First day of ‘School’…for Ruger

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First day of 'School'...for Ruger

As I get back in to the writing groove, bear with me as I talk endlessly about my puppy. It’s never hard to write about something so cute and endearing as a puppy, so, here is the puppy update of the day:

Ruger had his first day of ‘school’. As part of his socialization at this age, I introduced him to daycare yesterday. As a mom, I am not unfamiliar with the butterflies in the stomach, the slight twinge of anxiety as we drop our kids off for their first day. I was rather puzzled and surprised that I would feel that way about my puppy! (Yes, Mia went along with. I felt she deserved a day of respite with some other friends, away from the annoying pestering of her housemate.)
Just as a responsible mom would, I sent lunch, and discussed his needs and quirks with the staff prior to leaving.

Then I ran errands, lots and lots of errands. I was so productive during my extended time of freedom! I picked up the carpet from the repair shop on the other side of town (the one our foster puppy Jada chewed), ran to the warehouse for staples, was able to unload and put away the supplies, IN PEACE, and even got in a much needed dental exam.

Then, finally, back to pick up my precious littles. Little man got an ‘A’ report card, and Mia was happily exhausted. Back home, they both drank, ate and Mia settled in to sleep. Little man, however, seemed restless. No, it wasn’t that he had to go potty, he had eaten, and tanked up on water. He kept whining and roaming around his kennel…which was closed.

So I opened the door to his kennel, he promptly crawled in and passed out. And snored.

I’d say, little man had a big day.

Coming up for Air!

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So much for the ‘freedom’ and ‘peace’ of being an empty nester! 

It seems to me I am swimming in ‘busy’, busier now that my girls are gone than I was the past 2 years of their High School years! One reason is I have my sweet little nugget, Ruger, who is growing like a weed. He went from an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, black ball of fur, to a puppy. And his paws…..Geez Louise, he has lions paws. I can’t begin to even contemplate the repercussions of that not so small observation! 

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While the puppy sleeps during the day, I have been taking the opportunity to dive off the pier in to the gigantic lake called ‘Deep Cleaning and Organizing. I’m by no means a dirty house keeper, but I’m not always tidy, especially in the kitchen. After being at home for 20 years with kids, their friends,  our animals, and family friends coming and going, I stopped fretting the small stuff awhile ago. So what if the dishes don’t get done right away?  So what if the stove isn’t show-house pristine, or the non-perishables are on the counter?  I was cooking up a storm, churning out meals, snacks, canned goods, preserving, crafting, floral arranging, computer work, bill paying, you name it, my kitchen is the hub of life in this house.

That means it’s lived in.

That means, have a nervous breakdown over every single thing out of place, or let 80% of it go and enjoy life. I’m sure hubby wishes I was a little more attentive to the small things, but I always figured once the girls were gone, I’d have loads of time to knuckle down and tackle the things I’ve put off. Even if I was tidier, I don’t ever think I’d want my house to look like a showroom. It’s not a showroom, it’s where we live. Sure, I had my moments in the deep end of ‘ENOUGH OF THE MESS’ and griped, moaned and groaned. But, I think all who have graced my door understood my house was ‘lived in’. 

In between cleaning and errand running, I am trying to take the time to walk my older gal. While I could be swimming laps, Miss Mia needs some TLC time.  Since we have been taking short walks with the puppy, she has been missing out on her 6 mile hikes with me. So today, when puppy took his morning nap, I grabbed her leash and out the door we flew to get 5 miles in as quick as possible.

We were greeted with absolutely glorious weather. We are talking pool lizard, lie by the pool glorious weather. This bi-polar state has decided to cut us all some slack, and the day is just perfect in my book. That makes 3…..3 perfect days so far this spring/summer.

Yes, I count. 

So, now it’s back to the task and I have a monumental one before me. I am going room by room and weeding out everything and anything we don’t need or want. While we are not downsizing immediately, this is a great opportunity to being the mental process in preparation of that stage. Not only is the house calling for my attention, but the garden is long overdue for a good weeding and general tending. And then there is the dinner meal to contemplate and prepare, and those blueberries that need to be processed and preserved. Hmmm, maybe pie. Oh dang, I think I need to make a pie, a Blueberry Pie….

(Deep Breath)

I’m divin’ under!

Bit ‘o shade!

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Bit 'o shade!

We are having a ‘swan song’ of summer here in the upper mid-west, with a heat wave moving through to give us a taste of what summer should have been, before releasing it’s grip to fall.

After finishing an exercise session with my trainer, I came home to a puppy bursting with energy. Miss Mia’s and my normal walk up through the green space to the local middle school fields is too far for the puppy, so I loaded both in the car and drove them up. Unloading in the parking lot, we started down the football fields, headed towards an open space at the other end. About half-way down, little man decided he’d had enough, and this picture captures it perfectly.

“It’s hot mama!”.

You could just see it in his eyes, as he attempted to find the only shade available, my shadow. We had another 50 yards to go to get to the small field Miss Mia likes to romp in, so little man got a ride the rest of the way.

Oh, to live the life of a puppy, so simple, and so spoiled.