Smells like ... Spring...

As Franklin and I walked outside this morning we both stopped to smell the air. This is Franklin's normal morning routine, not so much for me though. What caught my attention this morning was the warmth and heaviness of the air. Even though the temperature was in the 30's and there was no sun to be found, it smelled like Spring. 


I know Franklin felt the shift in the air too because he was super excited about his walk. We saw a few other doggie friends and he even played and ran with them, which almost never happens. 


Coats, gloves and scarves are still required for now, but it makes me feel better to know that before long flowers will be blooming and I can shift from a heavy coat to a light wind breaker. Right now, that sounds like heaven. 

Sunny days, sweepin' the clouds away...

As Franklin and I stepped outside for our walk this morning, the sun came out to greet us. It stayed with us for the entire walk and is still shining. It was warm and bright and oh so lovely. 


We are suppose to get more snow tonight and it's suppose to be super windy for the next few days, but if the sun comes to visit again, it will all be fine. Happy Wednesday everyone!

A Companion for Franklin?...

For the past three years,  probably... maybe longer, my husband and I have debated getting another dog. We debate the ins and outs of a new dog, like who is going to get up in the middle of the night to take the puppy out, or how do you crate train one dog while the other one stays free, or how do we keep Franklin from being jealous. 


Most of the questions we debate are easily answered, which is why we think an older dog would be ideal, but for me, my biggest concern is Franklin. How will a new dog affect my little guy. How will we bring another dog into Franklin's house and make him understand that this dog is here for good. I worry about other things like size compatibility and temperament and sleeping arrangements... and.... and... and..., it could go on forever. The idea of getting another dog is exhausting and we haven't even moved beyond the discussion phase. 


I imagine these are the same kind of conversations that people have before they have another child. Although I am not comparing my dog to a kid, he is like a kid to me and I worry about his well-being and happiness.  


**As a side note, my blog has really become a Franklin blog but I promise that there will be more than just Franklin happening around our house as soon as Spring gets here. 

Doggie Regression {Around the House}...

I'm not sure if it's the cold, the left over snow or the lack of sunshine, but over the past two weeks my lovely little dog has regressed back to his stubborn, obstinate teenage phase. I completely understand his frustration with the snow as it has taken over every sidewalk in our neighborhood and has forced us to walk in the road with the salt and brine mix which hurts his feet. I also understand his frustration with the cold because I too feel angry when I have to put on 4 layers of clothes just to walk down the street to go get the mail. And, I completely understand his frustration with little or no sunshine for weeks on end. Franklin is a part beagle so he loves to lay in the warm sunshine while he naps the day away. 


But, for the past two week Franklin, who is 5, has decided that he is not going to listen to anything I say. Walks that use to be enjoyable are now full of me telling him to get out of the middle of the road or me saying "no, this way." Then when we get home he refuses to come inside and finally when he does he stands and stares at me for minutes on end with his super hateful "I'm mad at you" look. Trust me, when you see the look you know he's mad at you. 

This phase is definitely not as bad as the original teenage phase was, but I am ready for this regression to end. I am also hoping for more sunshine, warmer temperatures and Spring to come soon. Until then, Franklin and I will continue to go on walks and I will try to be more patient with him. 

Winter Olympics {Around the House} ...

The next two weeks will be a very exciting time around our house... it's Winter Olympics time. My husband loves the Olympics in general, but he is definitely more infatuated with the Winter version. I admit, I enjoy the Olympics too. I find it amazing that snowboarders can be as graceful as figure skaters - I've been snowboarding and trust me, I was not graceful - how hard on the knees the moguls must be and how devoted these athletes are to their sports even though they do not earn the multi-million dollar salaries that other athletes do.

Even as I watch these athletes in wonder, I am nowhere near the fan that my husband is. He was positively giddy as short-track Speed Skating started on Saturday night and last night as the American's raced in the finale of Snowboardcross he was yelling the play-by-play to me as I watched Franklin from our doorway as he went outside to go to the bathroom. Occasionally, Franklin will look at me in disgust as his Popi jumps off the couch and yells at the t.v.. I simply tell him that it's Olympics week and even though I don't think he really understands, he seems to accept that as a good answer and walks away. Happy Winter Olympics everyone!

Snow hibernation...

After the big snowstorm last weekend, the D.C. area was blanketed again last Monday with more snow. My house ended up with an additional 10 inches, which brought our total to... well.... a lot. With all the snow on the ground and the roads, Franklin, my husband and I went into hibernation mode. 

Very little was done around our house last week. We made dinner a few nights, but mostly ate leftovers and frozen pizza's, I think I vacuumed once and did the dishes once or twice. It was nice to have a week full of nothing to do and nowhere to go, but next time that we have 7 days together with nothing going on, I would like to go on a vacation to somewhere warm with frozen drinks instead of staying inside with three feet of snow outside.

Today, though, we decided to leave the house and rejoin civilization. The roads are decent around town, but it's iffy going into our neighborhood. Poor Franklin is still a little traumatized by the snow when it comes to going outside to go to the bathroom and I know he missed his dog walking pals this week. Hopefully, all of this beautiful snow will continue to melt and in it's place flowers will bloom. But, until then, it looks like we are going to get more snow in a few days. *Sigh*  

*These pictures were taken on a Winter day a few weeks ago when it was sunny and much warmer. 

Snowpocalypse Day 2...

Last night, we let Franklin out to go to the bathroom before bed and the snow was already up to his belly. The look he gave us was one of complete annoyance. Since then, we have had many, many more inches of snow. My husband and doggie went out this morning to shovel more snow. This kind of turned into a block party with all of our neighbors joining in the shoveling fun. Franklin and his favorite doggie friend, Kaya, played in the snow and had a great time. While the boys were outside freezing, I stayed inside and made a bacon and cheese quiche and homemade hot cocoa. Yum....

This afternoon, the boys braved the cold once again to shovel the driveway. Although Franklin was exhausted, he jumped up the second that I asked him if he wanted to go outside again. I'm not sure what the total numbers are right now. But, I know that we have a lot of snow and we are running out of places to put it. 

Snowpocalypse 2010...

Well, the snow storm of my lifetime has struck... We are a few hours into what is being referred to in my household as Snowpocalypse 2010. All week we have been hearing about what was coming. Total snow amounts varied from 8 inches to 24 inches. Finally, today as the snow began the weather guys decided that we would end up with roughly 30 inches of snow on the ground. 30 inches!!! I can't even imagine what that will look like. In anticipation of the 30 inches, my husband and I are settling in for a long cozy weekend.

Here is just a preview of all of the snow pictures I will take. This is my beloved shoveling the driveway in an attempt to "stay ahead of it." And of course, I had to get Franklin playing in the snow in there.

          

This final picture was taken about 5 minutes after my husband finished shoveling that part of the driveway. Besides the shoveling, around here it will be a lovely weekend full of reading, watching movies (Food Inc. I hope), and spending time on the couch. Happy Weekend everyone!

Doggie Snow Angels...

As I rolled out of bed and put on my many layers of clothing to take Franklin on his walk, I thought about the warm days of Spring and Summer ahead. I thought about the warm sunshine on my face and the warm breeze that smells like fresh flowers. I thought about Spring dresses and wearing cute flats instead of my bulky boots.  But, as I looked out the window I quickly realized that we had another few inches of snow on the ground and that it is in fact ... still winter.

Over the weekend we had about 8 inches of snow and of course, I had to take my favorite little dog out to play in it. Franklin loves the snow. He will run all over the place with his nose stuck to the ground and then when he's found the perfect spot, he rolls and rolls in it. He will lay on his back and wiggle from side to side making doggie snow angels. It's so funny to watch and almost makes the cold, gray, snowy days of winter worth it. 

Since this winter has been very hard on his skin, Franklin has to have a bath once a week with a special medicated shampoo. This week, I bathed him on Sunday so he would have enough time on Saturday to play in the snow and get it out of his system. Let me tell you, that didn't work. After giving him a bath and making sure he was dry, I let him out to go to the bathroom and the very first thing he did was lay down in the snow. He is such a funny dog that it is hard to be mad at him when he does things like that.

This weekend we are expected to get more snow. If this does happen, I'm sure our weekend plans will be full of doggie snow angels.

Road trip...

Happy Monday everyone! A few weeks back, I met my younger (I don't use little because he is not little and has never been) brother in Auburn, AL. We went to Auburn to explore the town and of course, Auburn University. My brother, who has already had a life full of experiences in his short 25 years, has been accepted to Auburn to continue with his Marine Biology degree. 

We had such a fun time running around town and exploring what BB's (Baby Boy is my nickname for him, it is something that my Mom still calls him) life will be like beginning Fall 2010. We both loved the town, the people and of course the campus. Everyone was so nice and just excited to be at Auburn. 

This is BB in front of one of the Science buildings. He will spend most of his time in the four Science buildings, which look really new and fancy. This will be a wonderful place for him to continue to learn about marine life and indulge in his favorite past time, scuba diving. 

I'm really excited for my brother and a little jealous that he is going to Auburn. I've already gone through all of the school that I want to go through, but I have to admit that while we were in Auburn, part of me wanted to go back. Going to the campus bookstore, the student center, and seeing the football stadium made me long for the seemingly carefree college life, and definitely made me want to go back to school. When I texted my husband and told him I wanted to go to Auburn, his reply was "I thought that might happen." All I could do was smile and know that my days at school are over for now. But, I can't wait to go back to Auburn to visit BB and watch some SEC football. 

Weekly Reflection...

This time last year, I had a job that kept me in a small room with three other people all day and usually part of the night. I was working 10-12 hour days everyday, and many time I would work the same schedule from home on the weekend. Not only did the work schedule stink, but I was basically the complaint department in my office. If someone didn't like something we did, they spoke with me. They would call me to yell at me and call me nasty names, or e-mail me and of course call me really nasty names, or sometimes they would send letters and yell at me and, again, call me nasty names.  


To put  it mildly, I was a sad girl who was losing faith in the human race.  Not only was my fellow man disappointing me, but I was willingly sacrificing everything wonderful in my life to prove to myself and everyone around me, that I could do it all. I wanted to prove that I was worth having this job and I was able to do the job of three people (before I got there, three people did my job). 


In many ways, I am a strong-willed person who doesn't really care what others think of me. However, this feeling goes away when it comes to proving myself needlessly. In many instances, mainly academic and work related situations, I feel like I have to prove that I am smart enough and good enough (I know, it sounds like a Stuart Smalley lead in) to be doing what I'm doing. But, as one of my colleagues told me before I left my job, this ends up undermining my ability to do my job and my lack of confidence and need to prove myself doesn't allow for growth and just ends up taking up my time.  


I tell you all of this because I have learned that sometimes what your are looking for isn't where you are looking for it or when you are looking for it. I have learned that sacrificing everything you love for a job that was killing your spirit, isn't ok.  But most of all, I have learned that the only approval I need is my own. 


On another note, I left my job last May and have been looking for another job off and on since then. My criteria for a job has changed and as my brother pointed out last weekend, I've become more picky. 

Weekly reflection...

Here we are at the end of another week. I hope it was a good one for you. Around here we are getting back to a sense of normalcy and continuing to put life back together. There are days where the past few months seem like a far away dream that never could've happened, and then there are days where you continually ask yourself if you did everything you could have. But, what I'm coming to realize is something I heard on a rerun of Scrubs last weekend (sometimes they have good philosophical moments). Anyway, what I'm learning is sometimes the bad guy is a disease that you were never going to beat. No matter how hard we fought for her or how hard she fought, my mother-in-law wasn't going to beat lung cancer. It was too far along and we weren't strong enough to beat it, but we all did the best we could.

Amazingly enough, life goes on and the days and weeks continue to speed by. As we close another busy week, I hope during these cold days of winter you are able to find some sunshine to enjoy and you are warm and cozy this weekend. I will be heading to Auburn, AL to spend time with my younger brother as we explore Auburn University. I'm super excited about it and will make sure to take lots of picture. Happy Friday everyone!

Appliance Lovin'...

Let me tell you about my favorite appliance at the moment. Actually, it's been my favorite since the day we bought it a year and a half ago. It's our Keurig, the coffee, tea, hot cocoa maker, or whatever other drink you want maker. Well, almost any other drink, I say almost because it doesn't do lattes, cappuccinos or things that involves milk, but it does make quick, good tasting coffee and tea.

The best part are the little K-cups. This is how you make coffee, tea or hot cocoa. You just open the top of the Keurig and put the K-cup in and hit the brew button, about 30 seconds later you have your hot drink and are ready to walk out the door. You don't have to mess with a filter or coffee grounds, the K-cup is self-contained, so the clean up is so easy. There are also tons of K-Cups out there and many coffee shops are coming out with their own. You can buy them where you buy the Keurig or there are many websites where K-cups are sold. I also love it because you can set it to turn on at a specific time and turn off after a designated time period.

The Keurig also lets you make the drink in a variety of sizes from small tea cups to large travel mugs, depending on what Keurig you have. The Keurigs come in a variety of sizes too. There is a new Mini, which is perfect for a single cup at a time, all the way to the Platinum which also makes cold beverages like lemonade or tea. I use my Keurig several times a day, especially in the winter and love, love, love it.

Doggie Tales...

Yesterday morning I was running around the house unpacking things and putting stuff away, when I turned around and saw Franklin dreaming about his farm dog days. From October until last week, Franklin had been able to go outside whenever he wanted and run on a nine acre farm with two other farm dogs and a farm cat.  He was in heaven as he bounded up the hills with his ears flapping in the wind and his nose in the air smelling all of the new and different smells. The snow didn't hurt his enthusiasm for country living either.

When I saw him staring out the window yesterday, I know he was wanting someone to let him out so he could freely run, smell and pee on everything he could find. I know adjusting to city life again will take some time for him, so in the mean time my goal is to take him to the dog park more often and to take him on more walks. I think this is the least I can do since he has been such a trooper over the hardest months of our lives.

During our most trying times, he was a protector, a comforter, a snuggler, an entertainer, and just a really great dog. So here is to more walks and more trips to the dog park in 2010. I hope everyone has a great New Year and has someone, even if it's a dog, who is all of these things to you.  Happy New Year!

Putting life back together

Two days ago, I walked into my home for the first time in almost 11 weeks. As I drove through my neighborhood I was amazed how surreal everything looked. I had thought about this moment for weeks and wondered how I would feel as I walked back into my life. Physically speaking very little had changed in our neighborhood. But, as I sat in my car in the garage I teared up. I was thankful to be home but also nervous about what the future holds.

As I sat there, I thought about how much my husband and I have both grown and matured. Really, I think even our dog has matured. He went from a city dog to a farm dog. Although I know he loved being a farm dog, he reverted back to his city dog roots and come inside when it got cold or rainy or was anything less than abundantly sunny.

Going back to human growth in unfortunate circumstances...my husband and I don't have kids, and besides our super-fantastic dog, we haven't really had anything to take care so when it became apparent that we were going to be the main care takers for my husband's mom as she struggled with and eventually succumbed to lung cancer it forced us both to grow up. It forced us to really put other people first and be more patient and understanding people. For me, this experience has made me a more empathetic and compassionate person and with the new year coming up my goal is to continue these traits.

I would also like to remember everyday to be thankful. Not everyday will be perfect and in fact, some will be downright hard but there is always something to be thankful for.

Thankful for...

Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so. 

-Robert Green Ingersoll

It's been a while since I've posted and a lot has changed in my life. My family and I have lost an important member of our family, a main pillar really. And while we are still searching for meaning in all of this and trying to develop a new sense of normal, it's also still  important for all of us to remember what we are thankful for. Today, I am thankful for family. 

My husband and I have a great family who has pulled together to help us care for his Mom while she was battling Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. With the help of hospice we were able to care for her at home and make her as comfortable as possible, but that didn't make the situation easier.  Since my mother-in-law passed away our family has remained strong and supportive of one another. 

As we prepare to travel home after the holidays, the memories I hope take with me from the past few months is how our families have supported us and when we were weak they were strong and vice versa. I also hope that we always remember that although this has been a difficult time, we are blessed to have one another.

My World Cup Dream...

Ever since I was a little girl I've loved soccer. I remember the first World Cup games I watched in 1994. I was in eighth grade and it made me want to go for a run and get into shape so I could try out for the high school soccer team. Unfortunately though, that enthusiasm faded and I never tried out for high school soccer. 

I haven't kept up on my soccer as much in recent years, but when I heard the World Cup in 2010 is going to be in South Africa - somewhere I really to go - I started making plans. But, my husband and my mom were not as excited as I was about going to South Africa. So, after some comprises and a promise that for my 30th birthday we will go to Paris, I have now accepted that my World Cup experience will occur in front of the T.V. instead.

Last month, I was watching the news when I heard that the last World Cup qualifier game for the USA team was going to be at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. I immediately told my husband that I had to go. I was so excited about it that my wonderful husband bought me tickets the next day. 

So, on a cold and dreary October evening I got a little piece of my World Cup dream.  The energy and excitement was amazing. In a city where political affiliations can determine your friendships, last night, everyone, except for the Costa Rica fans, was a part of Team U.S.A.   

After a hard fought first half, Team U.S.A was down 2-0. But, late in the second half, Team U.S.A was reenergized by scoring one goal around the 71st minute and in the final moments of the game the U.S team scored again, tying the score at 2-2.  

Although this has been a hard week for Team U.S.A, with the absence of teammate Charlie Davies after he was involved in a very serious car accident early Tuesday morning in D.C. They played a great game and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of the excitement. I look forward to watching Team U.S.A win in South Africa next Summer. 

Food, Friends and Family...

Last weekend, my husband and I traveled to Missouri to see our families, and throw an anniversary party for my parents. We spent most of the weekend cooking and eating, but it was a wonderful time and a great fall weekend.  

When we landed the temperature was a brisk 46 degrees, a stark contrast to the 80 degrees it was suppose to be in Northern VA that day. Our first stop in Missouri was lunch at Sonic, my favorite fast-food place. The closest one to us in VA is 45 minutes away and it's definitely something I miss from home.

After lunch, we spent the next hour helping my brother with his chemistry homework. I didn't so much as help as watch TV while my husband and my brother discussed chemistry equations and formulas.

For the anniversary party, I decided on a Fall theme. The weather in Missouri has been fall-like for several weeks now so it was perfect. I put together a menu full of fall dishes like butternut squash soup, harvest vegetables, honey glazed carrots, creamy spinach, baked mac-n-cheese and steaks, pork loin and hamburgers.

The best part, though, was the cake we had for dessert. About a month ago, I asked my brother to find a picture of my parents and their wedding cake. I thought it would be fun to have a replica made for the party. My brother found the perfect picture and I contacted Sonja of Celebrations by Sonja. She did the cake for my wedding and my family and I have been looking for an excuse to get another one. The cake was vanilla with a strawberry cream filling like my wedding cake. It was a beautiful cake and it tasted even better than I remembered.

The party was a great success. It was an evening full of laughing, looking at old pictures and catching up. Our families had a great time and I know my parents were so excited to see everyone. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next party.

Cake by Celebrations by Sonja

Friday Fall Finds...

The end of another week is upon us.  This week was full of abundant sunshine and wonderfully cool weather. When the weather began to cool down a few weeks ago, I started looking for a cute pair of wrist warmers or fingerless gloves. I really like fingerless gloves and wrist warmers because they make doggie duty so much easier, but they still keep my forever cold hands warm. I found the perfect pair from NataJane who sells these adorable wrist warmers at her Etsy shop. These are adorable and will definitely not work for doggie duty. 

Photos credits: NataJane

My book-love...

"Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book." 

Stephan Mallarme, French poet, 1842-189

I love books, all types of books. I love walking into a bookstore or the public library and looking at books.  When I'm flipping through a book, I imagine all of the hard work, the worry, and the sleepless nights that each author put into each word and idea of a book.  I use to spend hours scouring the New York Times Bestsellers list and the Barnes & Noble Bestsellers list in search of my next great read.  I don't have the time now to hunt for my next book and I think this is actually a good thing because I think in my obsession to find great books, I missed a lot of really good books that would've meant a lot to me.  

   Last weekend, my favorite radio show, This American Life discussed "The Book that Changed My Life".  This program got me thinking about the books I've read and if any of them had changed my life.  I finally decided that there are a lot of books that have had an impact on my life.  But, I'm not sure if there is one that has drastically changed it. My current book-love is A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg.

I love this book because it is a heart-warming walk through the important moments in Molly's life as told through food. These are experiences that most of us have had (although I have yet to go to Paris) but what I really loved about the book was being able to catch a glimpse of another person's important moments. Also, Molly's descriptions of her father's love for Paris touched my heart and made me want to hop on a plane and go straight to a cafe for a pain au chocolat and a croissant. This book is warm and lovely and if you're looking for a book to snuggle up with at the end of a long day, this is your book.