So Proud!

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~ From a headstone in Ireland

Yesterday, Michele and I were IMing about some editing issues on a book the site read for review -- a shame, because the book was really quite good except for that, and the author was cheated. Of course, if the author had been stronger grammatically to begin with...but that's another story.

Anyway, during this exchange, my DD walked up, showed me the book she was reading (an Encyclopedia Brown) and said, "This isn't right, is it, Mama?" and pointed to sentence. "Isn't that like 'mountain peak'?"

The sentence? "Joey looked into the room to peak at the hamster."

Yes, my eight y.o. daughter knows what so many aspiring authors do not--the difference between peak, peek, and pique.

I am so proud.

I'm thinking of having her apply for the job of editor at the publishing house that put out the book m. and I were talking about.

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Puppy was seriously in the doghouse last night. She was a one-puppy wrecking crew. I have had this lovely plant in the TV room, long and thick and lush... she shredded it not once, but TWICE yesterday afternoon. And after the way I yelled at her the first time (I was hoarse for a good twenty minutes after), I figured she wouldn't want anything to do with that area. At least not for awhile. Ha. She was back at it in a matter of minutes.

She tore holes in my clothes--she does this leaping/snapping thing where she jumps in the air at you, grabs on to anything she can and then falls to the ground. Sometimes she gets clothes, sometimes she gets skin.

I had a very intense training session with her yesterday, working on "come", "sit" and "off". She did famously. And then, when it was over, she promptly forgot every last thing.

I do realize that part of the problem is that she can't get outside and run loose all the time. I can't pitch balls for her, or take her for long walks because of the stinking weather. And the only place in town that used to host dog play groups stopped doing so because we had some dog parks open up in the area. Well, yeah... but HELLO! It's winter, here...

Okay, this is officially the last post I'll write complaining about Dakota. Promise.

In other doggie news, the vets office called to let me know Bailey's ashes came in and I can go pick them up. Yes, we had her cremated. We're going to build her a little memory garden out back AND have started work on a memorial shadow box, with her collar and tags, some hair I snipped off her, her favorite toy, etc. and will put a tin of her ashes in there as well.

I miss her. Everyday, I miss her. When I come home, I fully expect to hear her bark. When I wake up, I expect to stumble over her at the foot of the bed. I miss having her try to trade her chew bones for my snacks, or bark at the vacuum. It isn't getting any easier. Not yet.

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You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Yes on the movie and cookies... NO on the rest! LOL...