This and That...

“Every conquering temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.” - William Butler Yeats

Spring in New Hampshire is tempting me with its mild temperatures... I have my tomato plants crying out to go in the ground. My squash and cucumbers are outgrowing their pots. My flower beds are begging for annuals. Worse, all the nurseries have their annuals out, bright and cheerful.

I will be strong.

Last year, spring came a couple of weeks early, too. I could have planted everything at about this time. We got no more frost in May... and part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and just do it.

But I know my luck. And the moment I "just do it", it will snow. Or worse, ICE. Of course, conversely, if I wait it will undoubtedly be beautiful the entire time and I'll look back and say, "Should have planted two weeks ago".

It's a conundrum.

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

Yesterday, Dru asked about how Dakota is doing on her homemade food.

I'm making Dakota's food today. I've started mixing it with Halo Pets dry food (because I'm using the recipe I got from them for her wet food, and figured it might agree with her). So far, she's doing fine. Better, it helps me stretch out the time between cooking her soft food. This time I made it three weeks! I doubt I'll ever go 100% on to dry, but in a pinch, Halo Pets also makes Spots Stew in a can. I only wish more places carried it.

And, in other doggy digestive news, I think Dakota is hypoglycemic. I'm not a vet, and I don't even play one on TV... but... I am slightly hypoglycemic, and I know if I don't eat regularly I get sick. I feel nauseous, light-headed, dizzy.

I noticed that Dakota would go outside and eat grass until she vomited in the middle of the night if I fed her dinner too early. And, she did it during the day if I waited too long between lunch and dinner (because I was trying to feed her dinner late so she wouldn't throw up at 2 a.m.), and I wondered if she was feeling nauseous like I do when I don't eat something every few hours.

So... I've started feeding her FOUR small meals a day. She eats when we get up, again around noon, then at about four and her last meal is about seven or eight at night. And, thus far? We've been golden. No more eating grass to vomit.

I have never owned a pet with so many issues. It's a good thing she's cute.



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

Your Taste in Music Says You're Cheerful

Your musical tastes are upbeat and conventional. You are an easy going, optimistic person. Family and friends are very important to you. You enjoy caring for and helping other people. You thrive in a tranquil environment, and you do your best to keep things peaceful. You enjoy your life. You have your priorities straight.

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You?

Hmm... okay... maybe some...

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

More Miscellanea

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

Hey... I'm giving away an autographed copy of "One Love for Liv" today for Humor Month. Want it? Then go enter!!

Speaking of book, I finished "Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading" last night. Was disappointed to find there were NO ZOMBIES (C~ you lie like a dog ), and was VERY glad I never have to go to high school again. By the time I hit the middle of the book, I could NOT put the thing down. Things were such a mess and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it if I didn't finish it. Of course, now I want to know what happens NEXT year to Moni and Bethany (and the very hot Jack, of course). *sigh* Darcy, Charity... well done, you.

It's raining. I know we need it (it's been a DRY "mud season"), but I really do prefer sunshine. Wish there was a way it would rain every night and clear up by dawn -- no need for sprinklers, never a rained out barbecue, no droughts. Yep. I think that is a stellar idea!

Started my two days of dog food yesterday. I find it's far easier to spread things out. Cooked up 20 lbs of chicken quarters in my canning kettle. They are in my second refrigerator now (aka the garage -- man, I miss having that convenience in the summer) while the broth cools and the fat rises to the top and hardens so I can toss it. Today, I'll cook veggies in the defatted broth this a.m., let cool, smash and mix together. It really is getting easier to do every time.

Haven't been able to sleep well the past few nights. My hips hurt... reminds me of how they ached when I was preggo. No. I'm not pregnant. I think it's just age, lol. Still, it's a drag. I need my sleep.

Going to write today. Seriously. AM. GOING. TO. WRITE. I got mostly caught up on my "must do" list yesterday. I only have a few things that I MUST DO today. Then, I AM GOING TO WRITE.

FYI: Brandy and Groovy -- I buy my curriculum early because it is ON SALE. I'm all about the cheap. I got free shipping AND saved $125 on the package because I bought it at a showing. Yay me. It actually arrived yesterday and DD wanted to read all of the books for Language Arts. Um, no. LOL...

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

Your Soap Opera Name is Claire Florence Spaulding

The Fourth

What's Your Soap Opera Name?

The fourth. Do women get to be "the fourth"?

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

Friday Food Thoughts

If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food. ~Sally Edwards

If junk food is the devil, then a sweet orange is as scripture. ~Audrey Foris

Yesterday on Facebook I mentioned that I'd just made food for Dakota. I had a couple folks ask if they could have some, and I commented that DD had eaten some before I pureed it. Now I wonder if there are horrified people thinking I feed my daughter dog food! LOL...

Nope.

Here's what my Dd is eating lately (keep in mind this is for nearly 2 weeks of food):

SPOT'S STEW

17 lbs chicken (or other meat)
1 3/4 c fresh, chopped garlic
7 c peas
7 c carrots
3 1/2 c pumpkin or sweet potatoes
3 1/2 c squash
3 1/2 c green beans
3 1/2 c celery
7 T rosemary
water to cover

I actually cook the meat separately and don't puree it. Sounds pretty good, huh? Smells good, too, which is why DD usually can't keep from eating a little. In the book "The Whole Pet Diet", the author actually suggests that the animal and human have dinner together. Honestly, if I ate Spot's Stew every day, I'm certain I'd be a healthier person.

As a side note: I do add supplements to the finished product -- bone meal, an oil mixture and a canine multi-vitamin/multi-mineral I get from Halo Pets.

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

I bought some "ice cream" last week -- a name brand that is a fave in our house. When I got it home, and actually paid attention to the label, I discovered it was not "ice cream"... nope... it was "frozen dairy dessert".

Blech.

No more milk, sugar and flavoring for them... no way, no how. Now we have all kinds of odd things in there and, to be honest, it really put me off. DH is now eating the chocolate brownie frozen dairy dessert because I can't stand the idea of putting it in my mouth.

From now on, I'm sticking to Turkey Hill All Natural Ice Cream. Notice how it's actually called ICE CREAM?

Do you think my behavior is weird?

It reminds me a little of "cheese food".

It's frightening when you take the time to really pay attention to the labels, isn't it?

::shivers::

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

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible. You are a fairly open minded person with a wide range of tastes. You are quite accepting of unusual ideas and people. You are a natural multitasker. You feel alive when you're doing more than one thing at a time. You can be a big dramatic and over the top sometimes. You are bold in every way

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Some of it yes... some of it no...

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

Writing and Dog Food

"People on the outside think there's something magical about writing, that you go up in the attic at midnight and cast the bones and come down in the morning with a story, but it isn't like that. You sit in back of the typewriter and you work, and that's all there is to it." - Harlan Ellison

I need to hire someone to think up clever blog titles for me. *G*

So, it's the strangest thing... I'm seeing the sequel to "Kitchen Matches" in my head, like a movie. Sometimes that happens WHILE I'm writing the scene, but this is just from my mental "what-if"ing. I guess that's good? ::scratches head::

I haven't started writing the actual story yet. I'm jotting down notes and scene ideas and names (is the heroine "Shelley" or "Sydney" ... I can't decide), and the first line that popped into my head when I first got my idea for this. I know the beginning, I know much of the middle. I know the first kiss. I know the end. This is all good, too, huh? It's just so unusual for me. I'm not sure what to do with it.

And I need a working title. I hate writing without a working title...

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

In dog food news, Dakota is already responding fabulously to the homemade food. Even DH noticed. She's only pooping a few times a day (instead of 8 - 10), the gas problem is gone (YAY!!), she loves the food (though I think I need to feed her more... not sure if she's begging because of the taste, or if she's begging because she's truly hungry). I fixed her a "snack" yesterday because she was so insistent about eating: plain oatmeal cooked in chicken broth with peas. She was very excited.

Today, I'll go buy a few whole chickens. It's more of a pain to debone, but I need the innards. Maybe I'll go to the natural foods store and see if they have organic chicken or beef liver. I'll compromise on the organic meat, but the innards are where all the toxins would be stored in a critter (including US), so it's more important to go organic for that.

Okay, I'll stop boring you to tears, lol.

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

Your Name's Power is Creativity

Your name's power is that it helps you be creative. Your name conveys both purity and skill. People who meet you can't help but think you are charming. You try to live your life with people you trust, surrounded by nature.

What's Your Name's Power?

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

Making Dog Food

Food is an important part of a balanced diet. ~Fran Lebowitz

I'm sure this will get easier as time goes by, and that I won't end up spending the better part of a day on cooking Dakota's food. Today, though, I did.

It started with shopping. I went three places: Vitamin Shoppe, Petco and Sam's Club. And I came home with this:





As it turns out, I overbought by quite a bit. Hopefully the carrots and potatoes will keep until next weekend, when I'll do this all over again.

Next, we chopped and cooked.:





And cooked. And cooked. It took two hours for everything to be done. And then it had to cool. I put it in our winter refrigerator:



Finally, after another hour or two, it was time to puree and assemble.






And Dakota got a taste. She liked it... she really liked it. She followed us around for an hour afterward, hoping. She kept going back and licking her bowl. I think it was a hit.

Sadly, all that only made five days worth of food. I'm going for seven days next time. All I need to buy is meat, though. I have more than plenty of everything else.

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

In other news, I figured out the sequel to "Kitchen Matches". I know, I know, I'm spread out all over the place in my writing, but this story suddenly hit me today while I was outside scooping poop (again). And, no, there is no poop involved. I even got the first line. And I know the heroine. And the hero -- it's Cori's eldest brother, Zack. And, it's going to be fun. And -- since I already know it's short (I'll shoot for about the same length as KM), it shouldn't take me long to write it.

We'll see.

Happy weekend!

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

Synopses and Home Cooking

"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - W. Somerset Maugham

I have a writing friend who just completed her first story that she plans to submit. She emailed me with a cry for help last night -- she is working on her first query and synopsis.

BLECH. YUCK. ICK.

I emailed her back with a pile of URLs telling how to write them, sent her a couple of mine (which are NOT perfect at all, but at least she's familiar with the stories and can see how the synopsis worked around the actual full length piece) and then told her that writing a query/synopsis would be the hardest thing (writing-wise) that she'd ever do.

I read back on the agent queries I sent out on "One Love for Liv" and, ugh. They are not good. Despite the feeling that I still can't write a query/synopsis to save my life, I guess I am getting a little better with practice.

In any case -- anyone out there have hints or ideas to make the torture a little easier? I'm sure my friend would appreciate it, and I KNOW I would.

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

Well, the dog food saga with Dakota continues. I've decided to go home made and will start this weekend. She's actually gaining weight on the Evo (which shocked me -- she's always been so skinny!) despite feeding her less and her fur feels coarse. Also, for some reason that food makes me feel a little out of control.

I found a couple fabulous books that really talk about keeping your pet healthy from the inside out and feeding them right (as well as making certain the meals are balanced). I thought I'd share in case anyone else might be interested.

The first is called "The Whole Pet Diet" and is for cats and dogs. What I liked about this book is that the author addresses all parts of an animals life and actually sets up an eight week schedule to ease you into learning a holistic approach to caring for your pet. This person also started a company -- Halo Pets -- that sells the same foods she gives recipes for in the book (in case you don't want to make them yourself). Additionally, she has kibble for those times when making food is difficult or impractical (for instance, folks who have cats and go away for the weekend will usually just leave food down -- can't do that with homemade as it will spoil). What I really appreciate about this author is this: she doesn't have some secret supplement you have to buy in order to use his book. She actually gives you the recipes. BUT, you can also buy them if it's easier. Even if you don't want to feed home made food to your critters, you might give this book a read.

The second book is a cookbook, but also contains a nutrition guide to assist you in making absolutely sure your pet's meals are balanced. It is "Better Food for Dogs", and I'll be basing most of my meals for Dakota from this. I'm also going to start making my own wet food for the cat (she takes glucosomine daily that I mix in wet food). The cat is on organic food, so I worry less about her kibble. I can afford it for her as she only eats 1/3 c of food a day.

So, the journey begins this weekend. Cuz, yanno, I didn't already have enough to do.

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

You Are The Brain

You're the type of person who's always on, always churning. You are alert and quick to react. You like to stay busy. You are responsible but also demanding. You take up a lot of energy. You are someone of deep mystery. There's a lot below the surface that's hard to figure out.

What Internal Organ Are You?

Okay... Yeah...

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

Everything you ever wanted to know about dog food....

... but were afraid to ask!

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

Do you ever notice that when you're focused on something, it's all you want to talk about? As though nothing else in the world exists for ANYONE except that thing?

That's me and dog food. So be prepared... I'm talking about it again, and hopefully I'll have it out of my system now.

I've been researching it for so many days, and reading books (two I can recommend: Food Pets Die For and Protect Your Pet -- check them out from your library and prepare to have your eyes opened), surfing the 'net. I even joined a Yahoo group on raw feeding, as I was considering that as an option for Dakota.

Yesterday, I decided to give it one more chance. I went to the food store, list in hand (I want: all these things ... I do NOT want: all these things) and started attacking the bags of food. I'd already narrowed my choices down to a few brands based on http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ , but wanted to really read more.

The thing is: I'm VERY tempted by a raw food diet for Dakota. I think both humans and pets can benefit from one .... but I have to admit to being squeamish about feeding her raw chicken and meat. Fact is, if I could afford organic, I'd be all over it. But conventionally raised animals are unbelievably unhealthy and bad to eat, even cooked, so the thought of giving her an antibiotic laden, salmonella (or ecoli) carrying, growth hormone bringing RAW piece of meat was a deal breaker.

(As an aside... the reason I seldom eat meat isn't because I'm a card-carrying vegetarian. I LOVE meat. I do... but between the unbelievable cruelty of the conventional farming business and the chemicals they pump into the critters, I just prefer not to eat it unless it's organic. Now... moving on...)

So, I finally opted to buy a bag of EVO Brand beef. They consider themselves an alternative to a raw food diet -- the food is "gently cooked" at lower temps (which attracted me), they use human grade ingredients (so... no rendered companion pets or road kill... yes, really), and they are grain free (which was top of my list of "wants"). Additionally, the beef flavor contains no chicken fat, which can contribute to "bloat" in dogs -- and Dakota's breed is particularly susceptible to bloat.

Because it IS grain free, I feed her significantly less (almost HALF what she's eating now), so although on the face of it, the food seems expensive ($2.45/lb), usagewise, it's actually cheaper than what I currently use.

Also, I have every intention of supplementing her diet with healthy table scraps (all the evidence I've read indicates that feeding your dog only one thing -- their kibble, for instance -- isn't healthy) or mix her up a bit of homemade dog food now and then.

Assuming her tummy likes Evo.

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

You Are a Bay

You are a blissful, peaceful person. Some might call you spiritual. You are easy-going and tranquil. You take solace in life's sweet moments. You are sentimental and open-hearted. You love many people, places, and things. You try to live an enlightened life. You are benevolent, noble, and intuitive.

What Body of Water Are You?

Wait... wait... ME blissful and peaceful? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........

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

Spring has started ... uh... Springing

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo

The snow is melting from my yard... I know not to get too excited, because we've been known to get some of our worst storms in March and April... but... but... I SEE GREEN GROWING THINGS.

My crocus are going great guns as are other bulbs that I don't know what they are (until they bloom). The good news is that my "vole" garden didn't sprout any voles this year. All the bulbs I planted are coming up!!

Today is supposed to be quite nice: sunny and in the 40s (and yes, that's warm -- you people with 70 degree weather can just hush and let me live in my bubble). So, I'll be outside doing what I do in the spring: Scooping poop.

Ahhh... the romantic life.

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

Speaking of poop (ha!), Dakota is beginning to not tolerate her food. She's finally on the Nutro 100% and is showing signs that it doesn't agree with her. I flat out refuse to feed her the stuff from the vet forever (corn meal, chicken by-product meal and cellulose???? PLEASE), so I think I'm going to give making her dog food a try. I did it for Bailey for six months or so. It's kind of a pain, but if it doesn't give her gas and the runs, it's worth it.

So, now I just need to find out where I can buy bone meal...or maybe I'll just use calcium carbonate...

Incidentally, if you're interested in finding out more about YOUR dog food, check out the website Dog Food Analysis. They review dog foods, and are unbiased (by brand, but not about quality), and will tell you exactly WHAT is in your food and WHY it's good or bad, and then give a rating from 0 - 6 as to whether it's worth feeding to your pet.

The diet from the vet is rated "ZERO" and the reason why is here.

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

I started reading a new book this week and it's great so far!! Jill Shalvis, where have you been all my life? I've seen your name, I just haven't picked up any of your books, and that was obviously a mistake on my part.

Any of you read Jill Shalvis? Can you recommend books by her?

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

You Are Dare

You are outrageous, adventurous, and wild. You live to have fun. You are all about taking risks and pushing limits. You love the rush of doing something forbidden. Like most daring people, you are highly intelligent and creative. That's why you get bored so easily. You need a lot of stimulation and novelty in your life. You aren't satisfied with the mundane.

Are You Truth or Dare?

Hmmm... yes and no....

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

Jazzed!

"Anyone can dabble, but once you've made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it's very hard for people to stop you." — Bill Cosby

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." — Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Last night I started thinking--really thinking--about the story WW rejected that I wanted to lengthen into a novel. I opened up my Character Interview and started... I didn't get far with my heroine, Lynette. But my hero, Calvin? He was gabby. He talked and talked and talked. He's a HOOT. I love him. I suppose I should love all of my heroes, but I really think Cal is going to weasel his way into first place in my heart.

And then, scene ideas started pouring in. And I got both of them gainfully employed (the heroine's job really surprised me!) and decided that my wobbly kitty from yesterday deserved a spot in the story. So, Cal now has a kitty named Weeble. The ideas wouldn't stop, so I grabbed a notepad and sat in bed writing, and writing, and writing. I even got the Darkest Moment (for me, this is always the cause of The Break-Up).

The short story was entitled "Perilous Love", and I'll keep that as a working title, but I don't love it for the story itself. I'm going to do more brainstorming -- I want to get a rough outline (dear heavens... I never outline, but for some reason this story is asking me to make one). I want to make sure I have plenty of scenes (I usually only start with 15 or so... I'd like to have at least twice that) before I start. Because, when I start writing, I don't want to stop.

Yes, I'm excited.

Woot.

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

RE: All the questions about Dakota from yesterday...

I have my fingers crossed that the probiotics are working. I kept her on the icky food and the meds for a few days, then starting introducing new, better food to her (1/3 new food to 2/3 old food). It didn't seem to upset her tummy. So, I gave her what was left of her treat ball (I LOVE THESE -- They keep her busy for hours), and that didn't seem to give her the runs (as an aside, I had an IM to Judy yesterday that read: Is it wrong to get so excited that my dog has solid poop?).

Unfortunately, I'd only purchased a small bag of the new food, and when I went to buy more, I found that it's a really hard line to find. It's Wellness, which I love and recommend to anyone who will listen, but this particular kind -- I'm using venison and brown rice--tough. So, I've opted to switch to something I can find almost anywhere: Nutro Natural choice Venison and Brown Rice. She started on it yesterday (still mixed with her old, icky food), and is tolerating it so far.

Bored yet?

Amy asked if Dakota is quieting down at all. Not really. We're just making sure we keep her as active as possible. DD takes the dog outside at least 2 times a day to go sledding for 30 mins or more. And, considering Dakota runs the trail twice for DD's once, she gets a lot of running in. BUT, on the days where she doesn't get that kind of activity? She still knows how to get into plenty of trouble. My darling dog, Bailey, didn't really start to calm down until she was three, so I'm pinning my hopes on 9/22/10.

RE: Agility Class. If you want to see some dogs who are really good at agility, Animal Planet is showing the AKC Agility Championships tonight at 8 p.m. On my TiVo, it just showed up as "dog show". I tried searching by name, but ended up browsing by channel to find it. It's so much fun to watch. I recommend it.

Hopefully, someday Dd will be that good. We have plans to invest in agility equipment for spring/summer/fall. I think it will be good for all of us -- I'm as tired as she is when we're done with class!

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

You Are a Calculator

No matter what someone tells you, you're likely to focus on facts and data. You're a highly analytic person. You are only concerned with what you can know for sure. You look at situations objectively, and you have no problem approaching problems from multiple angles. You would make a good analyst or investment banker. You are confident enough to make tough calls and hard decisions.

What Office Supply Are You?

AnalyticAL, yes. Any job requiring math? No...

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

Brrrr....

I was just thinking, if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime. ~Will Rogers

No guest blogger again -- I'm working on a slightly different more fun approach to featuring authors here. Not an interview as I don't love how those turn out, but something a little off the wall. That's assuming authors are willing to let me mess with them. Stay tuned. :-)

It's absurdly cold here right now, and only going to get colder. In fact, we've stopped using our wood stove to heat (which makes me want to cry, because it keeps it WAY warmer than we'd ever set our oil heat) and have started back to our oil heat because we're afraid the pipes will freeze if we don't. It's expected to get down to -11 degrees overnight Thursday. Whee. I'm telling you, Hawaii ... here I come.

Had a brainstorm on "Return to Stiller Creek" and am writing up a couple of news scenes. Then I'm submitting it to a new publisher -- I've done research, and all I've seen are rave reviews, including from Piers Anthony (what a sweetie he is to compile all that information, don't you think?). I'll do a little more poking around, but the simple fact is: I want this in print eventually and TWRP has changed their guidelines and only sends books 65k words or longer to print, so I can't submit it there.

Once those scenes are done, it's back to hunkering down on one or both of my JaNoWriMo projects.

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

Dakota went to the doggy doc yesterday for her annual check-up and shots. We talked at great length about her dietary issues, and the doc is concerned about (WARNING: TALK OF DOG POOP AHEAD) the fact she eats so much (6-7 cups of dry food a day), and then poops about 8-10 times a day (pretty much every time she goes outside to potty) and is STILL skinny (he says she's at her "ideal" weight, but IMHO she looks like a concentration camp escapee). So, in two weeks we're doing tests to see if she's lacking a particular digestive enzyme which would cause her body to be incapable of breaking down the food--making it pretty much just pass on through.

And THEN I get to put her on some kind of diet plan that includes unusual proteins and starches -- like venison and sweet potato that doesn't include ANY other type of common foods like chicken meal, and no grains such as wheat, barley, rice, or corn.

*sigh*

The joys of dog ownership. My DD is healthy as a horse, but I get a dog with food allergies and problems.

It's a good thing she's cute.

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

You Are a Hat With Flaps

You are fun loving, cheerful, and even pretty cute most of the time. You use fashion to play. You never take style all that seriously. You're the type most likely to wear a funny t-shirt or goofy hat. But when it comes time to clean up, you clean up nicely.

What Winter Hat Are You?

It's good to know I clean up nice! LOL...

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