Gizmo, the cocker spaniel

I must have had an extra $50 in my pocket the day I picked up a Doggie DNA test at the local Costco. Now, I know these things are rip offs but thought it might be interesting to try and see what the heck makes up little Gizmo. My best guess (and I'm usually pretty close) is a schnauzer/poodle (a Schnoodle, if you will), or a Yorkie mix of some type.

Imagine my surprise when the Doggie DNA breed analysis came up with....drum roll please.....

A cocker spaniel and german shepherd mix! OMG! I just burst out laughing! I'm not sure they could be any further off unless they had detected Great Dane and Mastiff.

Here's a squidoo lens I wrote about Gizmo, the dog born to ride


Regardless of what type of mutt she is, she's brought much joy and laughter into the house and into Mom's life and lap. She's always hanging around, sometimes even on the back of Mom's chair waiting for a handout or a soft pat. What a wonderful find Gizmo was.

Our green bean produce count so far....Left over post from 7/2009

One. A single. A lone bean. One green bean - you read that right - 'ONE' green bean. One lonely bean, hanging by its lonesome. The rabbits must have missed it. Sucks. That's $500 a bean at last count.

We've harvested 4 tomatoes so far and, yes, Matee is chewing into one in the photo to the left. Who would ever think that a dog would salivate for a tomato? The little sucker ate the whole thing, except for the skin. She left the skin in pieces on the deck.

Gert and Sweet Pea have made it big time...

I just love this picture of John and his favorite girl (well, next to me - actually, that might not be true....).

I've been emailing Connie, one of the volunteers at the adoption event yesterday with updates about how our first day with the new pup is going. Connie kindly put one of the great pics on the website. For anyone looking to find someone to love, Annie's Orphans is a great site - the dogs they had there yesterday were all fabulous. Here's the link to the website.

http://annsorphans.blogspot.com/

Connie is on a quest to paint one picture every day - here's her website showing some of her fabulous artwork: http://cjpaintingaday.blogspot.com/

I think Mom is changing her mind from Sweet Pea - she's now come up with 'Spirit.' We'll see how this shakes out. I'm a fan of martini myself. That would give me Barley, Hops, Killian, Marguerita and Martini. Sounds right to me....Stay tuned as the story evolves.

Sweet Pea?

Still not 100% sure of the name but, whatever she is, she's adorable. I took her to PetSmart to get a new bed and some bath stuff - she had a lot of admirers and, she's so comfortable with me that people couldn't believe I just got her yesterday - she's definitely home for good.

The poor thing has got a horrible itching problem (looks to be an allergy) so she needed a good bath - she's so small that I bathed her in a soup pot (yes, I washed and disinfected it after...). Anyway, I bought a bunch of colloidal oatmeal preparation and bathed her 3 times. So, 40 minutes later, she's sound asleep in Mom's arms - Mom's out like a light too. Looks like there's a new friend in town (listen up, Matee....).

It just happens....

Well, it's happened again - it just sort of happened. John and I were minding our own business yesterday, having a cocktail at La Mex when we spied a young girl who appeared to be delighted, walking a large rat on a leash. Upon closer inspection, the 'rat' was a messed up looking little dog. She's right around 10 lbs and just a bit porky at that, a part yorkie, part terrier of some type. Whatever she is, she's having some pretty bad hair days. She and John are in the running for worst bedhead....There's not a clear cut winner at the moment.

So, I gave mom the right to name the new one and I believe it's Sweet Pea although I was much more excited about Pinot or Shirley Temple. It'll be what it'll be. I gave her a piece of a rimadyl (the dog, not mom) this morning after reading her vet records and seeing she'd been on it before. She's got a suspected flea allergy which is pretty miserable for her at the moment. I'm going to give her an oatmeal bath today, probably do that twice to try and relieve the itching. Vet first thing tomorrow if I can get her in. She's sound asleep on my arm right now. Darling little thing. Rimadyl must be working. She fell sound asleep on Mom's lap last night - I think she's going to fit in just right. So, that's 3 girls, 3 boys and an even more confused cat right now. But, it's all good.

Matee and Rita are not pleased.

Well, who knew?!

So, my new computer has a little slot to slide the memory chip from the new Nikon right on in and, voila, instant photos. I have, of course, no idea yet what I'm doing but this picture of Mom made the purchase of the entire camera so worth it - makes me wish I had bought it last year when I started drooling over it. I love this shot of Gert. Gorgeous, gorgeous woman!

Now, if I could just master layout of the pics on this blog. Blogger doesn't make it easy....

Dog days of summer...

 

Dog days are happening already! Yesterday topped 87 here in Boyds. Bobbi, Gert and I spent an enjoyable 2 hours sitting outside and just enjoying a nice evening. Rita definitely enjoyed the evening as can be evidenced by the photos. I love the way that Mom and wee Rita have the same smile on their face sometimes; they totally delight in each other.

Bobbi, Sharyn, John and I are planning the next trip to Key West - we've decided to celebrate Bobbi's birthday on the island and have gotten as far as to get the plane tickets. The hotel room, as always, is creating quite a challenge as we just want it all. We're looking for a house with private pool this time, waddling distance to The Bull & Whistle - our favorite window-sitting spot. I'm sure a fabulous time will be had by all - again!

Took Mom out today and had a rather expensive day, at that. Ended up with a new toaster oven, a nice new down pillow for her, and, for me, a new toy - I finally bought that Nikon D5000 SLR camera I've been lusting after. Of course, I have NO idea how to use it but I did manage to get a great pic of Mom and a few nice shots of Killian which I will upload, once I figure out how.

This cat has gotta go!

So, I'm sitting here in the living room, writing another eHow (yes, still at it...) and I hear a 'thud' in the kitchen. Now, I know it's not Mom as she's upstairs taking a nap after her shower so I'm sitting here thinking, 'What dog did that....' No sooner did the thought surface than Killian came flying into the living room to me. If he had a tail, it would have been between his legs. He was all but crying. I laughed out loud as his ears were back, his eyes a bit wild. I think he thought he was about to get it and I believe he was running to tell me he didn't do it (for once).

Anyway, I snuck into the kitchen and found JB on the kitchen counter, in the little bowl I keep there for daily discards. The sucker saw me and flew off the counter, ears back. Rat bastard cat....

My pill pusher dog

Well, we've been fairly busy over here. Last night found me choking a redheaded dog who ate one of Mom's heart pills which hit the floor accidentally. While I grabbed him and fled outside to choke the pill out (no go; his gag reflex is as strong as mine is - I almost threw up though...). Anyway...

I called the animal hospital who gave me the number for poison control for animals. I was dialing and yelled for John to call human poison control at the same time as I was on HOLD (5 minutes worth of hold, btw). John got his poison control on the first ring. Nice to know they're so responsive on the human side.

So, after 5 minutes, I ascertained that animal poison control won't give you info unless you:
1. Pay $65 for a 'consult' - that's how much your pet is worth, evidentally
2. You have to hit the #2 if your dog is convulsing or having seizures. Now, Killian was not convulsing or having seizures, but I wasn't about to hang around to find out exactly which numnber one must hit if your dog ate your Mom's heart pill. And, if my dog WAS convulsing or having seizures, shouldn't that be #1 (ONE) on the list? Nope, I forgot - that was to enter your credit card info....

End result is that a 62 lb dog downing a Micardis 80 mg is not a big deal although he slept more soundly than normal and scared me a few times throughout the night when I tried to wake him to check on him. He, at least, had a nice night.

Oh, and the human poison control called back today to check on him so they could update their database....I thought that was a great touch. I called the animal hospital and told them my tale. They were aghast, as was I. Ridiculous episode.

So, we have a new 'pill pusher' in the house. I'm onto his antics this time though - he's banished to the other room while Mom eats from this day forward.

Dogs do too have souls!

I totally love, love, love this - Bobbi sent it to me by email. You'll need to click on the photo to the left to enlarge. I was actually crying when I saw this. I suppose it takes all kind.

This is literally a 'church signs' debate, being played out in a Southern US town, between Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic Church, and Cumberland Presbyterian, a fundamentalist church. From top to bottom shows you the response and counter-response over time.

The Catholics are displaying a much better sense of humor! You get the impression that the Presbyterians are actually taking this seriously and are getting a bit upset...

Now, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to get the dogs baptized or christened or whatever it's called , but I, for one, am absolutely certain that if there is a Heaven, every one of my dogs (and quite a few cats...), will be there to welcome me - provided of course, I'm invited - well, except the ones left behind that Bobbi is responsible for caring for...

Here's the latest in eHow articles:

How to Clean Makeup Brushes To Make Them Last

How to Use a French Press To Make Fantastic Cup Of Coffee

How to Brush A Cat

How to Set Up a Home Gym

How to Keep The Aqua Globe Automatic Watering System Clog Free

How to Buy Fitness Equipment You Will Use

How to Find A Weight Watchers Meeting

How to Host A Garden Plant Exchange

How to Save Money With Smart Energy

How to Exercise At Home

How to Set Up a Home Gym

On dog training, or, well not...

We're back up to 5 dogs over here as Barley is back for a few days. I've been missing the little guy so asked John to bring him down for a visit. Gotta cut toenails and do brushings today which takes a few hours, all told. Someone (name shall remain anonymous) could also use a bath but it's going to be quite chilly today so will have to hold off.

Came downstairs the other day to find little Rita furiously hiding items in her chair. Wrote this eHow for her - well, she can't type (no opposable thumbs - VIC, that was for you...!).

How to Decorate a Chair (From a Hoarder Dog Perspective)

I'm getting ready for the trip to Florida - just 8 days until I drive down. After we pick up Namaste, John and I are seriously considering heading down to Key West. There's a marina there that we looked at in October where we can rent a slip for 2 or 3 days if we want or, alternatively, we can just anchor offshore. There's quite a few little islands that we think would be fun to explore and the reef is right there so snorkeling right off the boat sounds about right. Might even have to get a few fishing poles and try our luck at catching dinner! We'll be taking John's computer with us so we'll be able to update and keep our fans drooling with gorgeous pictures right from the water. Can't wait! And, sitting at the Bull and Whistle after a full day sailing will fit the bill! So, we'll see. More later!

Namaste II is almost here!

Life has been quiet around the Mansion East lately although we had just a bit of concern as Gert thought she was getting a cold 2 nights ago. I flooded her with these effervescent vitamin C tables that Sophia gets us (thanks SOPHIA!), set her up with a cool mist vaporizer, and gave her cordicidin throughout the night. So far, we've dodged that bullet. We did cancel a haircut for her though as neither of us wanted to take a chance of exposing her to the general public (for her sake or the sake of the general public!). She's feeling fine better now, but I'm still leary so everytime I hear her cough at night, I'm on point.

Namaste II, John's new boat, has been delivered to Miami Florida! The guy John bought it from outfits his boats down there in the winter - quite the nice gig. So, N2 is being outfitted with all sorts of goodies to make our summer totally da bomb! I'll be heading down there with the dogmobile in a few weeks so we can tow the new baby home. Before we head home though, we'll have 3 glorious days of sailing around the Gulf of Mexico - we'll anchor out at least one night and spend the other two in local marinas. We're still debating though - might end up in Key West since we're so close to my other home 'port' anyway. We'll see where the wind blows us!

Mom and I have been babysitting Bobbi's dogs for the past week while she's in, of all places, Istanbul! Who knew?! She's home tomorrow so we'll be back down to just 3 dogs - almost nothing! We have Kimmie's new lab, Rascal, coming in for a few days at the end of the month so that should be interesting. Rascal is another fantastic rescue dog - Kim and her family are very lucky to have this gorgeous lab in their fold.

My first experience at assisting in an dog obedience class last week went quite well. Killian came along as an example of a 'good dog,' and, much to my delight (and surprise....), he was just fantastic. For one exercise, I had him positioned in front of me with his attention focused on me while Nan tried to sway his attention - no go; that dog was so mine, it was amazing. He did everything I asked and a bit more. What a fantastic dog.

All of our dogs are doing quite well these days. Hops was on a muscle relaxant which seems to have really helped with a bit of soreness in the morning - to be expected with 3 legs and at 11 years of age. Barley continues to be a West Virginia lovin' dog and is with John's folks at his house in Berkeley Springs. I miss him most at night as he's my sleepin' dog - he always curls up under the blankets and keep me warm. Rita is, as always, just so grateful to have been found - she's Mom's lap dog when Matee is not here.

So, all in all, life is good!

I've continued my quest with eHow and writing articles. Still having a total BLAST writing these things. Here's my latest list (the first on is a riot...):

How to Find the REAL Lyrics to Any Song
How to Interview Vendors To Identify A Strong Data Management Solution for Clinical Trial Data
How to Facilitate Your Job Search By Working With a Temporary Job Agency
How to Remain Young At Heart
How to Conduct Yourself Professionally at a Temp Job
How to Find Creative Uses For Your Smartphone Cell Phone
How to Be Your Own Bartender and Make a Fantastic Whiskey Sour Cocktail
How to Get Reasonably Inexpensive Health Insurance When Unemployment Occurs
How to Use Good Nutrition and Make Small Goals For Weight Loss Success
How to Support Someone Who Is Unemployed
How to Sneak Calories Into An Elderly Person's Diet
How to Alleviate Homesickness at College
How to Practice Good Dog Park Etiquette

Is she a 'Hottie' or not?

So, it was gorgeous out one day last week - around 60 degrees. I bundled Mom up with an extra blanket around her so she could sit outside on the back deck (thereby doing an 'outing' - at least in her book...). She was enjoying basking in the warmth of the sun as we sat there and chatted about this and that. When, much to my amazement, she starts throwing off the blanket and unzipping her robe (thankfully John was not present as it wasn't a pretty sight). She puts a hand to her chest and says 'I'm HOT.' She ponders this though for just a moment, looks at me and says 'Lori! Am I a HOTTIE?' Oh, you can probably imagine my reaction.

So, after 3 gorgeous days in a row, nature did us dirty and threw us an ice/snow storm. We've had a fire every day for the past week as we're in a pretty good deep freeze in Boyds still. The new wood stove insert is not only gorgeous, but it keeps the livingroom quite toasty too. The little bit of snow we had was delightful, while it lasted. There is nothing in the world like sitting in the hot tub with a fresh cup of coffee, pre-dawn, while the snow falls. Amazing.

John ordered the boat name applique from an online source - 'Namaste II' is officially the name although I was voting for some raunchier boat names specifically playing off the fact that Namaste II is a sailboat (won't go into specifics, but if you want to know, email me and I'll enlighten you). We've also started to think about the things we'll be needing when we sail, such as a seltzer maker. We figured that getting a machine to make as much seltzer as we want/need is preferable to hauling cans or plastic bottles all over the Chesapeake with us. Tote bags will be in high demand also. The cabin of the boat is very spacious, well for a 26' boat. The manufacturer has really maximized the space but, by all accounts of other owners, one must be organized for the space to work (Vic! I'm going to need you...).

Here she is under sail. Actually, this boat looks MUCH more like me than John - a fact I remind him of frequently. Sure is purdy (as Dad would have said).

I'm starting as an assistant trainer in a beginning dog obedience class tomorrow and dear Killian is the 'dog model' to show appropriate behavior - God, I hope so! I'm a bit apprehensive about this move, but he is pretty well trained and does listen to me, most of the time. I've been working with him on 'get the remote' which is quite helpful in ferrying the remote control for the TV from Mom to me. He can't quite grasp the phone to help out there (or, more likely, he doesn't want to). We've also been studiously reinforcing his newest command of 'Get Lori.' This one is used by Mom when she needs me as Killian hears so much better than I do. Mom calls him and says 'Get Lori' and Killian is trained to come find me wherever I am and touch the top of my right hand as his signal. It was a bit difficult to get this through his doggie brain as the treats were in my left hand and he was quite clearly confused about why on earth he should touch my right hand but, about a box of Milkbones later and he's nailed the command. Thankfully, we haven't had to put the command into full play yet so we just practice it daily.

Just had my bathroom painted, finally, so my master bedroom room revisions are officially done. I chose a gorgeous, vibrant blue called Caribbean Seas which is about what it looks like. Now, it's onto the den which is about to be my office. Now, if I could only figure out what to do with an office...

Been continuing my writing on eHow which is really a blast. I don't plan on making millions here, but Mom and I really have fun thinking about articles. My 'payday' so far is around $15. We ran across an 89 year old woman on there who has a lot of really fun articles about life in the old days. I've been reading them to Mom at night. The woman is from Witchita Falls so Mom remembers even the theaters the woman writes about. Anyway, here's my newest list of eHows for your reading pleasure (or, well, not) - the first one is my all time favorite article:

How to Love A Dog
How to Tell If Your Dog Has An Illness Know As Dog Flu (Dog Influenza)
How to Come Up With Creative Gift Ideas for Mother's Day
How to Prepare The Best Mother's Day Gift (Breakfast in Bed!) Ever
How to Find Creative Uses For Your Digital Camera and Its Photos
How to Find Creative Uses For Your Digital Camera and Its Photos When Traveling
How to Make The Best Herb-Marinated Baby Back Ribs EVER (yes, I said EVER!)
How to Make Mouth-Watering Baby Back Ribs In Saran Wrap And Aluminum Foil
How to Reduce Unwanted Litters by Neutering or Spaying Your Dog
How to Find The Best Skin Care Products For Your Senior Citizens
How to Identify Items To Make Life Easier For Our Senior Citizens
How to Make The Best Breakfast Sandwich For Your Valentine
How to Prepare A Diet For A Sick Dog With Stomach Problems
How to Make Money For Rescue Dogs At A Casino
How to Cook For Someone Needing a Soft Diet (as After Oral Surgery)
How to Give Your Dog Medication
How to Know When It's Time To Euthanize Your Dog
How to Help Your Dog Become More Confident
How to Create a Get Well Gift For a Child
How to Identify and Enroll in a Pharmaceutical Clinical Trial
How to Make Sense of Your Dog's Natural Behavior
How to Take The Best Photo Of Your Dog

Ok, now I'm into the video thing

Having a blast looking through old videos on the computer. The advent of digital cameras has certainly changed out lives, hasn't it?

Here's one of my favorite videos of Killian. He's an Australian Shepherd (about 2 years old in this video - he's 5 now), supposedly the 2nd smartest dog in the world (bested only by a Border Collie). I estimate his intelligence right around that of a 1.5 or 2 year old child. Sometimes, though, he's just incredible. Just last night, I was in the kitchen with Mom and asked him to go bring me a toy. The sucker walked right over into the diningroom where there were, still in the plastic sleeve, 3 toys left over from Channukah. Now, he's been wanting those toys, but my backyard already looks like a toy graveyard so I've been holding off giving them to the dogs. He walked right over to the bag, sat right in front of it, looked at me and let out a long (I think, disgusted) sigh. I just know what he was saying - 'LOOK! I told you I've wanted these a million times - can you just use your thumbs to open the package and give them to me?!' Mom and I were rolling. All 3 toys are now somewhere in the backyard - along with about $200 worth of other toys! I'm such a sucker for dogs.

Presidents of the US

Mom and I are watching the Inauguration festivities in Washington and were talking about how many presidents she's seen in her lifetime: 17! She has lived through 17 U.S. presidents. Somehow, this amazes me.

The first one she remembers is Roosevelt. She says:

'Everyone loved him. He had fireside chats. Everyone hurried home to hear him because they really did like him. He had a wonderful voice - a very soft voice.'

She also remembers Truman. She says:

'Dad always said that he was a very good friend of Israel.'

Nixon? Of course everyone remembers him. I was 15 and at a party at Don Beckstead's house, watching tv when he resigned.

Both Mom and I are hoping that Obama continues the path he's laid to connect with the American people. We need and deserve just that.

Snow abounds today. We've got the fireplace roaring at the moment. Vet visit for wee Rita and Hops drained my wallet a fair amount. Hops, having 3 legs is starting to slow down just a bit - of course, he's almost 11 these days and muscle tenderness is setting in. Vet says there's not much arthritis (excellent news), so he's on muscle relaxants for 30 days to see if that speeds him up a bit in the morning. One problem is that this old farmhouse is mostly hardwood floors which is tough on Hops but, if I put more throw rugs down, it's tough on Mom. Not a toss up at all - Mom wins which means that Hops will just have to continue to slide around. But, whatever happens in the future, I think he's had a very rich, very wonderful life since being adopted at 11 months. He's quite the lover and, by far, my sweetest dog. I'll miss him greatly one day, but, for the moment, he's here, happy, and we should have years to go yet before he rests. He is, however, on a diet.....he's at 45 lbs (now, mind you, remember, this is just 3/4 of a dog as he's minus a leg...). I've been instructed by the vet to bring him down to 39 lbs or so which really shouldn't be a problem since I've, in turn, instructed dear Gert to STOP feeding him! She pouted a bit but she'll get over it.

We were watching Oprah a moment ago and noted that Joe Biden's mother is younger than Mom. She's 91. I figure that, if I had bundled Mom up, we probably could have gotten tickets - dammit!

On Puppy Love

Ok, we're all in love over here with the Davids new puppy, deemed 'Scooby.' Scooby is a darling 25 lb, 9 week old pup (yes, that's BIG!), on his way to being between 140-160 lbs. He's a Dogue de Bordeaux, or, in terms of you non-dog people, he's the same breed as Hooch from the Turner and Hooch movie. Absolutely gorgeous pup. The Davids, especially David2, are already way enamoured with the pup. Barley and Hops were great with him but Killian, Rita and Matee were harded to win over. He already outweighs both Rita and Matee added together! Killian insisted on teaching him puppy manners which he did fairly gently - let's put it this way, there were no bites! A successful meeting.

On grilling and such

Well, got my birthday present from Mom delivered yesterday - a totally kick-ass grill! OMG! This thing is just amazing. I have to get my propane tank updated to handle the additional power it requires but, man o' man, that sucker turns out some hot dogs! More on dinner later.

Jeff, Mom and I took John's dog, Matee, to the vet over in Laurel yesterday. Pretty funny as it took 3 adults to handle a 13.6 lb pug but, trust me here, it did! She climbed up my shoulder, grabbed my neck with 2 paws and would not let go. Mom, Jeff and I tried to soothe her but she was not having it. Mom left the room at one point and returned with a new chew toy which had a softening effect on her but she was still very wary of where she was. Funny dog.

Stopped by Town Hall on the way home to say hi to brother Ron and get a pretty hefty liquor order for the Mansion East and Mansion West. Bought nice bottles of Scotch and Bourbon which John and I enjoyed later in the hot tub - something tells me those bottles won't see the Mansion West.

Evening time found us breaking in the new grill. Sophia, John, Jeff, Mom and I had an impromptu barbeque with hot dogs (Nathan's by request), grilled asparagus and red onions, and grilled potatoes on that spankin' new grill.

At one point, I was standing in front of the grill and watched a hot dog roll around under its own power - just rolling to and fro. Fairly strange occurrence until it dawned on me what was happening - I just knew it was Dad moving that dog around as he was a total hot dog man. After I'd make dinner on the charcoal grill at the cabin, he'd always say:



'You know what would be good on those coals now?'

Of course, I knew the answer but, with a slight grin, a twinkling blue eye and askance in his voice, he'd say:

'A hot dog?'

Of course, I'd always make him one or two for 'dessert' and he would just lick his lips as they were sizzling on the fire. I never saw him enjoy eating more than when he was chewing on a grilled hot dog - although, he definitely perked up every time he saw Sophia arrive toting homemade chinese food (Mom and Dad both said that Sophia ruined dining out at Chinese restaurants for them - no one makes chinese like dear Sophia!).


Anyway, I definitely felt Joey standing behind me last night, looking over my shoulder at that grill as that hot dog moved around under its own power. Mom and I shared a few smiles over that. His physical presence is well missed but he's always right here with us. Mom and I speak of him frequently, bringing John up to speed about who Joe was. Mom and I both feel him here with us. That's nice.

I had a request to impart to the blog readers a story of how the folks met. I plan on getting the details from Mom today and posting tomorrow (although I know the story by heart myself, I'll type what she says). She's such a gem.

Well, had a nice leisurely breakfast and then both of us showered and dressed and took off for Mom's facial appointment with our friend, Jenny (another amazing entity in our lives). I dropped Mom off at 12:30 and then ran some errands before returning in an hour to collect my charge. What a stunning woman I saw when I arrived (well, Jenny is always pretty but I mean dear Gert here...). She looked so relaxed and at least 10 years younger; had herself a nice nap too. Took the picture on my blackberry so it probably won't print out too well.

Headed home where part 2 of the nap ensued (after her requisite afternoon cheese and cracker snack shared with the 5 dogs). I sometimes wonder who gets more snack - Mom or any of the 5 individual dogs. Pavlov's response dictates that they all start drooling the minute she comes down the steps in the morning. All are eagerly anticipating her arrival...I can almost hear Killian say 'let's get this party started!'

I've got a pot of Aunt Mildred's recipe of spaghetti sauce on for dinner tonight with Bobbi and Sophia who will be here after work - Sophia loves spaghetti, and this is the best sauce I think I've ever run across. A bit of a pain to make though - especially when startled by a dog and dropping the spoon down the formerly white cabinets.

Mom and I are collecting items to take to the cabin tomorrow. It seems that, no matter how much stuff we tote up there with the idea of 'stocking up, ' we seem to eat/drink it all anyway and have to start all over the next time we visit the hills. But, regardless, heading up tomorrow morning for a change of scenery. John took Barley, Marguerita, and Matee so the house feels empty with just Killian and Hops floating around (although, I believe, Killian is secretly relieved).

On Sunday, John and I are hoping to take Mom to Winchester, VA to a great bar/restaurant we found while wandering the area one day. I know she'll love it - very quaint, beautiful place with a very friendly staff. And, Sunday (Father's Day) would have been the folks 67th anniversary so we'd like to get her out and about for a bit. Amazing to think that they shared 65.5 years together. Truly amazing. I was very lucky to share 48 with him and luckier still to have her here with me. We have a great time together. Nice benefit when your mother is one of your best friends!