Cold Enough?

Why do we live with this cold weather?

So many of you know that I really love warm places. In fact one of my favorite means to evaluate cities and towns that I visit revolves around the presence of palm trees on the street corners.

The weather lately has been very cold. I have not been as cold as I was in Omaha a couple weeks ago when it was -7 F. But even here in balmy, by comparison, Maryland it has been cold in the teens and twenties.

The problem of course is the puppy. Since 5:15 AM this morning I have been outside with her four times to perform various elimination activities. (I've been told that the "P" words are on the outs so I can't write pee or poop)

And the temperature is in the teens. Cold. And ice to fall on. I slipped the other night walking the puppy. In our neighborhood it seems homeowners do not really like to clean off their sidewalks. Ugh.

And then there's the electric bill to keep warm--the constant tension between being warm and paying the electric bill. Turn it up, turn it down. Too hot, too cold.

Ah--well--we can always travel someplace warm and dream. But then, would we be confronted with this?

A man relates the following travel story:

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'. . .


I guess I'll wait for Springtime and to open the pool.

Ups and Downs

Families are marvelous aren't they?

We"circle the wagons" when there is a crisis--like when Jackson was born with problems. Or when one of us has financial problems or has some definable need.

But you know what--sometimes when life is more sedate we begin to focus on the minor stuff.

We need to remember how much we love each other and need each other and not major on the minors.

We need to remember that when one of us really upsets the rest--that we've all been there before. Whether getting monetary assistance, or living with the parents for a year or two--we have needs an assist from family and each one of us was better for it.

We don't always agree--so what. But we each bring something to the family that makes it stronger.

It is hard sometimes to realize that we are different--each has a different set of experiences and has a personal view of the world and our place in it.

But--let's not start taking out the knife and slicing each other apart. Until we walk in each others shoes--we don't really know what is going on in every one's heads.

We need to show the same deference to others that we have needed in the past. We need to stop character assassinations.

Remember--each of us has needed the safety of the "circled family wagons" in the past. Let's remember the safety and protection that the family provides.

How Did He Do That?

Louis figured out how to avoid Makayla by jumping on the table.

Makayla was chasing him and then, Louis was gone. Tormenting him from above.

It was very frustrating for the puppy.

She just had that look of utter disbelief as the cat she was about to pounce on evaporated before her eyes.

But, there is always another day.

And another chase.

I'm a Snow Dog

So who cares that I'm really from Holland?

I love snow!

Who wants to be a watch dog on some barge anyway.

And we finally had some snow in Maryland that I could play in and enjoy. It is so clean and free of scent. And fun.

And I'm getting big.

I had an appointment with the vet today. Ugh--four shots and something up my nose.

And I have round worms because Daddy didn't watch me and I played in some rabbit doo-doo.

But it was fun!

I love snow though.

Mommy was home all day and we played and played and played in the snow.

She likes the snow as much as I do.

She is a good playmate.

How Cute am I?

Makayla is getting big. We continue to be amazed at how much she has grown and all of the new things she does.

She is playing with a new toy we bought her on Saturday.

She does not like the vacuum--but we successfully get her to go back to bed when she gets up at 5:30 on the weekends.

She bounces like Tigger when she runs after a toy we thrown.

She makes me laugh a lot.

Makayla the wonder puppy

We had a break through this week.

The puppy is becoming house trained and has determined how to let the human members of her pack know when she is in need of a visit outside for some relief.

At 11 weeks--we are ecstatic.

She goes to the door and paws it--we need to hear it, but since we are now tuned into her method of advising us of her need--we have been pretty good. We still take her out a lot anyway. But this is great news.

She is also learning to sit and wait. I just which I could get her not to want to suffocate Zachery with love every time she sees him. He really doesn't appreciate it too much.

But they have begun to play a bit--so we are making progress.

It is amazing how this puppy is getting us moving. I have just come in from a walk--the morning walk. And we are doing an afternoon walk of about a mile and three-quarters every afternoon.

All of this was in addition to playing four racquetball matches this week. I lost three of them--I'm not playing the most inspired racquetball of my life right now.

But the wonder puppy is everywhere and it is cool to come home and have someone excited about my arrival.