25th of September (i've been waiting for you!)

The latest:

*I have crafted my very own 'message shelf', which is pretty much exactly as is sounds. Nifty!

*I have vacuumed, laundry-ed, dusted and tidied with Mary Poppins-like enthusiasm, because today my Mum arrives from England for a 3 week visit. Whee!

*Discovered that a lunch of walnut bread, brie, apple and honey is perfection on a plate.

*A trip to the farmers market rendered me speechless, when the Nashvillians played their favorite game of guessing where I'm from. Scotland, Australia and Holland are the latest offerings (but at least I haven't heard 'Russia?' in a while!). Also, I have never seen so many pumpkins under one roof. It was astounding.

*Lesley and I ran 8 miles, brushing off our half-marathon training schedule like it ain't no thing (y'all). Hooray for guilt-free pie consumption.

This afternoon my sister Kate arrived for a Few-Day-Stay (official name) and being the good sport that she is, accepted an excited ambushing from Baby Bat. Now we are all twiddling our thumbs and paws, because did I mention? My Mum is coming to visit! yippee!

BigRudy and Blue Ball. The Love Story.

I've been busy doing yawn-worthy tasks like cleaning the car and vacuuming the house and laundry and businessy things on the compooter. If you are me (which incidentally, I am), it is difficult not to be side-tracked by some whim or other in the midst of hard work. On this occasion, I felt very much inclined to make a piece of mini wall-art. As you do. My obsession with the dogs is already unapologetically over-documented, so it will come as a surprise to nobody that I painted this picture of Rudy (except perhaps Forrest, who may not expect to receive it in his next care package!).

Rudy is rarely found without Blue Ball. He mourns it's absence on our walks and tries to sneak it along for road trips. He greets people at the door with it, he sleeps with it and plays with it. Given the chance, I expect he's read it poetry. It's love.

At my request, BigRudy was so obliging as to pose for a photo next to his likeness (or more accurately, he was momentarily distracted by Felix who was singing a power ballad through the window). He is also naked because Felix chewed his collar and neckerchief off. Boys will be boys....

a bit of blah.

Sundays must commonly be the hardest day for the Army Wife whose husband is deployed. I mean, Sunday was a pain in the butt to begin with. It was do your homework day. Which progressed into hangover day (university...I was not a saint). Now we are at 'fill-the-time-however-you-can' day. As such, it would be appropriate for me to point out that my neighbors and friends who take it upon themselves to keep me entertained while hubby is away are incredibly awesome. They are the kind of people that you hope humanity is made of, but you suspect you kind of just got lucky. I also got some work done, and walked the dogs (twice) and ate a cookie (well, two).

I get to see Forrest in November for two weeks of R&R. Plus, I feel like a braver, better person than I was four months ago. That said, I am not going to thank deployments, because I wish Forrest was here. Always. But he has the kind of heart that fills a room, and if he chooses to represent and defend his country, then I'm right there beside him. He's a champ. But in the meantime Gloria Gaynor sang it, and you know what I'm talking about. (No, not an invite to karaoke....)

I should add that despite the occasional gloom of Sundays and deployments, I recognize precisely how lucky I am for this life that I have. Not least, waking up every day to see two pairs of yoda-ears on the horizon of my duvet....happiness can be hard to avoid. High Five, Rudy! Cuddle time Felix!

Home, Sweet Home.

If September isn't officially craft-month then it should be...because I've been afflicted with that bug lately.

I'm on a mission to make this house look like a home, and the dogs have been busy distributing their toys around, helping me with the 'lived-in' aspect of homeliness. Thank you, boys.

I've been strutting around in my work shoes (furry slippers), donning some fetching eyewear (plastic goggles) and commandeering the power-tools (trying not to lose a finger). Cutting up wooden triangles might prove to be the pinnacle of my abilities, however. After all that excitement...painting was a relief. Sometimes the comfort-zone is, well, comfortable.

I'll confess, I was going to make a 'welcome home' sign for Forrest (though he is not home for many moons), but in the end it all took so long that I wanted something that could hang around for longer than a few days!

In the meantime, Baby Shepherd has acquired all manner of booboos. Singing his whalesong, doing gymnastics in anticipation of dinner, and trying to 'crowd surf' on Rudy after leaping off the sofa, Felix clearly thinks he's a rockstar. Trying to raise them right....my work here might never be done!

Autumn? hi!

I know it isn't officially Autumn yet (ahem, 'Fall'), but I feel as though my household has transitioned into the new season already. What can I say? We are trendsetters.

My wreath is prematurely complete and being worn by the front door. I have taken to wiggling my toes into long socks (venturing past my usual barefooted/ Birkenstocked look of Summer). We have purchased a compost bin, in anticipation of fallen leaves. We got rained on instead of sunburned at the local 'RiverFest' this weekend. We are opening windows instead of burdening the AC (whilst dancing around at the thought of next month's electric bill. mmm)

Regardless of my delight in new seasons however, here is Rudy- complete with blue ball. Because some things don't ever (should never) change!

Mister Felix.

Around a year ago, I drew a puppy-portrait of Rudy. Now it's the turn of the sweet (mischievous) Mister Felix. Commonly known as 'CrazyFace' 'Little Thing' and 'Felix the Bat', this ball of energy is growing into big-boy barks that are finally aligning with the superior confidence he was apparently born with! The squeaks of yesterdays just didn't cut it. While Forrest has been away, I have wavered between being infuriated by Felix's prankster-like antics, and eternally charmed by his cheery nature. Luckily annoyance can't last long when he trots past grinning from ear to ear in the wake of whatever destruction he has most recently caused. His comedy is his savior. Or is that my savior? Either way I adore the boy named after a cat :)

This Rainy Tuesday

This is the cosy sort of day I'm having. Shame about the 10k in the rain that beckons shortly.

(good thing about the peach cobbler I made for afterwards.... :)