So, Friday we went to a shelter that had many, many dogs that needed to find homes. I kinda fell for one of them, but it was too late to adopt her that day. We were told to come back at noon on Saturday-first come, first serve.
We showed up at noon, and asked to have some time with her-paperwork all filled out, etc. The clerk behind the desk told us that the dog was 15 minutes away, at Petco, for outreach adoption. Gad, really? I didn't want to waste time going back through the kennels looking for another dog. Off we went (we were in separate cars, as Gary was heading to the airport). They wouldn't call Petco to see if she was still there, either.
Well, Gary called the store (after we had driven 1/2 way there)-the lady hadn't taken the dog, because she couldn't get her in the van! Ugh! Now I am freaking out. That meant all those people that were already in the shelter were LOOKING at the dog I wanted.
We get back to the shelter, and go into the kennels to see her. Her kennel is open-she's not there. Apparently, she was on a "meet and greet" with a family with a dog. So, we look around a bit, and a volunteer tells us to wait a bit. So, I find another dog-just in case-and start to fall in love again. I am such a wimp-on Friday I kept crying because ALL of them were so scared and sad.
The volunteer comes back, apologetic, saying that the first dog is adopted. She was in her kennel, and so I went back and wished her well with her new family. Yes, I am a sap like that.
Back out to the ding-dong out front. We ask to spend some time with the other dog-the second one. We had petted her, talked to the volunteer about her, gave her treats. Yes, I was falling again. Ding-dong looks through some files, and announces that this one is "on hold for a meet and greet." WHAT??? I didn't understand. No sign on the kennel. I thought I was gonna lose it, totally melting in tears. I didn't want to do that in front of all the little kids that were there, looking for pups and kits. I said rather loudly, "Gary, I can't do this. This is ridiculous. Let's just go." He agreed, and left with me.
Once outside, I totally lost it. This was a hard enough decision for me in the first place. I still miss Buddy so much, I can hardly stand it. But to fall quickly in love with two dogs, to have them snatched away by people who are incompetent at their jobs is so beyond my pain threshold.
At this point, Gary went back inside. I am not sure what happened, but he told me that one man took his little boy and left. Only because he had witnessed the whole thing-and probably didn't want his son to be disappointed the way the 51 year old woman was. Yes, they had other dogs I would have considered, but I just couldn't deal with all the shenanigans.
So, off we go to Tacoma, to visit another shelter. Another hour away. Very sad, but they only had about 8 dogs (I guess that is good?). The majority of them were pit bull mixes-and the majority of the rest were older dogs. I don't want either. Not to be mean, but we did the pit bull thing before, and the older dog thing, too. We were told that the reason they didn't have many was because they were not taking un-neutered dogs just then, as the vet they use was closed for remodeling.
All this came after I had called a particular rescue organization about a particular dog. THAT woman didn't even take my name for a possible call back. Witch!
So, I don't know now what I am going to do. God will provide, I am sure. He knows me better than anyone-and
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Resolute Resolutions
Happy New Year!!
If you know me at all, you know that I have been struggling with my health, weight, fitness for YEARS. Well, that is all about to change.
I have been working with an amazing trainer, Anthony McClanahan, the owner and fitness guru of 41 Sports Fitness Boot Camps. This is a pretty amazing story, now that I think about it. It all started a couple of years ago...
Stacy had moved to Bellingham to finish her Bachelor's Degree at WWU. She got into a bit of a funk, for numerous reasons which I won't go into. Although she was not technically a freshman, she was a junior, she started gaining the infamous "freshman 15." Pounds, that is. Her father and I didn't know what to do to help her.
One evening, I was watching a locally-produced tv "magazine" show, and they profiled this sports fitness trainer-and he was based in Bellingham. I sent a link for the clip to Stacy, and let her take it from there. You see, in the past, I had been an exerciser. I played softball from elementary school all the way through junior year of high school. Then, I became one of those crazy 80s joggers...so I knew what exercise could do for your weight as well as your mental health. But, I digress a bit.
Stacy watched the video clip, and arranged to meet Anthony with her fiance, to discuss what he could do for her. It was like magic. I had never seen my daughter work so hard at something before. What a change! She didn't talk about it much, but she got her butt out the door, and it (her butt, that is) began to disappear!!
Fast forward a year or two. College is just about done, but her savings has run out. She and her fiance have decided it was the year to get married. February 2012 we find a gorgeous wedding dress-so we order it. The happy couple moves back to Sequim...and no trainer to work with her.
Well, at some point, she got in touch with Anthony, panicked about her upcoming wedding. Mom and Dad paid a LOT for that dress-it better fit!! She arranges it with Anthony that she would get a group of people together, and makes arrangements for him to come to Sequim to work with the group for the weekend. She also recruits Mom and Dad...Oh, my!
The big weekend comes, we do the workouts, I felt like dying. But, I didn't die. Actually, I wasn't even as sore as I thought I would be. Then, I kept at it. Anthony kept sending workouts, and I kept doing them. Before I knew it, I was down 35 pounds and two pants sizes. Really???
The wedding came and went-the dress fit, however, the dress I had ordered was a bit too big (oh, darn-there are worse problems in the world). Anyway-the workout group slowly fell apart. Stacy and Les moved. The holidays came. Gary went back out on the road sporadically. But I kept working. Until I fell...
Yes, I fell. I had talked Gary into taking a hike with me, off the main forest service road, into the woods on a footpath. It was great! Warm in the sun, cool in the depths of the forest. Absolutely gorgeous. We hiked uphill for over two miles. Then we headed back down the hill. Wouldn't you know it-I hit some loose gravel, and down, down, down I went. Oh, the agony! Scraped up elbow, knee, and hand. Goose egg developed on the side of my knee. I took a couple of days off from workouts, then had to baby my poor old body.
So, now I don't do things where I might fall. The strange thing about all this, is that my balance is so much better know. Probably from spending so much time on the exercise ball. But again, I have totally, totally gone off track.
I kept working with Anthony. Just me. I missed my workout group. I missed working out with somebody. So much easier to do those things when you have to be accountable to another person or person in the group. I told Anthony to call Stacy and get her back on track. So he did. Now I have my workout buddy back!
So, for 2013, I resolve to lose 10 pounds per month. I resolve to workout 4-5 times per week. And I resolve to eat healthy, and drop 100 pounds this year. Yes. THIS year. I can do it, and you, dear readers (although you number so few) should cheer me on!!
If you know me at all, you know that I have been struggling with my health, weight, fitness for YEARS. Well, that is all about to change.
I have been working with an amazing trainer, Anthony McClanahan, the owner and fitness guru of 41 Sports Fitness Boot Camps. This is a pretty amazing story, now that I think about it. It all started a couple of years ago...
Stacy had moved to Bellingham to finish her Bachelor's Degree at WWU. She got into a bit of a funk, for numerous reasons which I won't go into. Although she was not technically a freshman, she was a junior, she started gaining the infamous "freshman 15." Pounds, that is. Her father and I didn't know what to do to help her.
One evening, I was watching a locally-produced tv "magazine" show, and they profiled this sports fitness trainer-and he was based in Bellingham. I sent a link for the clip to Stacy, and let her take it from there. You see, in the past, I had been an exerciser. I played softball from elementary school all the way through junior year of high school. Then, I became one of those crazy 80s joggers...so I knew what exercise could do for your weight as well as your mental health. But, I digress a bit.
Stacy watched the video clip, and arranged to meet Anthony with her fiance, to discuss what he could do for her. It was like magic. I had never seen my daughter work so hard at something before. What a change! She didn't talk about it much, but she got her butt out the door, and it (her butt, that is) began to disappear!!
Fast forward a year or two. College is just about done, but her savings has run out. She and her fiance have decided it was the year to get married. February 2012 we find a gorgeous wedding dress-so we order it. The happy couple moves back to Sequim...and no trainer to work with her.
Well, at some point, she got in touch with Anthony, panicked about her upcoming wedding. Mom and Dad paid a LOT for that dress-it better fit!! She arranges it with Anthony that she would get a group of people together, and makes arrangements for him to come to Sequim to work with the group for the weekend. She also recruits Mom and Dad...Oh, my!
The big weekend comes, we do the workouts, I felt like dying. But, I didn't die. Actually, I wasn't even as sore as I thought I would be. Then, I kept at it. Anthony kept sending workouts, and I kept doing them. Before I knew it, I was down 35 pounds and two pants sizes. Really???
The wedding came and went-the dress fit, however, the dress I had ordered was a bit too big (oh, darn-there are worse problems in the world). Anyway-the workout group slowly fell apart. Stacy and Les moved. The holidays came. Gary went back out on the road sporadically. But I kept working. Until I fell...
Yes, I fell. I had talked Gary into taking a hike with me, off the main forest service road, into the woods on a footpath. It was great! Warm in the sun, cool in the depths of the forest. Absolutely gorgeous. We hiked uphill for over two miles. Then we headed back down the hill. Wouldn't you know it-I hit some loose gravel, and down, down, down I went. Oh, the agony! Scraped up elbow, knee, and hand. Goose egg developed on the side of my knee. I took a couple of days off from workouts, then had to baby my poor old body.
So, now I don't do things where I might fall. The strange thing about all this, is that my balance is so much better know. Probably from spending so much time on the exercise ball. But again, I have totally, totally gone off track.
I kept working with Anthony. Just me. I missed my workout group. I missed working out with somebody. So much easier to do those things when you have to be accountable to another person or person in the group. I told Anthony to call Stacy and get her back on track. So he did. Now I have my workout buddy back!
So, for 2013, I resolve to lose 10 pounds per month. I resolve to workout 4-5 times per week. And I resolve to eat healthy, and drop 100 pounds this year. Yes. THIS year. I can do it, and you, dear readers (although you number so few) should cheer me on!!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Adventures in Ranching, er, Cow Farming?
We had a calf born on the farm yesterday. This was quite a big adventure. In hindsight, it seems that the mama had been in labor since Friday-she was lying down in the field in the morning, at her usual breakfast time. I noted to Gary that it was a little odd that she was lying there, but we didn't think too much more of it.
Yesterday, Gary came in from the grocery store, saying that it looked like one of the cows was going to calve. That was at 6:45-7:00 p.m. By 7:45, this little guy was born.
That wasn't the end of the story, however. Mama was in a little distress; she was worried about her baby, lowing while he was trying to gain his feet. She had her back end away from us, but eventually Danette said it looked like she had a prolapsed uterus. How did she know that? you might ask. Well, apparently she has read James Herriot - a LOT - and what was happening to the cow looked just as he described.
So, the scramble was on to find a vet. We were called back by one from town-she has only been in the area for 3 weeks! She said she needed to find some help, and would be here soon.
Mama cow was NOT happy with the baby by this time. He had gained his feet, and wanted to nurse, but she was exhausted and in pain (I imagine!!), and had parts of her insides on the outsides. She kicked him a few times, and the other cows were very distressed. The baby tried to get milk from another cow, but she wasn't having any of it, either. Eventually, the cow and calf headed down to the lower pasture, with the others following.
After a bit, Gary herded all the other cows and the bull to the east pasture (no easy feat in the dark), and began to gather whatever the vet might need. He came up with a plan to get the mama into a confined area.
When the vet arrived (it was now between ten and ten thirty), she and her assistant helped Gary, Les, Ryan, Stacy and I herd mama to the confined area. Emily, the assistant, went back out to the pasture and carried the baby back to the same area.
Baby was given a checkup, and then mama was restrained and sedated. Then came the "fun" part. It took about an hour and a half to put that poor cow back together again. Ryan and Stacy took turns rubbing down the baby during this, and my daughter didn't even faint, not even when the mama got a needle in her! (I am so proud of her!)
After all that was over, the vet and Gary milked some of the colostrum from the cow to bottle feed to baby. We tried to get him to nurse, but mama was still not having any part of it. Stacy and Les ran to town to get baby bottles (it had been a LONG time since there were any bottles in this house!). Baby drank 24 ounces of colostrum (yay!) from the bottles, then spent the night in the barn, in a hay pen. Christina and her friend spent the night with him, on cots, to make sure he and mama were ok.
In the morning, the girls called, saying baby wanted out of that pen-he was probably hungry!!-and mama seemed to be ok. Gary went out and brought baby to mama. Mama let him nurse, without too much trouble. Now we wait to see how things go, watch for infection in mama, and keep an eye on their general well-being.
The calf is a bull, and he is quite lovely in the daylight. I will try to get a picture-he has white stars/stripes on the front of his hind legs.
Many thanks to everyone involved. Tiffany and Danette were so helpful! The vet was wonderful, as was her assistant. Stacy, Les, and Ryan rocked! And the "barn angels" were wonderful!
Yesterday, Gary came in from the grocery store, saying that it looked like one of the cows was going to calve. That was at 6:45-7:00 p.m. By 7:45, this little guy was born.
That wasn't the end of the story, however. Mama was in a little distress; she was worried about her baby, lowing while he was trying to gain his feet. She had her back end away from us, but eventually Danette said it looked like she had a prolapsed uterus. How did she know that? you might ask. Well, apparently she has read James Herriot - a LOT - and what was happening to the cow looked just as he described.
So, the scramble was on to find a vet. We were called back by one from town-she has only been in the area for 3 weeks! She said she needed to find some help, and would be here soon.
Mama cow was NOT happy with the baby by this time. He had gained his feet, and wanted to nurse, but she was exhausted and in pain (I imagine!!), and had parts of her insides on the outsides. She kicked him a few times, and the other cows were very distressed. The baby tried to get milk from another cow, but she wasn't having any of it, either. Eventually, the cow and calf headed down to the lower pasture, with the others following.
After a bit, Gary herded all the other cows and the bull to the east pasture (no easy feat in the dark), and began to gather whatever the vet might need. He came up with a plan to get the mama into a confined area.
When the vet arrived (it was now between ten and ten thirty), she and her assistant helped Gary, Les, Ryan, Stacy and I herd mama to the confined area. Emily, the assistant, went back out to the pasture and carried the baby back to the same area.
Baby was given a checkup, and then mama was restrained and sedated. Then came the "fun" part. It took about an hour and a half to put that poor cow back together again. Ryan and Stacy took turns rubbing down the baby during this, and my daughter didn't even faint, not even when the mama got a needle in her! (I am so proud of her!)
After all that was over, the vet and Gary milked some of the colostrum from the cow to bottle feed to baby. We tried to get him to nurse, but mama was still not having any part of it. Stacy and Les ran to town to get baby bottles (it had been a LONG time since there were any bottles in this house!). Baby drank 24 ounces of colostrum (yay!) from the bottles, then spent the night in the barn, in a hay pen. Christina and her friend spent the night with him, on cots, to make sure he and mama were ok.
In the morning, the girls called, saying baby wanted out of that pen-he was probably hungry!!-and mama seemed to be ok. Gary went out and brought baby to mama. Mama let him nurse, without too much trouble. Now we wait to see how things go, watch for infection in mama, and keep an eye on their general well-being.
Many thanks to everyone involved. Tiffany and Danette were so helpful! The vet was wonderful, as was her assistant. Stacy, Les, and Ryan rocked! And the "barn angels" were wonderful!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Sew what?
One Jr. bridesmaid outfit, done! So, one whole outfit done, one is like 97% done (I need more lace to finish), one groom's jacket done. Wanna see? Leave me a comment, if you see something you like!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Mid-June 2012
Well, here it is. Spring is in the air. End of school for the grandkids, and graduation for my daughter. Yay! It is really nice to have my sweet daughter back, instead of the stressed-out crazy woman she was while trying to complete all her work. She was actually done early. Go figure-she is like me that way-give her more to do, and the more she will get done. She just doesn't recognize that yet. Love you, daughter-so very proud of you! This is a big deal!!
The next big thing-we have decided to merge our company with another company. It is a good decision for us, as we will continue to be employed, while also keeping our name out there. Our employees will be taken care of by the new company. The larger company will take the stress off our shoulders, and leave us open to expand the business, and get creative. It will make working together fun again, and we are very excited!
Wedding plans are coming along. The girls will be working on the invitations very soon. The gown is paid off, the wedding party outfits are coming along. I sent email to the reception venue with some questions and comments. The couple has been cake tasting, discussions held about rehearsal. Onward and upward we go!!
The next big thing-we have decided to merge our company with another company. It is a good decision for us, as we will continue to be employed, while also keeping our name out there. Our employees will be taken care of by the new company. The larger company will take the stress off our shoulders, and leave us open to expand the business, and get creative. It will make working together fun again, and we are very excited!
Wedding plans are coming along. The girls will be working on the invitations very soon. The gown is paid off, the wedding party outfits are coming along. I sent email to the reception venue with some questions and comments. The couple has been cake tasting, discussions held about rehearsal. Onward and upward we go!!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Leap Day
Today is Leap Day, Feb. 29. My niece's "6th" birthday.
February is almost over. We have a vacation at the end of next month-hooooorrrraaaaayy! I have been waiting for this vacation for a long, long time. Oh, we have had week long trips here and there-maybe 9 or 10 days, even. But, this one is different. Really different. We will be gone 14 (count 'em!) fourteen days!
Oh, Hawaii, here we come! Sunshine! Warmth! Beaches! Mountains! Big Island, Kona, Hilo. Can't hardly wait.
I am a little nervous, though. I have to take my laptop and be able to work from there. That is kinda scary. We have a job starting up shortly-so we will have to trust our crews to work properly, trust that they won't do anything stupid, trust that they won't steal from us by turning in hours without doing the work, trust that if they have a question or problem they will get in touch with the right people. Trusting employees is NOT my strong suit. I believe most people are honest-however, if they think they can get away with something, they will.
I also have to make sure my work is all caught up before I go. It seems that I have to work so hard before I can relax, and then I have to work so hard when I come back from relaxing. And don't forget-I will have to work while I am gone, too.
One last thing. My daughter will be moving home. I know she didn't want to have to come back to Sequim, and maybe she won't have to stay for long, but I think it is wise of her to do so. After all, we have a wedding to plan!! I am so excited for her and Les. I am so happy that they are happy, in love, and have their futures ahead of them.
So, that is February. Come on March!!
February is almost over. We have a vacation at the end of next month-hooooorrrraaaaayy! I have been waiting for this vacation for a long, long time. Oh, we have had week long trips here and there-maybe 9 or 10 days, even. But, this one is different. Really different. We will be gone 14 (count 'em!) fourteen days!
Oh, Hawaii, here we come! Sunshine! Warmth! Beaches! Mountains! Big Island, Kona, Hilo. Can't hardly wait.
I am a little nervous, though. I have to take my laptop and be able to work from there. That is kinda scary. We have a job starting up shortly-so we will have to trust our crews to work properly, trust that they won't do anything stupid, trust that they won't steal from us by turning in hours without doing the work, trust that if they have a question or problem they will get in touch with the right people. Trusting employees is NOT my strong suit. I believe most people are honest-however, if they think they can get away with something, they will.
I also have to make sure my work is all caught up before I go. It seems that I have to work so hard before I can relax, and then I have to work so hard when I come back from relaxing. And don't forget-I will have to work while I am gone, too.
One last thing. My daughter will be moving home. I know she didn't want to have to come back to Sequim, and maybe she won't have to stay for long, but I think it is wise of her to do so. After all, we have a wedding to plan!! I am so excited for her and Les. I am so happy that they are happy, in love, and have their futures ahead of them.
So, that is February. Come on March!!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Wasting time
So, here I sit today, and didn't accomplish hardly anything today.
I feel a little better than I did the other day when I posted. I started dieting again, and I am already down a little bit. That makes me happy. I have a lunch date with my bff tomorrow (yay!).
The sun is shining, I spent a little time outside today, and have a little more work to do out there today. I miss my Buddy-would have loved to take him for a walk today-it was that kind of weather here. I so don't want to walk alone...
Ok, back to work. No more wasting time. Have a Januly (July in January) day.
I feel a little better than I did the other day when I posted. I started dieting again, and I am already down a little bit. That makes me happy. I have a lunch date with my bff tomorrow (yay!).
The sun is shining, I spent a little time outside today, and have a little more work to do out there today. I miss my Buddy-would have loved to take him for a walk today-it was that kind of weather here. I so don't want to walk alone...
Ok, back to work. No more wasting time. Have a Januly (July in January) day.
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