Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts

Friday, August 24, 2012

The 3 weeks leading up to our big move...

We are now in Scotland! It's still pretty surreal. We've planned this move for so long, but we still can't really believe we're here. I mean, it's not hard to slip into "tourist" mode and feel like we are here on vacation, but then we come to our flat and we have to get our mail and scoop out the cat litter... like we live here or something!

Of course, I have tons to share about getting here and how wonderful our flat is and how fun it was to take our first little jaunt around the city- but I'm not really set up to blog yet (I can't find the cord that uploads my pictures from my camera... our bags are still full and there's not a whole lot of organization to them, so I probably won't find it until everything gets unpacked). 

But I have a post that I wrote in pieces over the last 3 weeks and didn't get around to sharing, so here it is now. After Matt and I left LA on July 30th, we drove to Redwood Valley and spend 3 whirlwind weeks at my parent's place. The days flew by- there was so. much. to. do! But we managed to throw in a lot of fun times to the mix.

So... anyone curious as to what Matt and I did the 3 weeks we were in Nor Cal? Here's more than you wanted to know about the time in our lives we lovingly refer to as "the countdown"!


1. We celebrated my birthday with cake and presents!

2. We got mani/pedis

3. We visited with our siblings



4. We enjoyed a nice dinner with new friends.

5. Most days, we swam in Lake Mendocino.

6. We broke some rules.


7. We took multiple trips to the Goodwill.

8. We ate Kemmy's pies. Lots of Kemmy's pies.

9. We took bubble baths outside (complete with light up rubber duckies!)



10. We had a kick-ass garage sale.

11. We hung out with the Walkers out on Greenfield.

12. We had a fun farewell party.


13. We lost our favorite sunglasses on the bottom of the lake, dove down hundreds of times, and finally found them (and by 'we lost', I mean 'I lost' and by 'we found' I mean 'Matt found'!)

14. We drank Frey wine and Mendo beers.

15. We hung out with our besties.


16. We acted a little dorky.

17. We fell in love with Sarah's baby girl.


18. We talked about having babies of our own and both said what we usually say, "eh... maybe!"

19. We got massages and acupressure treatments.

20. We took the boys to the vet for their big "health certificate" check up.


21. We heard a lot of meowing.

22. We witnessed lots of dog love.


23. We got our papers in order, and made copies- so many copies- of everything.

24. We applied for many jobs.

25. We packed, and packed, and packed.


26. We drove to Sacramento to get the boy's paperwork stamped (more on this process later)

27. We stayed at a villa at Arden Hills Resort (more on this later, too)


29. We swam and played tennis.



30. We got special mama time.


31. We got a special visit from Byrd & Ilona, and had a night out together in Ukiah!


32. We got our fill of great Mexican food.

33. We helped a vet take a foxtail out of Greta's precious puppy paw.



34. We soaked in the hot tub.

35. First we scared Archie, then we kissed on him.


36. We made friends with Prince, aka. Big Butt, aka. Biggie.

37. We sat outside naked, played ukulele and watched an amazing meteor shower!

38. We checked out the museum in Willits, and saw the old hippy van.


39. We read this:

40. We read books, some of us even finished!

41. We used a lot of sun block.

42. We got haircuts. Bangs!


43. We rode the Skunk Train


44. We drank Skunk Train beer.

45. We saw millions of blackberries ready to be picked!

46.  We posed for this picture:


47. We decided we want to spend more time outside.


48. We had train fun.


49. We ate BBQ with the folks and Pat & Bonnie in Northspur.

50. We ate fresh blackberries and ice cream.



51. We saw hawks.

52. We saw wild turkeys.

53. We saw jackrabbits.

54. We saw giant Redwoods.


55. We enjoyed warm California evenings.

56. We convinced Uncle Pat to buy this big rooster for his yard.


57. We played on the engine


58. We played in the woods


59. We saw deer

60. We fed the feral kitties at the dam.

61. We went to the gym with papa.

62. We ate fresh from the garden.


63. We grilled all the time.

64. We Skyped with Julie & Brian.

65. We played with Greta.


67. We bought shoes.

68. We sang songs to Sherman. 

69. We said many goodbyes. 


70. We miss everyone!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Doggie Kisses (part 9 of a 365 part series)


Gretta was giving Papa kisses, but when she saw me with the camera, she decided to strike a pose!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Where I been?

I've taken a mini break from  my blog, and now I'm back. Anyone interested in all the Happy things that kept me from my online responsibilities? Well, here they are:

First, Matt and I have had a visit from one of his closest friends, and they let me tag along to a Martin Sexton concert. I think this is the sixth or seventh time that I have seen "Marty" live and this show was one of the best. He rocked the El Rey Theater! If you haven't heard of this guy, check him out. You'll be happy you did.

I've also been reading a few of the books we checked out of the library for our Burns Supper. I realize that I appreciate the poems more if I figure out their meaning with the use of a Scots-English dictionary, and then reread them a few times to get the cadence and rhythm.

And I've been eating.  A lot. I'm trying to keep to an all natural diet for the month of February. Can't talk too much about it, since I am only a few days in and I don't want to jinx myself. So far, so good though. No gluten, no dairy, (no meat, of course), no alcohol, no refined sugar and no processed foods. So... these kiwis are a go!

But this pie isn't. I did make it though, and sent it off to be eaten without me. I've made it once before, its a blackberry/apple pie with a crumble top. I will post the recipe some day, because it is a little too delicious to keep to myself. 


And, yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, which for me means two things...

1. The halftime show- had to check out Madonna, who despite the haters I have read online I thought did a great job. I mean, it was what it should have been- showy, short and full of songs we all know backwards and forwards... (I had to keep reminding myself that she's in her 50s! Amazing!) and...

2. The Puppy Bowl. Freaking awesome. So. Incredibly. Cute. And I loved how much they promoted Petfinder.com and pet adoption. (This year's game belonged to Fumble!)

I wrapped it all up with an episode of Downton Abbey.

And I've made some leaps and bounds in my knitting, but I can't share any pictures of that, yet. Hope you all have enjoyed a Happy week!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The ones that got left behind...

Linus watches as Matthew opens a Norwegian beer with a Norwegian beer opener and puts it into a Norwegian beer mug.  Its a Juløg from Mack Brewery in Tromsø- the northern most brewery in the world.

I wonder around my hood

Linus shows off his newly cleaned teeth!

Matthew plays in Amhurst, Massachusetts

The Homestead of Emily Dickenson

Morning dew in spiders webs in reedy grass in the petrified forest in Napa California

boy smells girl


We see deer. Deer see us. Lake Mendocino

Bee on herb

Greta pulls, I float


Bud and bloom in my Uncle Pat's flower garden

Pre-show treat at the Castro Theater sing-a-long of the Little Mermaid

Putting together the Knight Bus

OB enjoys the bed all to himself.

This is how Matt watches the game at home...