Wordless Wednesday

Monday Meme

Yay, I got my internet back up and running again!  It was so awful to be without it for a few days.

Took this from here.

1.  If you could speak any language fluently, but never speak your native tongue again, what language would you choose?

Don't even have to think about this one - French!  My grandmother on my mom's side was French-Canadian.  She died before I was born, so I never got to meet her.  I wanted to take French in high school, but my parents had to sign off on my schedule.  My mom wouldn't let me take it, insisting that I'd never use it and that I'd be better off taking Spanish instead.  I barely remember any Spanish, so a lot of good that did!  lol

2.  What movie always makes you cry?  (Or at least makes you emotional.)

St. Elmo's Fire.  I first saw it in high school and didn't fully understand it.  I'd never been out on my own before and had no idea what real struggle was all about.  I watch it now and identify with a specific character so much!  I don't cry when I watch it, but it brings back lots of memories and makes me sad. Even so, I still love it!  What would your answer be?

3.  How many dishtowels do you own?

Honestly, I have no idea.  I've never counted them.  All of the ones I do have were gifts.  I'd say, maybe 5?  I don't use them very often.  

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  

It reminds me of three things, actually!  I took an archaeology class this past semester, so it makes me think of fossils.  I'm sure it's not one, but that's just what came to mind initially.

Which made me think of how sometimes new parents will take plaster prints of their baby's hands and feet.  

And lastly, it reminds me of that poem, Footprints in the Sand.  

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.  I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  And then come back here and tell me what made you happy!

~I'm happy because...

I got some new followers!  Thank you and welcome!

I got some extra hours in at work this week (and for the last two weeks!)!

Starting today, I have five glorious days off!  I see lots of quality chihuahua time ahead!

There are 17 participants for Christmas in July, the most ever!  And due to a last minute entrant, I get to join in this year too!  

I went to a movie last weekend!  We saw The Heat, which was really funny.

We're mostly out of triple digit temps this week!  It's still in the high 90s*, but you can definitely feel the difference in the heat.

*****

Source

For some reason, my internet connection at home hasn't been wanting to work properly the last couple of days.  Thank goodness for free time at work, because otherwise I wouldn't have any computer time at all!  And that just ain't gonna happen!  It shows that it's hooked up and running, but my computer can't seem to connect to it.  I unplugged it last night for a second and plugged it back in again, but it didn't help.  I'll fight with it some more this afternoon.

*****

After a specific incident that happened this season, I decided that I for sure was not going to continue volunteering for the agency that I've worked with over the past 5 years.  It's kind of bittersweet because it really is for a great cause.  It's time to move on though, so I'm doing just that!  Knowing I've done virtually nothing to participate in campus activities and that employers really look for that kind of thing on a resume, I've decided to join the Student Assembly, which is part of the Student Government.  I'm not really sure yet what that entails or what I'm getting myself into, but am looking forward to it!  Hopefully it'll be really good experience too!

Christmas in July!

It's finally here - Christmas in July! 

Everyone should have received an email last night with their swap partner's info.  If you have not, please contact me immediately so that it can be resent.  I've included the rules in the emails, but just in case you've forgotten or missed them, I've posted them here again.  Please let me or Marianne know if you have any other questions that we haven't covered.

1.  The maximum you can spend before postage is $20.  You don’t have to spend that much, but you can’t go over!

2.  *You'll need to email me and your partner a tracking number* for the package you sent out and to let me know when you've received your goodies from your partner.  A tracking number adds less than $1 onto your mailing cost if you're using the Post Office and comes automatically if you're using FedEx or UPS.  If you are mailing from outside the US, this rule does not apply.  If I discover that you received a package but never sent one, you'll be outted and blacklisted from participating in the future!  

  
3.  You must post about the swap once you receive your package.  We want to see what you got!

4. You have until Saturday, August 3rd to get those packages mailed out.  

5. This is the most important rule - HAVE FUN!!!!!

Want to see who else is playing along and who got paired with whom?

Harper Lee - Ranger
Blueberry - Bailey 
Matilda - Finn
Shiver and Chico - Ruby
Maya and Chloe - Mona and Prissy 
Reilly and Denny - Sarge and the Crabby Girls
Doguall and Floyd - Maesie Mae and Mac
Molly the Wally - Misaki - Mollie

If, for any reason, you suddenly find you cannot do the swap, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can make other arrangements for your partner.  I won't be angry as long as you let me know, but I will be angry if you don't say anything and don't send out a package!

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to everyone who blogged about it.  And a big thank you especially to my lovely co-host, Finn's mama.  I love hosting this and have made so many new friends from it over the years!  What I love even more though is seeing everyone's posts and all the goodies they got.  And really, who doesn't love getting packages in the mail?

Last Call

If you keep meaning to send in your info for Christmas in July but just can't seem to get around to doing so, you have until 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time this evening to contact me!  We had 2 last minute participants with plenty of room for more!  

For international entrants, email:  marianne(dot)d(dot)howard(at)gmail(dot)com

If you live within the US, email:  everythingisbetterwithsprinkles1(at)hotmail(dot)com

Click on the link above for rules and information.

Monday Meme

Still worn out from moving a different office from one building to another at work.  That's done, so this week I'll be working extra hours for someone taking a vacay.  Four days of work, then five days off.  Really looking forward to that time off.  

Took this from here.

1.  When's the last time you borrowed (or a tool, or something else) from a neighbor?

I mostly just see my neighbor in passing, and we don't talk much.  We both moved in right around the same time, and used to talk more.  I'm not sure what happened, but we don't say much now beyond a wave and a quick, "Hello!"  most of the time.  The only thing I can really remember borrowing from him is a shovel.  The snow was higher than my chi's in the back yard, so I borrowed the shovel to clear a path for them to walk through and do their business.  

2.  What hobbies do you spend money on?  

I like to read, so books!  And magazines.  And the internet.  

3.  By which dead person would you least want to be haunted?  

Any serial killer.  How about you?

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

When I went to save the picture, I noticed it was labeled "Caatinga."  Not being familiar with that word, I googled it and discovered Wikipedia describes it as, "...a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil.  The name 'Caatinga' is a Tupi word meaning 'white forest' or 'white vegetation.' (Caa = forest, tinga = white)"

*****

Tomorrow is the last day to get in on Christmas in July.  So far, we have 10 participants, so there's still plenty of room for more!

Wordy Wednesday - Blueberry Ice Cubes

Bursting with blueberries!

Not that it matters, but this isn't their usual water bowl.

Shiver sniffing and checking it out.

Maybe I'll just have a little taste.

Mmm mmm good!

Unfortunately, Chico had no interest in the cubes whatsoever.  He never even sniffed the bowl.  Shiver was the only one who checked them out.  Usually it's the other way around, so their reactions were unusual in this situation.  Shiver doesn't typically like new things; he tends to wait to see how Chico will react towards them.  Shiver drank the water throughout the day, but didn't pay much attention to the cubes themselves.  After awhile, I dumped out the water and just left the blueberries.  Shiver ate them, Chico chewed them up and spit them out.  Guess he's not a fan of blueberries!  While I'm not likely to make these again for them, I'm not counting it as a complete failure.

Mundane Monday

I've been feeling kind of bad that I haven't been able to have any fun adventures with my boys this summer.  We went from a chilly spring to a VERY hot summer, so they've mostly been limited to short visits in the back yard.  According to the weather man, we're in for triple digits over the next 6 days, so it doesn't look like we'll be doing anything outside anytime soon unless we get up really early (which ain't happenin'!) or go really late at night.  

A perfect treat for them would be Frosty Paws, which they won from Corbin awhile back.  First, I couldn't figure out what I did with the coupons.  Found them, and now I can't find Frosty Paws here.  According to their facebook page store locator, no stores closer than a 100 mile radius sells them.  Guess I should've checked that out before entering the giveaway!  I'm gonna keep looking though!  I know Walmart used to sell them here.  If nothing else, maybe I can get them to do a special order.

I made Shiver and Chico some blueberry filled ice cubes this morning, and am just waiting for them to freeze up.  Normally they don't pay much attention to ice, but since they have blueberries in each cube, I'm hoping they'll notice and enjoy them.  It'll be a cool treat on a hot day!  I'm hoping they'll cooperate and let me get some pix to post.

*****

Got this from here.

1.  What are your three favorite spices?

I never really thought about this before.  I guess curry, cinnamon, and oregano?  I also like garlic.  I'm not much of a cook, so I don't have very many spices in the pantry.  

2.  Which piece of furniture needs to be replaced next in your house?

There's actually 2 that I'd like replaced.  The first one would be my couch.  My mom gave me her old one when I moved in here.  She and I don't have the same taste in furniture, and I think it's really ugly.  I keep it covered so that no one ever has to see how bad it is.  

The second one is a rocking chair that a friend brought over as a housewarming gift.  She had just gotten all new furniture at her house, and brought this huge, hideous rocking chair over which had seen better days many years before!  I didn't want it, but didn't know how to turn her down without being rude.  Back before my kitteh died, he used to love to cuddle up on it.

I wish I could replace all of my furniture so that it matched and was of better quality.  Hopefully one of these days...

3.  If someone was having a wardrobe malfunction (hole, missing button, etc.), would you tell them?

I'd like to think so!  I'd certainly want someone to bring it to my attention if I did.  In a non-humiliating way, of course!

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.

I'm not a huge fan of shishkababs, but they're alright once in awhile.    I haven't had any in ages.  The picture makes me think of backyard summer BBQing.  

*****

Did you sign up for Christmas in July yet?  You've got until July 23rd, so get those entries in!!!  We've got 10 blogs joining us this year, with plenty of room for more!  Everyone's invited!  Thanks to Molly the Wally and Sarge's BCC for helping to spread the word.  

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.  I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  And then come back here and tell me what made you happy!

~I'm happy because...

This week, I had the opportunity to make up some of the hours at work that I missed out on last week!  I may get extra hours next week too!

I FINALLY got around to going grocery shopping!  I was out of practically everything!

Someone sprayed all the weeds in my front yard!  I think it was probably my neighbor.

I have a new follower!  Welcome!

All the road work around my work/school is finally finished!  Now if they'd only finish up all of the construction going on around campus!

At last count, there were 9 participants for Christmas in July!  There's still plenty of time to get in on the fun if you're interested!  

*****

This has been a really crazy week at work.  In addition to my regular job duties, I've been helping a different office move to another building.  I'm not sure my hip is going to forgive me for all the bending, squatting, lifting, etc., that I've been doing.  By the time I get home at night, I'm just one big, sweaty, exhausted mess.  Because of this, my blog visiting time has been limited this week.  With the possibility of extra hours next week, I may not be around as much then either.  I'll be around when I can though!  

Source

This is how I'm feeling right about now!

Wordless Wednesday

Source

Christmas in July

Welcome to Christmas in July, fka Doggone Dog Swap!  This isn't a swap for yourself; it's a swap for your pets!  No, we aren't swapping our pets, although sometimes I wouldn't mind trading mine in, lol!  This isn't limited to just dogs this year – cats and exotics can participate too!  Basically, you'll each buy toys and/or treats for your swap partner and they'll do the same in return.  You never know what you might get!

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, July 23, which gives you two weeks.  Once your swap partner has been chosen, you will get an email with your swap partner's information.

I've listed the ground rules below.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.  

1.  You'll enter each pet you have for the swap individually.  Since I have both Shiver and Chico, I'm going to fill out the questions below twice (one for each dog).  We will try our best to swap doggies with doggies, cats with cats and exotics with exotics.  Depending on the participants, you may be partnered with someone who has pets of a different species than you do, so please keep that in mind.  That's where the questionnaire comes in handy!

2.  The minimum you can spend before postage is $20.  You don’t have to spend that much, but you can’t go over!

3.  You'll need to email me and your partner a tracking number for the package you sent out and to let me know when you've received your goodies from your partner.  A tracking number adds less than $1 onto your mailing cost if you're using the Post Office and comes automatically if you're using FexEx or UPS.   Anyone living outside of the US is exempt from this rule.  If I discover that you received a package but never sent one out, you'll be outted and blacklisted from participating in the future!  Fortunately, this hasn't been an issue in the past, and I'd like to keep it that way.  We will do our best to match pets from the same country, but please note if you are outside the US, you will most likely be partnered with another international pet.  If you live in the US and cannot mail internationally, please let me know.  Mailing to another country can sometimes be costly, depending on where you’re sending a package to, so I would hate for anyone not to participate because of that.

4. You must post about the swap once you receive your package.  We want to see what you got!

5. You have until Saturday, August 3rd to get those packages mailed out.  

6. This is the most important rule - HAVE FUN!!!!!

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, no matter what your pet is, if you live outside the USA, email the form below to Marianne at marianne(dot)d(dot)howard(at)gmail(dot)com.  If you live within the USA, email the form to sprinkles at everythingisbetterwithsprinkles1(at)hotmail(dot)com.

1.  The name of your pet and what kind you have   

2.  Male or female

3.  Breed of pet and size (small, medium, large, xlarge)

4.  Is there anything your pet cannot have?

5.  Is there anything in particular that your pet really likes?  Examples of this might be a certain kind of toy or treat.

6.  Your address.  Your information will only be shared with your swap partner.

This is what my boys got one year from the swap.

How did it get to be Monday again so quickly?

Unless you haven't visited Blogville in awhile, or you've been living under a rock, you know that there are various fundraisers going on from July 7 - 20 for my new friend, Benny.  He's got lots of medical bills already, and will have many more in the near future.  If you'd like to donate to him directly, click here.  I believe there may be a $5 minimum, so beware of that before you donate.  You can also check out the Blogville Community Calender for a full list of events going on to raise additional funds for him.  Lots and lots of fun activities.

*****

Took this from here.  

1.  Have you ever seriously thought you might be going crazy?  

I've had some several incidents of overwhelming sadness in my life that lasted waaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than they should have, but I don't know that I ever thought I was going crazy.  

2.  You've discovered a new country.  What will you name it?

This one's easy:  ShiverChicosia.

3.  If you were suddenly able to have a 25 hour day while everyone else still had only 24 hours, what would you do with that extra hour?

My first thought is SLEEP!!!  But I wouldn't want to always waste it sleeping my life away.  Sometimes I'd use it to finish up homework or to get errands done that I just couldn't otherwise find time for.  What would you use it for?

 4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  

A few semesters ago, I was standing in the quad at school, talking with a couple of friends about the class we had just attended.  Some squirrels started fighting in the middle of our conversation.  They were chasing one another through the trees and being very loud.  It caught our attention because it was difficult to hear each other talk over them.  The three of us stood there for several minutes, watching the squirrels running after each other.  In the middle of all this, some guy walked up to me and asked if I was checking out the owl in the tree.  I was so busy watching the squirrels that I hadn't even noticed the owl!  The guy said the owl had been there for a couple of days.  I tried to get pictures, but they didn't turn out very well.  The owl was too high up and the trees camouflaged him pretty well.  That's what I think of when I see this picture.

*****

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for all the deets on Christmas in July, formerly known as the Doggone Dog Swap.  It's gonna be a lot of fun and you won't want to miss out!  There's been a few changes this year, and everyone can join in.  

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.  I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  And then come back here and tell me what made you happy!

 

~I'm happy because...

Due to a miscommunication, I had the week off work!  I initially wasn't happy about it, but I did enjoy finally having several days in a row of free time.

Fortunately, I'll have the option of making up some of those lost hours!

I had a 6 hour conversation on facebook and on the phone on Monday with a good friend!  

I had an excellent meal at my mom's house on Thursday!

The unexpected windstorm blew over just in time for the fireworks show!

The weather has cooled slightly!  We were in triple digits for a bit there, now we're in the high 90s.  

Next week we'll be accepting applications for Christmas in July, fka Doggone Dog Swap!  There are several changes this year, so be sure to get the details on Tuesday.

*****

Speaking of Christmas in July, you won't want to miss out!  Anyone can participate this year - dogs, cats and exotics.  It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm very excited about it!

Happy Fourth of July!

Source

Wordy Wednesday

Today is the second anniversary of my father's death.  The first year, I just mainly felt relief; not just for me, but for him.  He was a shell of his former self and it was hard to watch him go downhill so quickly, knowing there really was nothing we could do to help him.  

The second year, the sadness set in.  It wasn't a daily thing, but every now and again, things popped up that reminded me of him.  Someone told me everyone says the pain goes away the longer a loved one is gone, but that's not always true.  Sometimes it gets worse.  I agree!  

To honor him today, I'm going to light a candle for him.  I'm also going to put a message inside of a balloon for him, blow up that balloon, and then release it so that the message can reach him in Heaven.

*****

Run free, Thunder.  Run Free.

April 28, 2006 - July 1, 2013

*****

On the second floor of the SUB (Student Union Building), there's always a lot of art.  Some of it never changes, but one section is updated regularly.  I found these watercolor paintings for sale there.  They were all well out of my price range (most were several hundred dollars!), so I took pictures with my iPod.  Even if I can't buy them, I can still have them!  There were probably 50 or more paintings, these are just a few of my favorites.   

What Would Yours Say, Part II

I recently wrote a post about what I thought Shiver would say in an email to me, so I wanted to follow up and do Chico too.  I meant to post this last Friday, but spent the majority of the day watching bad TV instead, so didn't get around to it. 

Anyway, this is what I think Chico would say to me:

Hi, Mama!

Thank you so much for taking me away from two bad situations and putting me into a much better one!  As you know, I initially spent my first year of life stuck in a cage, only being let out to do my business and to make babies.  When the state intervened, I was then sent to live with a family who mostly kept me in the garage or out in the yard.  Those people decided to get rid of me when they had another baby, and that's when you came into my life.  I'm much happier now, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Sorry I haven't been much of a cuddle bug lately.  Normally I can cuddle with the best of them, but it's just been too hot these last several days. Temperatures have been in the 100s here, so I'm sure you understand.  I'll be back to cuddling when the weather cools down.  I know how much you love when I curl up on your chest, put my head on your shoulder and snore very loudly as I have many sweet dreams.

Thank you for making Shiver share with me.  He seems to think all the toys, food, treats, cuddles, kisses, lovin's, and everything else all belong to him.  As you know, he and I have had many loud discussions regarding this, but he just won't listen to me!  He can be very unreasonable sometimes.  But what can ya do?  Shiver just expects everything to be handed to him and isn't nearly as appreciative as I am.  

I know you don't like it when I pee on stuff in the house.  I do it to mark my territory though.  You have to admit that I've gotten much better over the years!  I know you often wonder how such a tiny dog can possibly have so much pee in him, but the truth is, I just wee a little on each thing so it just seems like a lot.  

I wish we went on more walks.  I know part of it is that you have a bad hip.  But walking is good exercise and it might even help!  I know you say that walking long distances aggravates it, but we don't have to go far!  I know another reason is because Shiver doesn't really care for walks.  He also HATES to be left alone, which means we only go occasionally.  Personally, I think he's jealous of all the attention I get for being an itty bitty doggy.  You should really figure out something else for him to do, so that we can enjoy the fresh air and all those delightful smells everywhere.  It doesn't get much better than that!

Love always,

Chico

*****

Be on the lookout for details on my annual Doggone Dog Walk next Tuesday.  There have been several changes this year: a cohost, a new name, and pretty much anyone will be able to pawticipate; it won't be limited to just dogs this time around.  You won't want to miss out on the fun!