dog walk, the fur was flying (figuratively) across town.  Remember the foster grandchild?  Yep.  He, his older brother, and his younger sister were removed from their birth dad's home again.  Son and DIL have their little one back since after school, and Carl and the birds were rejoicing!  

My heart goes out to these kids and their being kind of yo-yo'd around by the system!  Thankfully, my son and DIL had kept his space and special things safely there for "respite" times he might visit, so he should feel loved and cherished tonight.  He's only been back with birth dad for less than a month full time, with a couple of weekend overnight stays before that.

Lots of last-minute arrangements for transport (the other foster grandparents are stepping up for school transport tomorrow) and some shopping because when they remove these kids they come with a bare minimum of "stuff".  DIL sent videos to the private group of the reunion time.  They will have him until the next court thing changes something.  Praying for children in such situations!

To top off the day, got a text message from the trainer, who has been ill today, and is waving off tomorrow's training sessions with me and a couple of other ladies.  After today, I'm totally OK with that.  Ember will go to daycare, anyway, and I'll work on housecleaning.

Choose when you have a choice.  Find a way to choose your attitude if you can't choose anything else.  Choose to LIVE your life.  And Spark on.

Weekending with mom

 

Still working on the dinosaur egg.  It's pretty indestructible, but Ember gets very excited when it comes out to play, so Mom limits the time that it is.  Ember loves BIG toys!  Which is probably why she likes to destroy furniture.  Would she have made a great member of a pack that brings down big game?

On Saturday we did quite a bit of toss and retrieve in the yard.  With the rubber rocks and with balls, both.

It was chilly and mom didn't want to freeze her hands off with a leash walk.  We did get a car ride to take recycles to the center, and that earned us a trip through the drive-thru when Ember got a dog-bone (but no whipped cream, that's a one day a week thing, on Sunday).

The Sunday morning family health news is good.  Nobody testing positive for the 'vid beyond my son.  His wife, her mom, and I are still good to go.  

Ember and I practiced "going out and going in" on the leash at the front steps today, before going on a car ride.  We also pulled out a new Tearrible toy.

These toys are velcro'd together, intended to be torn limb from limb by the puppy, then put back together for another round.  

Carl loves his, Ember loves hers, too.  We pulled this little one apart three times today, and when I put it back together during her puppy nap #2, I inserted the "optional" squeaker, as when she pulled it apart the first time, she uncovered the pocket where the squeaker goes.

We did take a Sunday afternoon walk around the block, as the temperature got up to nearly 40℉.  We had some stubborn pulling toward the park.

I ended up invoking Carl's name to convince her to start heading toward home.  "I know where Carl lives, and we can go for a ride in the car.  Mommy has to drive us to see Carl and his people."  At this point she gave up on trying to pull me down toward the long grass and accepted treat enticements to head home.

Shortly after we got home, I fed her, then we did go for a ride in the car, to the high school where the former foster GC and his brother were practicing basketball.  The boys and my son and DIL came over and petted her through the car window.  Her tail and whole back end were wagging.  She does so love people!

She tucked in for the night quite happily, having had "a good day".  I texted the lady next door and we made arrangements for a "follow the leader" leash walk tomorrow afternoon.  It's supposed to top 50 and will be a great day to be outside!

This next week we will have three daycare days, as I have the second half of the annual medicalizing on Friday, then on Sunday the 2nd, she'll get her "spa day".  

Keep on choosing to live your life!  Spark on!

Meanwhile

 

Ember looks very "puppylike" in this photo from Wednesday afternoon.  She had gone down to the basement level and found my 4-pound weighted exercise ball (they used to call these "medicine" balls, never quite understood why).  She picked it up, and wagging tail in full use, proudly trotted it up the stairs and into the X-Pen to begin deconstruction.

Aside:  she really has not grown into those paws yet, has she?

Yes, I had to run the vacuum on Thursday while she was at daycare, to clean up the little fragments she chewed off.

It reminded me of once upon a time when my baby brother (you'd remember him as MOBYCARP from SparkPeople) and I skinned and unwound a golf ball just to figure out what it was made of!

Anyway, the blue cover is a very thin layer, then there is brown rubber stuff under it.  At about this level of deconstruction, I distracted her, got her settled for the evening, then put the ball away.  To be continued, of course.

My little girly is going to get an extra day of daycare on Friday, because I have my annual Medicare wellness appointment, and a fasting blood draw coming up.

Things started getting interesting Wednesday afternoon/evening.  My son had been feeling ill since Monday.  I asked if he'd taken a Covid test and could rule that out.  He had not yet, as of Wednesday afternoon, so he took one, at his wife's suggestion.  Sure enough, after five years of "the virus" being present on our shores, my son had his first positive test for it.  I'm still a unicorn, but I was with them on Sunday the 19th and of course hugged my kid!  

So, the two elders who were at the basketball clinic, DIL's mom and myself, are monitoring our own health.  So far, so good.  But also taking precautions.  I called my doctor's office to ask advice about Friday's appointment.  As long as I'm symptom free, they said come on in, and if I do develop symptoms, still come in, but wear a mask.  I was already masking for my trainer workouts... started up again when I was anticipating my cataract surgery last October, and just never stopped masking there.

Friday Ember went to daycare on a non-trainer day so that I could go to my annual Medicare wellness check without worrying about her being "stuck" in her crate at home.  I was fasting, no symptoms showed up, and I opted not to wear the mask, even though I carried it along.  I took my breakfast with me and munched on it while talking to the PA.  She duly noted the weight loss since a year ago, I credited the puppy, as I generally do.

Saturday morning as I'm typing now:  still symptom free.  I asked the PA on Friday about when it would be considered "safe" to have my next booster.  My last one was in May, 2024.  She said as long as I remain symptom free for another week or so, blessings on getting my next Covid shot.  But if I *do* get Covid, wait 3 months after recovery before getting another shot.  It has become part of the "normal", after five years in the wild.

Keeping on.  Choose to live your life!  Spark on!

Dog TV

 

When it's cold outside, let's snuggle on the couch and watch Dog TV.  When I was checking Facebook today, I saw a post from a friend who has recently (with her hubby) adopted a pair of Spaniels.  Cutest pups, of course, but the photos she posted were of the dogs watching TV with their paw-rents.  She captioned the one where the pups were awake and the ones where they were sleeping with the team names of the football games they were watching when the photos were taken.

I had to laugh just a bit.  Ember really does watch what's on the screen when it's Dog TV, i.e. videos of dogs, in slow motion, with their humans, doing fun things like running at the beach, or in the woods, or in a park... with soft piano music playing and sometimes nature sounds.  It's a calming thing for a pup, and I use it as Ember's sleepy time music, leading into her naps / crate time.  She also watches a bit of old episodes of Murder She Wrote with me.  I'm on a "news fast" of late, but I did notice Sunday morning that TikTok had gone dark on my phone, overnight.  I'm not a frequent user, but my kid sis finds things on it that she likes to share.  

Later in the day, TikTok went live again.  Can we ever keep up?

Sunday Ember was really starting to feel the confinement associated with the cold weather.  I foolishly had put out the raised dog bed again.  This time, she totally destroyed it.  

This is only the beginning.  She shredded the fabric, gnawed off the plastic connectors.  Can't do a whole lot about the metal posts, and it's now all in the trash.  Until next time.

Every so often I give her a plush toy that I know she's just going to shred to bits.  Sunday it was a fresh one, a burlap wrapped steer head toy.  The fluff flew almost immediately.

I fed Ember her supper a shade on the early side and tucked her into her after-supper crate time.  Then I went over to watch Foster Grandkid and his brother practicing at basketball in a YMCA clinic.  This brought back a lot of memories of my son's childhood.  We had him in organized youth sports from about age 5 or 6 onwards.  Basketball was his favorite.  FC's brother's "One more shot" begging brought back strong ones of fading light at the schoolyard when my son was young.

Many moons ago.  I think he was six or seven at the time.

I bypassed the family "McDonald's" trip afterward.  I got home, gave Ember her "last call" on schedule, and got to bed myself.

Monday morning I woke to the phone app proclaiming it was -1℉.  My kid sis translated that to -19℃, but my little calculator app would clock that as being -2℉.  Perhaps across town at her house it was.  Either way:  BRRRRR!

Ember agrees!  Too cold to stay out longer that essential.  She still kept asking, as though I could control what the door opened to.  But when pressed on the "in or out" issue, she consistently chose to come back in.

OK, I admit it, I have been watching the frou-frou in DC, and whatever my innermost thoughts about DJT, I have to admit he knows how to put on a show.  PT Barnum had nothing on him.  He views himself as a producer, and one of his biggest criteria for selecting folks to serve him is do they present well on TV.  

'nuff said about that.

Choose to keep on living your own life!  May all be free to do so.  May all the worries and fears be just that:  worries and fears, and not realities.  May we each keep making the best and kindest choices we can in our own daily spheres.  Spark on!

Oh, and I brought out the dinosaur egg today!

Some of the new toys

Yeah, I got sucked in to a Jurassic Park themed "super chewer" box.  This mosquito inside ambergris ball was part of it.  Bigger size, but Ember can put her jaws around it.  Glow in the dark ball included for size reference.  The glow-ball is tennis ball sized.  I would say the dinosaur ball is softball sized.

This squeaky chew is a duplicate of one she destroyed in minutes a month ago.  This time the squeaker has lasted three days, so far, but of course the woven material is starting to fray.

Another size comparison shot, this one of the "giant dinosaur egg" from the Jurassic collection.  Same size glow in the dark ball as in the top photo.

I started putting this together on Friday evening.  It was dark, the wind was howling as the front came through.  I was anticipating the cold that is coming.  Ember had her "last call" and was tucked in for the night.  I put an extra blanket on the bed for myself.

Saturday morning dawned cold (13℉) and Ember did her business in two different sessions.  The second one, I stayed up on the deck and let her go out in the yard on her own.

She was having trouble with "you're in, you're out" related to the sliding door to outside, but we continue to work on that lesson.

It got too cold even for her, after sitting in this posture for a little while.  

Saturday's first adventure was a drive to get dog treats.  I left her in the car while I dashed into a store that I will not name because about half of my acquaintance are boycotting it for social issues reasons.  The second adventure was filling the gas tank and going through the coffee drive-thru.  She got her pup cup of the week on Saturday.

She had such a good day Friday with the weather being mild.  She got to interact with other people and with Frank (another dog).  Saturday she's getting up to mischief if I'm not right with her.  But we made it through the day.  

Sunday promises to be even colder.  We are under a Cold weather advisory.  Apparently, the National Weather service has renamed "Wind Chill Advisory" to Cold weather advisory.  This advisory lasts from now through noon Tuesday, with Wind Chills in the minus 20 to minus 30 Fahrenheit range.  Brrrr!

Stay warm my friends!  

Choose to live your life!  And Spark on!

Blog delayed but no earth shattering news

 

One of the more recent toy acquisitions.  We are learning to enjoy tug.  Sort of.  

Both of these photos are from the sunny afternoons on the deck.  The temperatures may be low (got into the single digits F in the overnight Sunday to Monday) but it's not as bitterly cold as many January months have been in my lifetime.  

Monday had its ups and downs.  I knew it would be challenging as the 4th day "home with Mom" before Tuesday's next day care time.  We took three car rides.

The first was a "ride to nowhere" in the dark of the morning, just to distract her from the leather couch that she's still working on deconstructing.  The second was a trip to the grocery store.  This time I left her in the car while I dashed in to get saltine crackers and a small packet of dog chews.  

The last one was a sight-seeing tour to go find the KenL-Inn dog place.  I wanted to check where the pavement ended and get a look at it, as it has been some years since I went out there.  I'm considering it as an alternative boarding/day care space for Ember.  I understand they do dog training classes out there, as well as having wooded space on the property for some of their activities when a dog is boarded there.  We did not stop, just drove through the lot, as I hadn't called first.  Bit by bit.

Tuesday is one of Ember's Day Care days, and my personal trainer day, too.  Ember was ready to go early, so I took her on over.  It felt cold outside, as it was breezier than Monday had been.  While she was playing, I got my workout, a shower, unpacked some deliveries, baked a loaf of frozen bread dough, did some laundry, and vacuumed.  The electric company was out replacing a streetlight.  They had to get into the pedestal in my backyard to do some fuse work, just as I was getting ready to go pick up Ember.

I started writing this several days ago, then kind of abandoned it...  

It's now Friday morning.  Ember went to day care both Tuesday and Thursday.  She has some new toys (deliveries I unpacked), but I'm pacing when they get introduced.  I made it to my trainer sessions both Tuesday and Thursday.  Next week looks much the same.  What will be different is the weather.  We are having a couple of very nice (for January) days, and then over the weekend and into Monday and Tuesday next week (the 19th to the 21st) we will be hit with our piece of the "Polar Vortex" the news folks are talking about.  Still, I compare it to January temperatures of the past, and it doesn't sound as bad.

Today's plan:  I have recycles loaded in the car, and figure one of our "practice car rides" can be to take them to the center.  And today is the day that we will be attempting a "pack walk" with Frank and Susan... and hopefully Julie will be coming along.  Once greetings have been established, fingers crossed for another avenue of exercise for the pup.

Keep on making the choice to live your life!  Spark on.

Dark of the morning

 

This photo was taken about 40 minutes before sunrise on Saturday, looking east.  The deep purple attracted me.

Back on relatively "normal" Ember time on Saturday.  We tried something new, letting her ride along while I took recycles to the center.  I didn't load up all the recycles, just part of the corrugated cardboard.  But she did great, staying in the car while I took four trips to the bins.  Then we went through the pharmacy drive-thru to pick up my eye-drop prescription.    

We got out on a leash walk Saturday afternoon, once the hu-mom was convinced the sidewalks around the block were dry.  We had some issues at the corner that decides to go home or go into the park.  Ember did not want to come home.  Mom won, but was not happy about how, and ended up wondering if Ember was scared of something at a couple of the spots where she resisted.  Mom, you could do a better job of reading your dog!

Once we did get home, Ember sulkily started in on the leather couch, taking down the baby gate that she had respected all day until then.  Late in the day we drove through Scooter's (that's a regional coffee chain).  I have got into a rhythm, where she only gets the whipped cream pup cup every third or fourth trip, but I get the hot mocha every time.

I am happy that Ember has found her voice to signal she needs out of the crate for a trip outside.  So far, she has not abused this ability to "call" Mommy for help.

On Sunday, I awoke and got up early, to take a shower and prepare for the day.  I had ordered groceries for pickup Sunday morning before I went to bed Saturday night. In my mind I was thinking, "socialize the puppy" and take her along, even though pick up time was 9 a.m. when she would normally be napping in her crate.

I played it by ear.  We needed a calm down drive in the dark before mommy's own breakfast.  Mommy fell asleep with a puppy's head on her lap, and in the end, chickened out and put the puppy in for her nap before going to pick up the groceries.  I was kind of glad I did because the weather had started to spit some kind of frozen stuff at us.  40% chance the weather app said.  Oh, well, win some, lose some.

Ember, for her part, pawed up a chunk of ice from the splash pad under the downspout on the Northwest corner of the house/garage, and proudly carried it up to play with it on the deck.  

Unfortunately, she also discovered the raised dog bed in the family room (next to the leather couch she's still working at deconstructing) has legs and a frame. She thinks these things are appropriate chew-things, so Mommy had to put the dog bed away in the pantry, behind a closed door.  Sigh.  

On the good news front, the muddy mats I had gradually put down underneath her hot zone towels seem to have converted into hot zones themselves, and she's not chewing on them as much. 

I continue to do "practice" runs in the car with Ember, and we did three on Sunday.  I feel a bit behind the curve with this form of socialization due to her earlier experience with motion sickness.  

None of Sunday's trips involved getting out of the car.  The first was just a "calm down" ride.  The second was a second trip to the grocery store.  I was considering the possibility of running into the grocery store and leaving her in the car while I did, but I judged it as being a bit too busy.  The third was to a local high school, where my son and DIL were bringing the foster kiddo and his brother (even though the family has been reunited, they help out with transport for this activity) for basketball practice.  We didn't get out of the car, but the boys came over and we rolled down the window so Ember could wag her tail and lick their hands, and they could pet her.

As a reward for being so good waiting in the car, we went to Scooter's drive thru, where she got her puppy biscuit.  The weather is getting colder with Monday predicted to be even chillier.  

Ember has taken her time with this particular pig's ear.  It has taken her four days before finally consuming it!  I think the ones that are curled up on the edges invite a little more play time before consumption.

Keep on choosing to live your life!  Sparkle onward!

Back to the future

 

Thursday

My princess Ember, putting her head on my knee while watching Dog TV from the couch she has NOT yet destroyed (mainly due to Mommy's intervention with the X-Pen protection). There's something so peaceful about your dog trusting you and being your "heated and weighted blanket".

I have noticed lately that when Ember is getting a little over the top, I ask her "is it harness time"?  She comes running.  She loves to have her harness on.  We don't always go somewhere when she has it on, but it carries that possibility or a walk, or a car ride.  I'm pondering on "does that harness sort of act like a thunder shirt, calming her anxieties"?

Thursday was another day care day for Ember.  And a trainer workout for me.  After I got home and showered, I moved furniture around, vacuumed and washed the couch slipcover from the parlor (i.e. the couch she hasn't yet destroyed).  I did poo patrol and collected the balls that had been tossed in the snow on Wednesday.

I did take time to observe some of the funeral service of Jimmy Carter.  I didn't do as much housework as I might have ambition for, but, one day at a time.  I did book Ember's Day care for next Tuesday and Thursday, though.

Friday morning

Friday things went unusually, to say the least.  I woke after 4:30 a.m.  I thought I heard a bit of whining from downstairs, so I got dressed in a hurry.  I did things in a different order than normal because it is not usual for Ember to whine in the crate without having me or the cat in the vicinity.  I figured it was a potty emergency, and I was right.  Going to day care messes with her "schedule" a bit.  I let her out, then got my hat and gloves on and followed.  Sure enough when I caught up, she was taking care of business.

It was really too early to be up.  I fed her early because that's about as close to a routine thing as we have.  I left her outside for a quick trip upstairs to take my meds, then let her back in.  She wanted to dismantle the couch in the parlor.  I was having none of that, put her in the harness, and took her for a drive in the dark.  I put her in the car while I went back inside to put the couch back together and the gate back up.  

In the dark of 5-something I saw one neighbor out with their dog taking care of business, and one walker under the streetlights.  We just circled one block, came back home, and I left her in the car long enough to dash down and feed the cat.  When I brought her back into the house, I let her out into the back yard for a bit.  Coming back in the house, I asked her to respect the gates.  I gave her a beef kneecap to chew on and that helped to settle her down.

She polished that treat off, and we ended up back on the couch, better behaved this time.  I put on the Dog TV, and she settled down to sleep on my knee, then transferred to on the couch, curled up.  I left her there until nearly 7 a.m., then enticed her into her crate to finish her nap.  I wasn't particularly hungry myself, so did not cook my oatmeal.  

Photo from Thursday afternoon, on the deck.  Ember was watching a big black bird in a tree.  She looked so classic in this pose; I could not resist.  You can see where she has scratched at the snow on the deck, and in the foreground is the cable that she managed to chew loose.  This is another unused cable, but I don't really want her chewing on anything she finds attached to the house!  Redirecting her attention is what is needed, but I have to stay a step or two ahead to know where it is safe to redirect her.  Outside on the deck became unsafe when she started chewing on that cable.

Anyway, we are on to Friday, now!  

Choose to live your own life!  Spark on!\

Human stuff

I have to admit I took zero photos on Tuesday.  That generational saying that "no photo, it didn't happen" is not true.  While I was taking zero photos, I did "human stuff".  I took the next two photos on Wednesday morning after Ember was settled in for puppy nap #1.

I moved the smaller TV from the family room into the X-Pen room, elevating it onto the near-empty bookcase.  This is step one in a multi-step process.  If I make the changes gradually, maybe it won't freak Ember out quite so much.  

This move felt to me that it exposed the router.  I was feeling a little insecure because of Ember's ongoing destructor-mode on the leather couch.  This was getting too close for my comfort.  I reused Ember's smallest crate as a container for the router!  Left the small crate, router inside, behind the screening shelf because I don't have much choice, the connection being there!  You can see the lights, and I have access by way of the crate door if I need to reset something.

The router is in the far corner, by the brick hearth. You can see the screening folding table/shelf behind the far arm of the couch.  Wish me luck as I keep trying, one doggy daycare day at a time, to work on the human elements of life.

Ember had a fine time in daycare on Tuesday.  As I was dropping her off, another lab came in with his owner, also for daycare.  She was very excited to see a friend and was ready to start playing... now!  Of course she had to wait a bit, the staff person promising she would get to play in a bit.

When I picked her up, I asked the staffer how Ember did and as she helped me load my pup into the car the young gal said Ember was very sweet and had been in the "cloud" group that day.  The group played well together.  So far, I'm happy with the arrangement.  

As I often do when Ember is elsewhere, I indulged in making myself something I would not for lunch.  She would want to share.  I toasted a grilled cheese sandwich.

Wednesday morning dawned frigid, as predicted.  Ember and I have survived to the crate time before "last call", with a couple of car rides but no leash walks.  Sister visits on Wednesdays are in suspended mode, as is sometimes quite appropriate this time of year.

Ember had some zoomies in the back yard, following an attempt at ball tossing.  She let me shovel off part of the deck without attacking the shovel.  But then she went after a cable that she'd ignored up to this point, that runs up the side of the house along the deck.  Sigh.  Two steps forward...

Choosing to live life!  Also choosing to keep Sparking!

Choosing

 

The wind howls, it's cold, the dog is somewhat freaked out by her first "measurable" snowfall since joining my household, but! we did not get as much snow as predicted.  My fingers near froze in first session of shoveling, which happened after I got Ember into her crate for puppy nap #2.

Amazon tells me they will deliver my replacement remote for the TV today.  I will believe it when I see it, as the little map shows their delivery vehicle on its way from Omaha... and who knows what the highway conditions are between there and here?

In case anyone is curiously paying attention to my change of the tag line with the first of the year... I'm trying things out.  Life is Good was Kevin (MOBYCARP)'s line.  I've been experiencing dog training with a focus allowing the dog to choose good behaviors.  I want to add choice into my tag line:  it is indeed a choice to live, and to live as fully as we can!  It may take a while before I come up with just the exact "signature" phrase, but in 2025, choice is a part of the picture.  

There is also a Biblical reference for this one.  Deuteronomy 30: 19.  It's a verse that has stuck in my mind for several years of ponderings.  We are not told to choose "good" versus "evil", but to "choose life".  This ties in with Kevin's "Life is Good" theme.

From KJV:  "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

Monday

Single digit temperatures outside and I woke shortly after 3.  After a minor attempt to fall back asleep for an hour I did the math in my head and decided to get up and have my shower.  Making plans to put together something for Ember's mental stimulation today.  I had seen a good suggestion online Sunday and thought "that's something I can do".  It said, simply, hide things in a box for her to search through.  Well, I have lots of leftover packing materials... cardboard boxes and crushed up paper... that would be perfect.  Hide some of her toys amid the paper, and voila, puzzle time!

Maybe one of the toys inside can be the treat-holding kind.  Got to do something, as it's mega cold out there and not suitable for even back yard play for more than short trips.

LOL!  Well that lasted less than five minutes!  You know how babies want to play with the box more than the toy inside the box?  Seems Ember has something in common with that stereotype.

Anyway, we are on to puppy nap #2, it's cold out, but there is sunshine, and she has done some independent playing outside, in addition to what I've devised for her inside.  We also took a car ride to fill up Dexter's gas tank.  Tomorrow it's doggy day care for her and my trainer workout for me... and I have my to-do list for those free hours.

Choose life!  Spark on!

Meanwhile across town

The accelerated reunification of foster kiddo with his birth dad and siblings started Friday afternoon, but it's not fully signed off on.  Still son and DIL went to bed Friday night without kiddo in residence, and with the anticipation that this particular fostering has come to an end.  Great kid.  Hopefully they will still be in his life, but it's not the same as having him living at their house.  Prayers for the many times foster parents say "good-bye" to kiddos not fully grown and are mandated to "let go".  If all goes well in the next few days, the little guy will be at his dad's place for good.

My son and his wife have a date night planned for Saturday night, to console one another about this parting.  They are going early, the 4 p.m. early bird thing, to avoid the coming snow as much as they can.  

Ember sends her best wishes to them, offering up her plastic stick.

As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, Ember was quiet in her crate, the last "nap" before "last call".  We had a good day.  A few new toys were rolled out, and I actually saw her get excited about indoor interactive play.  We played some fetch, we played some tug, and we had some good instances of the "thank you" tug release, followed by a sit to ask for the resumption of the game.  For all the frustrating days (like Friday), there are good days (like Saturday) where "hope springs eternal".

We had quiet couch time before crate time three times Saturday.  It's our new thing.  It helps grow her willingness to crate up afterward.  It solidifies our mutual trust.

New favorite tug toy, I've been calling "black sheep" to her.  We now have four furry (faux furry, that is) tug toys.  I determined that she likes the furry feel in her mouth better than the fleecy feel.  Also better than a ball.  She likes the plastic/rubber balls better than the fuzzy tennis balls... it takes time and experience to determine what gives your specific dog joy and thus makes the better reward for them.

Sunday morning... what will we find?

I woke at 3 and heard the wind howling.  Successfully fell back asleep until after 4:30 am.  The phone app says it's going to start snowing again at 6:08 am.  How very specific!  It did not, exactly, so, there's that for specific predictions.

During "last call" Saturday night, we had about half an inch of snow on the ground, and it was lightly falling.  Ember put on an impressive display of zoomies.  Then she played begged me for a bit of tug before quietly chewing on a bone before bedtime.

The deck did not look much different from what it did at last call Saturday evening.  Ember zoomed some, but also did her morning business, then we went inside.  We did not do any outdoor ball chasing Sunday morning, but we did go out and "check on" the snow on the deck, several times.

Played several tug games, some hide and go seek, and a few rounds of crate games.  Eventually we settled down to be a couch puppy while the human fixed her own breakfast.  Ember consented to nap in the crate after.  I told Ember I was going outside to see if I could find her poo, and she settled in just fine while I did so.

The snow is not up to the predicted amount, but the Winter storm warning lasts until midnight, so we'll see how short of that we are.  They have lowered the prediction to 1 - 5 inches for our fair city.  We've already got about an inch.  This can be handled.  It's a light fluffy snow.  My DIL reported slick streets after their dinner date.

Wishing all who stop by the best of Sunday... may you be safe, warm and dry!

Choose to live your life!  Spark on.

A Lab's first instinct

Friday was a rocky day in Emberville.  She did not get enough exercise.

From the Labrador retriever's handbook (if there is one):  "When you encounter something new, check to see if it's edible."  This is Ember's first snowfall since joining my household.  It came in big fluffy flakes around 3:30 p.m.

It was brief and it did not accumulate much.  The "big" snow is coming on Saturday afternoon/evening and all-day Sunday, according to the weatherman.

I hyped the snow:  Isn't it pretty?  See, it's frozen water falling from the sky!  Ember, for her part investigated.  

I also attempted to give The Prisoner safe passage with Ember contained in her X-Pen, but he (the cat) bolted when he spotted her (the dog) standing behind that barrier.  

When Ember was let out, she went after the pad under the area rug in the family room.  I attempted to rescue the floor (I had already given up on the leather couch).  In the process, I left the TV remote on the counter, and guess who nabbed it.  She refused to give it back.  The tussle proceeded into the garage, where I tried to distract her, but she instead targeted the wing-back chair remains that still reside there.  I pulled the cushion off and brought it inside, in the hopes of getting her out of the garage, at least.

Got her out on the deck again, while I put the family room back together and picked up the now inoperable TV remote.  I unplugged the TV in the family room.  I know from experience that the TV remote from the upstairs TV doesn't work with the family room TV.

I opened the sliding door and asked her if she was ready to be civilized now?  I apologized to my puppy for getting her over-excited over the snow.  Some couch puppy time got Ember calmed down and she fell asleep on the couch.  After a bit of time napping there, she consented to be enticed into her crate until "last call".  

At this point, I was able to coax The Prisoner out of the evergreen tree and into his safe space.

Second replacement TV remote ordered.  Amazon predicts it will arrive Wednesday.

Between now and then, we are in a Winter Storm Warning.  4 to 8 inches of snow is predicted with this particular storm.  We're closer to the side of town that approaches the 8 to 12 inches area, so I expect we might be closer to the 8 inches end of it.  Sigh.

Based on how Ember behaves with brooms, I predict an "attack" response to a snow shovel.  I will try to introduce her to it gently, but am not sure how it will go.  Wish me luck.

Choose to live life!  Spark on!

Missions for a Thursday

 

A Thursday that feels so much like a Monday, that is.  January 2nd, 2025.  Would you believe I could not find (in a very short trip to one store) a wall calendar, other than this undated one?  My mission during Ember's after day care nap was to fill in the dates and hang it by my bedroom vanity.  Would you believe I wrote 2024 on two of the months?

But mission accomplished, I now have a wall calendar.  Seems these relics aren't being handed out on every store or shipped by the USO or the brokerage houses any more.  USO sends me a little personal date book, but I really like the big wall kind myself.

I mentioned my inability to swallow the price increase to my trainer, and he surprised me.  He says he has the ability to set his own rates, but no matter what he charges his own clients, he has to pay the new owner 30% of what the published rates are.  He's willing to keep my rates the same for the next set of 12 sessions.  That should get me through the end of February, at least, which gives me the chance to give the new arrangement with doggy day care a good solid trial.

Thursday's list of things Mommy chose to do while Ember was at day care:

• Workout with the trainer
• Long relaxing shower after
• Surprise!  Lunch visit from kid sis Alicia!
• Laundry, two loads
• Vacuumed out the inside and outside of the X-pen, the area rug in the family room, and the basement "big room" (Sheesh what a LOT of dirt to empty!)
• Trip to get that calendar, plus a few other necessities.

Ember was happy to see me, was good about getting clipped in.  She was good about the ride home and going back into the house upon arrival (no getting distracted in the garage).  She was a good quiet puppy in her X-Pen while I browned ground beef to top her kibble, and she settled right down afterward in her crate while I got ready for bed myself.  We cuddled on the couch both before that and after I gave her a "last call" at 7-ish before tucking her in for the night.

The Prisoner once again did not leave his "safe space" while the dog was away.  He has been conditioned!  He did rub up against me as I did the laundry, and was in general lovey-dovey, though.

The weatherman is predicting snow over the weekend.  This will be Ember's first snowfall since coming to me.  The last time we had snow locally was February 2024, and I got Ember the end of March.  She did see a "first snowfall" as a puppy with her littermates, her breeder posted cute videos of them out playing in the Spring snow.  Wonder what she'll think of it now, especially as I'll have to introduce her to the snow shovel and human work that clears it.  

It's things like this that remind us of the gaps in our training/socialization with our pups!

Let's all Choose to live life!  Spark on!

And so 2025 begins

 

New Year's Day, morning nap began while Mommy was preparing oatmeal for her own breakfast.

We resorted to a car ride after puppy nap #1, and a pup cup, too.  Happy New Year, Ember.

The news definitely put a damper on my New Years' spirits.  Guess "watch less news" is a valid resolution.

I got an email from the owner of the fitness studio.  My own trainer sold the business to a younger fellow during 2024, and he's semi-retired now, only keeping some of us "legacy" clients.  But the email informs us clients of a price hike, and it's a big one.  I'm thinking now would be the time to use what's left that I've already paid for, and head back to more self-directed working out, maybe joining a regular gym again.

Having a personal trainer plan my workouts for me and be there to keep me motivated to come in regularly is a luxury.  But one I feel it might be time to drop.  With Ember as a motivation I still have to stay fit, but with day care for her as an option, time to go on my own again.

On the good news front... my cousin in Florida who just had to have her poodle put down (cancer) has now adopted a new puppy who looks just like the one she just lost.  I swear.  She posted photos.  He's a little blonde thing, two months old, and adorable.

As we feel our way into the New Year, may we all find a path forward, hopefully one that is safe, sane, kind and loving!

Choose to live your own life!  Spark on!

Happy New Year, Everyone

 

Mom's choices on New Years Eve Day, while Ember was in daycare:

• Goes to work out with her personal trainer.
• Takes an unhurried shower... ahhh!
• Gathers up all the dog towels and blankets used as "hot zones" and bedding to launder.
• The Prisoner supervises, of course!  (He had the run of the house while Ember was "at school" but did not leave the laundry room, even though the door was open.)
• Gets a haircut.
• Unpacks a box of stuff on "autoship" from Chewy, without canine interference!
• Breaks down a few corrugated cardboard boxes to recycle and takes them to the recycle center.
• Cooks her own lunch without canine interference!
• Runs the dustmop to collect dog sheddings.
• Brings in the mail without canine interference!

This could be addictive!  When I went over to collect Ember, I got a good report on her activities.  Seems she played with a Silver Lab named Milo and they "played hard" according to the staff member.  She's a lab person, this gal, says her parents have a collection of many colors of labs, most recently a silver.

This certainly encouraged me.  The fee for day care is the same if I have her there for an hour or for the entire day, so... why not?  I booked reservations for Thursday, and for next week Tuesday and Thursday as well.  Two weeks' worth should give me a pretty good idea of whether this can be our next plan!

The haircut!  The gal who cut it did my hair last time, too.  She has border collies (2 of them)!  We chatted about doggy things.

Happy New Year, 2025

Went to bed at the normal time, woke a few times overnight and noted the fireworks as various people do that sort of thing, but slept well.  Now it's 5:30 a.m. and time to start a fresh, new year!

Life is good... Sparkle on and have a great 2025!