Spring is just around the corner! Look what I found growing in our yard. Actually, it was growing just outside the fence, safe from doggie paws. Riley has dug up her share of bulbs (thinks she’s a gardener).
Tag: Riley
There’s no place like home
Riley usually stays with friends when we go away, but this time we took her to a kennel. I was a little wary about the place, probably because she had never been to a kennel before and I wasn’t sure how she’d handle being fenced in without people. When I picked her up this morning she looked good (albeit a little skinny) but she and her bed smelled bad, so I left her bed outside to air out. After getting a bath and “second breakfast” she has spent the rest of the day outside watching the cars go by *while laying on her bed*. It’s like Steve having a recliner at a Bills game. Normally they wouldn’t hang outside in weather this cold, but with a cozy spot and something fun to watch, they’re happy.
Snow Day
We got about 9 inches of snow last night! Steve shoveled the walk and cleaned off the cars this morning while I was on the phone with my mom, so when he got in I fixed Ghirardelli hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. Steve and I independently determined it’s a grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup day, too.
I’m redoing the price tags on my bracelets and necklaces because my old ones with the elastic cord tended to get caught on one another. I got some cool lampwork seashells at Sparkles last week and I may try putting them together with some sea glass this afternoon. It feels weird to be working on the next season when there’s snow on the ground, so I try to tap into my inner longings (the beach in the winter and crisp fall mornings in the summer).
Chilly dog
Our last natural gas bill was just under $200 and I’m guessing that it’s not because I’m cooking *so much* on our gas range (actually we do heat up frozen Costco food in the oven a lot). Therefore we are keeping the thermostat even lower now. Sometimes I worry that Riley is cold when she curls up into a ball to nap, so now I cover her in a blanket. I think she is the cutest dog ever.
Mr. Ken!
Riley has a love affair with our neighbor, Ken. At the first sight of his van she launches into an ardent round of whining until I let her outside so she can play. Other people play with her regularly, but she’s so much more excited to see Ken. He’s asked before if he can bring her doggie treats, but Steve thinks he gives her pieces of filet (Ken’s a chef). Notice in the photo her right ear is airborne; I need to put in (( wiggle lines )) to show the animation.
The bathroom is coming along… I walked this morning (brr!) and decided it wasn’t worth it to start painting and then have to clean up for my dentist appointment, so I’m catching up on paperwork today. I haven’t really been in the studio mood lately, if you haven’t noticed. Part of that is my increasing obsession with learning to lampwork, so I keep calling the school we’ve chosen to bug them into getting some classes on the schedule. Steve and I watched a how-to lampworking video over the weekend and it was neat to actually see the consistency of molten glass and the timing of things instead of just imagining how it works based on a book. I have a tendency to research things a lot before I jump in, so while we wait for a class I’m reading what I can on lampworking forums so I’ll be more prepared for setting up shop.
As a PSA, I’d like to mention that propane tanks (like the extra one for your gas grill)are not rated for indoor use and should NEVER be in your house. If they leak, the propane sinks and pools in the lowest level of your house (often the basement with little way to remove it). With the tiniest of sparks it explodes or burns invisibly until it catches something else on fire. I would venture to say that any damage caused by a propane tank indoors would not be covered by insurance. Fair warning!
Happy Birthday to Me
I’m 28 today and my husband gave me flowers and made a cookie cake. Isn’t he sweet? His birthday is on Tuesday, so I’ll get him back.
I’ve noticed a lot more Canadian geese than I have in years past. Some days thousands of them will stretch across the sky. Another thing I noticed this year is that they are flying in all different directions, not just south. I actually saw one V fly directly into another V, apparently at the same altitude because the birds all scrambled like they were in combat. It finally occurred to me today that maybe we are The South. Geese don’t care about the Mason-Dixon line, and being “Canadian” I guess they think Delaware is relatively warm. The geese have been encamped at Battery Park, and when Riley and I get close they slooooowly move out into the river (just in case I drop the leash). They do this nervous quacking thing, as if to tell one another, “Dog… dog… dog…” like the seagulls in Finding Nemo.
Bursting the bubble
The forecast for this week shows rain and cool temperatures, two terms Delaware has heard very little this summer. This morning I turned off the air conditioning for the first time since about June. While I love the concept of throwing the windows open and inviting in the fresh air, it’s freaking me out a little. I keep feeling drafts and hearing unusual noises, until I look and realize it’s just a breeze or the typical street noise I don’t usually hear when inside the A/C bubble. My dog, Riley, normally naps throughout the day. Today she is napping with her nose as close to the window as possible so she might smell all those interesting things the fresh air brings.