Darling Dog Details

If you can look at a dog and not feel vicarious excitement and affection, you must be a cat. ~Author Unknown

The more one gets to know of men, the more one values dogs. ~Alphonse Toussenel



Looks like we're going to have TWO princess's riding around in The Pea. Because the thing has leather seats (I HATE leather seats... just saying. They're high maintenance, blech.) and since we take Dakota almost everywhere with us when we're out and about, and we don't want doggy claws ruining the seats, we're getting princess #2 a doggy hammock. It's kind of cool, really. Here's a picture from Oh My Dog Supplies:



What I find most amusing is the pocket for a water bottle. Really? LOL...

I swear, they have everything for pets nowadays. About the time I figure I spoil mine rotten, I see something that makes it clear many other pets are FAR more spoiled than mine. The only other two "frivolous" things I might end up getting Dakota this year are a blaze orange vest for hunting season (she jumps JUST like a deer and even has a little white butt when her tail moves ...) and a doggy snowsuit -- like this one from Baxter Boo.



Unlike my last dog, Bailey, Dakota has NO undercoat. This is awesome when it comes to shedding (she doesn't shed much at all!), but not so awesome when she plays in the snow. She freezes her can off... shivers, cries. Once she was so cold she wouldn't even move to come in and I had to fetch her and carry her in to lay by the fireplace. But she LOVES the snow. Hence the snowsuit. We'll see... I'm frugal by nature, so it seems silly. OTOH, I really think it would be useful. Our local Petsmart carried them last year, so I'm hoping they will again.

In other doggy news, I finally heard from the lady who runs the 4H club for dog agility. YAY! They don't start up again until January, but there is room for us and we're welcome to join. The only down side is that they meet on the same night as we have our current agility class. Figures.

Still, I think 4H would be a huge benefit to DD, so what I think I'll do is see if we can go to every other class at our current agility place (and then just pay every other time). The instructor there is really good about working around our needs.

And, with the 4H club, they do agility exhibitions and competitions at a lot of the local fairs and stuff, so it would be a lot of fun for DD.

Busy times ahead for us!

==============================

In Which I Answer Questions

It's such a pleasure to write down splendid words - almost as though one were inventing them. ~Rupert Hart-Davis

I've been awful at responding to folks lately, but this morning I feel a bit more on an even keel again. I'll be able to start stalking ... er... visiting your blogs again, I think and I also wanted to answer some questions and respond to some comments that were asked over the past few days.

*

Charity said:

Feel free to throw things at me, but ...

This story is actually finished, so do I really want to change an integral plot point and then have to completely rewrite the entire thing?

Uh, are you going to send it out in its current state? If not ...

**sigh**

Charity and I have a bit of a history where she calls me on something and then challenges me and I grumble and then listen to her. Because, folks, she's an awesome writer.

So, yeah, C you're right as always. *G* It's just that unlike SOME very strange folks (**cough** YOU **cough**), I hate editing. But when it needs doing, it needs doing. Bother.

*

Ceri commented:

Have a friend looking over one of them to see if she can see where I can cut 30K to make it Harlequin length.

And then there's NaNoWriMo (oops, sorry).

Cut THIRTY-THOUSAND WORDS? Holy smokes... good luck with that.

And, you don't live so far away I can't come and smack you for the NaNoWriMo thing. Just saying.

*

MomJane and Dru had similar thoughts:

How do you keep up with everything? I couldn't even begin to remember all the things you are involved in.

I don't know how you do all that you do, but I would be tired and looking for a 48-hour day.

I'm a HUGE multi-tasker and I seldom sit still. I don't find relaxing, well, relaxing. Taking time off is stressful for me. But, I would really like a 48-hour day.

*

Wendi Zwaduk said:

I'm up for doing JaNaNo with you.

YAY!!! I'll make a note of it and send out an invite to the blog when we're ready.

*

Tori said:

Cleo Coyle also writes the ghost mystery series I've been reading, just under the name Alice Kimberly. :)

Woo Hoo! That's great, because I really enjoy her voice. Adding her to my list of things to read... eventually.

*

Groovy said:

Hope your school year is AWESOME! What curriculum are you going to use?

We're using Abeka's DVD curriculum. It's fantastic -- sort of cheating, IMHO, but I get the best of both worlds: she'd being taught by a trained teacher AND I get to keep my finger on the pulse of her schooling and stay involved. I even enjoy watching the classes, and will sit in with her now and then.

========================

In other news, I got DD enrolled in the art class for this semester. She's excited. So am I. I think she's really going to enjoy it.

The Y still doesn't have its fall schedule online, so that may be a bust for us. And, I've called and left messages for the leader of the 4H group we wanted to join, but haven't gotten a call back yet. If I don't hear this week, I'm going to call the headquarters again and ask for their help.

AND... the part for my washer came in yesterday. I have a repair appointment for this Saturday. I hope it works, because I do NOT like not having a washer in the house. My SIL has graciously opened her laundry room to us, and though I am very thankful, it's just not the same.

=========================

Your Defense Mechanism is Humor

When life gets you down, you just have to laugh. And that's a very healthy reaction. It's not that you don't take your problems seriously. You do. You just don't let them control you. You are able to make the best of things, even when things look very, very bleak. Some people may consider your sense of humor to be dark, but it has served you well!

What's Your Defense Mechanism?

Hmmm... sort of right...

=====================

What's Happening in My Neck o' the Woods

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~Elwyn Brooks White

School went well yesterday -- DD really enjoyed the new curriculum and set up. It's going to take some getting used to for me, though, as it takes pretty much all day to do and we've been terribly spoiled the past few years with having lots of time during the day to do other things.

Today on my list of things to do: I just discovered that a local 4-H club does dog agility! So, I'm going to contact them and find out if I can get DD involved. I'm also trying to find a sewing class for both of us to go to. Our local Y doesn't have their fall schedule up yet, so not sure what I'm going to do for phys. ed. yet. I am enrolling her in homeschool art classes at the local art museum. And, we're going to both volunteer one day a week at the library.

Whew.

I'm tired already.

==========================

Because I know you've been unable to sleep over worrying about Dakota and her digestive problems... I thought I'd let you know that she responded to treatment very nicely. A special thanks to Anne-Katherine who reminded me about using pumpkin -- it was one of those things I knew, but had forgotten.

We're in the midst of transitioning Dakota off her "bland" diet and back onto regular food. I'm keeping the slippery elm and probiotics up while we do so and so far, she's doing fine. I hope this will be the end of it. It's a good thing she's so cute, because she is VERY high maintenance.

==========================

In other news, I received a call from Sears yesterday -- the part for my washer? Is out of stock and they don't have an estimated date when it WILL be in stock. But, hey, they'll touch base with me every 48 hours to keep me updated until they figure out when it will be in stock.

It's lovely that they're so concerned, but their phone calls do get my laundry clean. I am NOT a happy camper.

===========================