dearest mazzy-moo
i hear you barking at me
don’t know what you want
i wish i did know
want to be best pup momma
i don’t speak barklish
we’ve been working on
‘show me’ – mostly show me treats
are treats all you want?
know you love snuggles
scratchins and ball, your baby
and chewin’ on sticks\
but now that i think…
you’ll do almost anything
to get a cookie
you’re momma’s best girl
with so much love for us all
but could you bark less?
Thanks for meeting me today! Since I can’t even pretend we’re meeting in person, how is it where you are?
It’s cold and dreary here so there’s nothing like a warm beverage to feel a little cozy. And a space heater.
Days like these make me long for an overstuffed chair with a book, a cozy blanket, and a hot mug of something.
Today it’s coffee. Lately it’s been all coffee, all day with water mixed in for good measure.
Right now, I have some regular coffee in my cup with some almond creamer, but if I make another one I might have some tea. We’ll see how the day goes.
How have you been? Really. This whole situation is so messed up, but we’re still making the best of it.
Day by day. Sometimes hour by hour.
Nik has finished the chicken coop which he built in the old barn. Hopefully the kids will paint it this weekend so it can be hosed down when needed. I’m thinking of making labels for the chickens’ roosts. Even if they don’t use them, I think it’ll be cute . They’re going to be moved in there soon. They’re getting so big.
(I still don’t want much to do with them, but they’re sort of cute, I guess.)
Mazzy is a love. A total jerk sometimes, but a love mostly. For her 6 month birthday, we got to have x-rays done of her digestive track because she got ahold of my pin cushion. (She was fine.) Then Sunday night she got ahold of something that made her sick for hours on Monday. So much doggie vomit. Poor girl didn’t know what was going on with her and she was so confused. Eventually, she fell asleep on my lap watching Criminal Minds. (She’s been fine since.)
And the kids are doing well. They’ve adjusted mostly to the new normal of half the week at their moms, half the week here during the day. We have a schedule that’s working for us in our home and we’re all learning a lot. (Academically and otherwise!)
So far, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I was absolutely correct in my choice not to be a primary school teacher, but middle school is alright. Also, that I do better working from home many days than I thought I would.
What have you learned lately?
Hey there! Thanks so much for meeting me today. I’m having an extra big cup of coffee today because it’s been a LONG week of multiple wake ups each night and early mornings each day.
How was your week? What’s in your cup? Right now my cup has regular old coffee with vanilla almond creamer. I think next will be some sugar cookie coffee with almond creamer. (Do I really need more coffee? Maybe. There’s a lot of laundry to do tonight.)
Oh, I had a couple of messages about my switch to almond and/or coconut creamer and why I made such a switch?
While I’m not classically allergic to milk and milk products, they’ve never made me feel good. Creamers and the like make me feel really icky sometimes and drinking milk usually has pretty awful results.
I switched over when Trader Joe started selling coconut creamer. I like coconut, why not try it? Other places had it, but it was really expensive. TJ was a feasible option.
While I can’t say it’s better for everyone, I definitely feel better when I drink it and not dairy creamers.
Anyway. TL;DR I’m not being pretentious or becoming vegan, I just feel better when I drink it.
So how is your new year going? I’m settling down into the new routine but it’s going to need some tweeks. Like do I need to lay down on the couch and close my eyes after I take Mazzy out and then feed her? Not every day.
I’m also making some progress on what I want to work towards this year. A friend of mine posted his goals and the format is great! When I get mine together, I’ll share the format and some of the goals. Some aren’t for public consumption.
One BIG one is that I want to get the finished craft stuff out of the house. I just have to figure out the best way. (I mean other than just donating it all…which I’m open to, it’s just not my first choice.) I’m going to have another cup of coffee while I think about that!
I’ll see you later? If you’re in the storm and frigid temps stay safe this weekend! Oh and if you have a three day weekend? Enjoy your day off.
About a week before Christmas Nik looked at me and said, “We need to talk about something.”
Shit. I’m usually in trouble about something when he says that. I braced myself and reminded him it’s a bitch to get out of a mortgage in NY. (Aren’t I helpful?)
Instead, he asked me what I thought about getting a puppy for Christmas instead of the pots and pans we’d talked about.
Um, okay! I had the website of the group I wanted to work with up and on my phone before he could finish his statement.
The first challenge was that he wanted a German Shepard and I wanted a Lab…You know what? There’s more to this part of the story, but I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that on a warmish Sunday between bouts of me barfing, we went to pick out a pup from one of the East Coast Adoption foster centers.
We came home with this little pupski. She didn’t have a name for the first day and a half, I’d call her “baby girl” or “pupski”. Nik called her “little shit” or “poops mcgee”. Since she was the pup Nik wanted, I got to name her. (I wasn’t allowed to name her Fenway though. Anything but that.)
Monday, he went back to work and I started house training and looking for a name. While we were outside walking up and down the driveway, around the yard, etc I’d call out random names I liked. ANNA! (nothing) OPTIMUS PRIME! (nothing), GRETA! (nope) ZELDA? (not even a flinch) among others.
Then when she was trying to eat another nugget of bunny poop, I yelled “No! MAZZY! Get over here!” and she stopped in her tracks. Then she looked at me and begrudgingly trotted over.
Mazzy Ryan B* it is.
She’s sweet, loves us even when she gets yelled at, a super good cuddler, and smart-ish. She hasn’t met a person or dog she hasn’t liked (yet), is learning to be good with the girls and not to pee inside. She likes carrots, strawberries, dog cookies, fake bacon pieces, and ice. She’s killed 2 squeekers, her first rawhide is almost gone, and is getting better about nipping/chewing us. She’s lived with us for 2 weeks and it feels like I’ve known her forever.
So about that Move More. I’ve walked more in the last 2 weeks than I did in the last months. Maybe not, but we’ve covered miles in the driveway and loops around the lawn, walked almost all the way to the fire hall, practiced a little running, and play chase a bit. I’ve also cut back drastically on the crap and the mindless eating because I can’t share with her. I suspect that as she gets a little bigger, we’ll hike in the woods, learn to play fetch in the yard, and when it’s warmer, cool off in the creek.
She’s a great little buddy and hopefully she loves us as much as we love her.
She’s totally better than new pots and pans.
Court is here, now. 