Planting Seeds

I have had a nice break for the last three weeks from school.  In that time, I have cleaned the house a bit more, organized a few things, shaved the dogs, spent a few days in Vegas (for the third month in a row!), and watched the most recent season of Survivor that was on my DVR waiting... and was probably my favorite season EVER!  It has been fantastic!  During this time, I have been contemplating upcoming changes - and wondering how soon I should start making those.  I feel like sooner is going to be better than later, so I've started putting things into place for a possible move this Fall, all the while, carrying on here as usual, in case I end up staying for the winter still.  It really depends on how quickly and easily things fall into place for this.

Saturday morning during my last two hours before I started my predictable schedule that will rule my life for the next 2 months, I decided (with some hesitation) to actually plant my garden.  I can't believe I'm starting this late, because the growing season in Idaho is not long, and I won't have much time to harvest, and may end up leaving it somewhere in the middle ... before it's all cleaned up and done.  Those thoughts made me recognize the hesitation that I have had in planting a garden this year.  It came as a question:  Is it worth planting when I might not be here to harvest?  

I really had to think about that ... I mean, my life is busy, and pretty focused on myself and my dogs and what things I need to survive at this point. I say I don't always have time for too many things beyond survival right now because I'm in Graduate School full time and working full time on top of it.  It makes sense to cut out the things that aren't necessary.   But then I also think of how nice it was to have fresh fruits and veggies that I'd grown last year, how much money it saved me over the course of the summer, and how much I was able to share with neighbors!  This process made me think of one of my favorite poems:

I thought that this concept might apply to so many other areas of life as well ... How often do we start things that may benefit others more than they will benefit us?  How often are we willing to put that effort in when we may not reap the rewards at the end?  Is it really worth it?  I really believe in the "Law of the Harvest - you reap what you sow".  Some people call this Karma.  Whatever you want to call it, I have watched it work - not always immediately, but eventually, so that is a motivation to try harder sometimes.

I guess ultimately, I really do want to be the kind of person that is willing to put the time and effort into something, even though I may not reap the rewards of that.  Someone else will, and sometimes paying it forward is enough.  So I planted.

Skydiving!

What a fun week I had in Vegas, visiting friends, helping with and attending my sister's wedding, and even dating a bit.  The week flew by, and I was very busy!  Then Saturday and Sunday came, and everyone went home except for me.  My "vacation after the vacation" started, and I was finally able to spend some time in the pool and the sun, and dating more!  I had an unexpected opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for years, so I took it.  Imagine my surprise when he agreed to go with me!  Not many of my really close friends are actually able or willing to do my crazy life activities with me, so this might have been a first... Here are some pics from the week...

Finally able to breathe again!

Well things are slowly getting put back together, and I feel like I can finally breathe some days!  I didn't realize just how "backed into the corner" I have been feeling this year - it kind of snuck up on me this time, so when I had a last minute thought pop into my head, I followed it!  I ended up working through my first 3 days last week, so I could take the weekend off and go to Las Vegas!  What a great trip that was!  I left the house as-is, put the dogs in day care, threw a few clothes together, and went for a 10-hour drive, to spend a weekend with my sister, a couple of friends, and the SUNSHINE!!! 

I enjoyed a great sunny drive, and I was able to be there to support Brenda, my sister with her final dress-fitting, and then attend her bridal shower the next day, in preparation for her wedding in a month.  It is so fun to see how excited she is through all of this!  She is going to be a beautiful bride and I can't wait to be there!

Another big "bonus" on this trip was meeting an old friend for lunch, and finding that he really is as easy to spend time with as he is to talk to in e-mail and text!  Got together with Brenda and another friend, David for dinner that night and was surprised that we actually got COLD while eating dinner outside (for 3 hours!) before we were finished.  So I took a chance and invited both guys to go out the next night and walk around the Strip together for a while.  They both wanted to go, and we all had a GREAT time!  Fun to discover that this old friend I am getting to know well for the first time also likes to laugh and enjoy life as much as I do!  I haven't felt these feelings in many years!  It was a whirl-wind trip and went way too fast!  After a few hours sleep, it was time to load up and head home.  I spent the last morning laying on a blanket in the park in the SUN with this new friend, and enjoyed just talking, laughing, sharing stories, and soaking up the sun for 3 hours!  It was over WAY TOO FAST, but what a great time we had!  I can't wait to go back for the wedding in a month, and spend more time with family and friends!  This was exactly the break I needed!

Losses and Life

Years ago when I was in my teens, I came across a quote that really struck me, so I copied and kept it.  I do not remember where I found it or who the author is, but here is the quote:

What would I have done differently in my 20's and 30's if I had known then what I know now?  For one thing, I would have laughed more; seen more Laurel and Hardy movies.  And I would have grieved less.  I would have understood earlier that not all losses are permanent and that some things lost were not worth keeping.

I would have taken more time to note the changing seasons.  ("Can you believe it?" an elderly friend asked me one spring day.  "Can you believe that even if I live to be a hundred, I will see all this only 100 times?")

I would have been more daring.  Emotionally daring, that is; in the spirit of Eudora Welty's observation that "all serious daring starts from within."

I would have understood sooner how profoundly satisfying the ordinary transactions of daily life can be:  the perfect cup of morning coffee; the son shouting down "Good night!" from his room; the ginger-colored cat caught napping in a triangle of sunlight.

Over the years, I have lost many things in my life...  I have lost my keys, I have lost money, I have lost weight, I have lost good friends and family, some of whom never knew what they meant to me.  I have lost a few years of pictures and journal entries from a crashed hard drive.  At times I have lost my faith and religion, and my belief that most people really are trying to do their best in this life.  I've even lost my mind a time or two!

Through it all, I have often reflected on the lessons from the quote above, and especially the line that I memorized in my teens:  "I would have understood earlier that not all losses are permanent and that some things lost were not worth keeping."  Through some of my more devastating losses, this has brought me comfort, as I reflect on the hope that line brings.  I often wonder - is this something that will eventually come back to me, or is it something that was not worth keeping, but I had failed to recognize or acknowledge that?  Sometimes we don't know until years later just how much of a blessing some losses can be!  I find great comfort that in the middle of things, it is worth hanging onto that belief that indeed many of these losses do find their way back, and that when they don't, sometimes our lives end up better than if they had!

I just want my life back!

This week is going to be a BUSY one, and I'm hoping I get everything done ok, and maybe THEN I can reclaim my life.  Grad School is no picnic most days, but having to do a semester's worth of clinical hours in 2 months instead of 4 has had me on my toes.  It was supposed to be done by the 28th of February, but I'm extending by hopefully just one week.  I have almost 24 hours left to put in at the clinic, which doesn't sound like much until you figure in all of the other things I HAVE to do this week - like a major exam and clinical forms for the summer.  Oh and I picked up an extra shift at work (4 hours) because I thought I would be done by now.  Good times.

I set aside everything in my life for 2 months to do these clinical hours - I had done all of the stock-up shopping so I wouldn't run out of anything that wasn't perishable during this time, and so I was able to strip everything out of my life that didn't NEED to be there, for 2 months.  But now the 2 months are over, and my life is not yet back on track...the hours just keep dragging on!!!  This last week, I noticed things were starting to "break down" - I was wearing clothes out of the dryer for half the week instead of folding them and putting them away.  The house needs to be deep-cleaned desperately!  This light brush-over isn't covering it anymore.  Some areas need to be scrubbed, others could use some paint touch-up.  The yard needs to be picked up.  We are running out of supplies and I need to make a run to Costco, which ends up being a few hours because I have to go to Pocatello (52 miles one-way).  I want to start my seedlings for the garden this summer, and they need 8-12 weeks before you plant them in the ground...that's NOW.  I need to get in better shape for my sister's wedding in a month (ie...losing the extra 15 lbs that I gained last semester!).  My DVR is almost full.  And the dogs are STINKY!

A few weeks ago I had one of the dogs with me in PetSmart, and we met another Golden Retriever who was very friendly.  As I got close, I was embarrassed for the owner because her dog was STINKY.  You could smell him from 4 feet away!  I didn't want to pet him and have my hands stink with another dog's smell.  I judged her harshly in my mind even though we had a nice conversation.  Now I am that owner!  I don't dare take my dogs in public right now!  It's embarrassing!  They both need baths badly, and a nice trim would be good too.  And they are both neglected.  So sad.

Catching up on school work would also be helpful.  Time to actually learn the things that I want to remember longer than the exam.

So many things...It's really motivating me to get these hours DONE so I can reclaim my life and make it not only look better, but be functional again!!!

Bleary Eyed but Alive!

I didn't realize how long it has been since I wrote, so let me take a brief minute, in my too-tired-to-effectively-study-so-let's-write-on-my-blog state...because THAT'S a good idea!

Alabama in November was fantastic!  I passed the big exams, and I'm off and running this semester with clinical time, seeing and treating patients.  Graduate school to become a Nurse Practitioner is not easy, but someday it will be worth it!  I am learning so much, and that part I love, but the every-day reality part is tough.  Right now I have logged just over 200 hours in the clinic seeing and treating patients since the beginning of January.  That is in addition to studying and my full-time job.  I basically have a few hours Monday afternoons usually to clean house, do laundry, shopping and cooking for the week.  It would be easier if I could still live on fast food, but alas, I have had to go gluten-free for my health, which necessitates cooking at home.  My poor pups suffer the most I think, but they are hanging in there.  I am so thankful to my awesome neighbors who play with them when I can't.  I am also glad it's winter, so everyone is in hibernation mode...that helps a little.

So what have I learned?  I have learned that with faith, all things are possible when we are following the Lord's plan for us.  I have learned to take things one day at a time, to be present in the moment and do what I can, and to not think too far ahead.  I have learned that planning and discipline make almost anything possible.  I have learned that choosing priorities and living by them is the key to accomplishing anything worthwhile.  I have learned that I am a happier person when I get enough sleep, and that when I don't get enough sleep, I tend to catastrophize everything around me.  I have learned that while I feel alone and insignificant sometimes, I really do have so many people that have popped into my life and been willing to do whatever they could to help me along in my pursuits.  I have learned that this can only be a blessing from a loving God who knows me individually, and knows what I need, and blesses me with the people and places that make these things possible.  I have learned that with faith, I can do anything He asks me to do.  I don't always see the path before me, but as I walk, it somehow appears.

Forgiveness and Love…

I have struggled for a few years with forgiving, which is something I haven’t had a really hard time with prior to this time in my life.  I’m not sure why it has been so difficult this time.  I’ve read and listened to the things that have helped me in the past to just let it go.  Then, last week when I was reading my novel, something struck me to the core.  The daughter in my novel had been raised by her father after her mother left them when she was five years old.  As an adult asking her father about it, the daughter made a comment that he must really hate her mother because of what she had done, and his response was, “Yes, almost as much as I love her.”

That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks… all this time I have focused on the pain that I have gone through, and the injustices done to me.  I have honored requests to stay out of people’s lives.  What I finally realized is that even though these situations have hurt terrifically, I once had great love for those that I have struggled to forgive, and perhaps that great love is still present in some form.  And maybe I can finally forgive BECAUSE of that love, not in spite of it.  For some reason, recognizing that love and honoring requests because I love them instead of because I feel rejected or hurt by them makes it seem softer, not so difficult to forgive.

Blessings amidst the chaos of life

As I watch the news and reflect on the happenings of the world and of my own life, I see how often momentary lapses in judgment can take a person down a path that they never intended.  At times in my life, I have found myself headed down those paths...what seems like something benign can actually lead to a place that was never intended or imagined from the beginning.  One thing seems to be common though... The good consequences don't happen by accident...they take work and constant effort, and the bad places we find ourselves usually happen by making poor choices or taking an easy path...not putting forth the effort to stay away or having the courage to say no.  Sometimes they are a result of deep pain, lashing out or "proving" that we can make that decision, sometimes they come from curiosity and wonder.  Coming back from those places is never an easy path, and staying out of those places that cause pain seems to be a constant battle for some people.

Just the other day I was talking with a member of my family who said, "Of course you are doing well and everything because I know you don't do anything wrong!"  I had to smile.  First, I think every person needs someone who looks at them and only sees the good.  That is truly a blessing!  But more important, it is also good to have people who know the good and the bad, and choose to believe and focus on the good, and encourage from that place of strength.  So many of the people I see on the news have family and friends that don't believe their family member is capable of the poor choices they make, but it's obvious they were.  We all are at some point.  But choosing better is what brings us true growth and happiness on this path of life.

We all go through difficult times, when we think the sun shines on everyone around us but wonder if it will ever shine on us again.  Just these last 2 or 3 weeks for me have been a struggle, but I keep getting up and moving forward.  Some days are better than others, and that is life.  I need to be more grateful for the days that really are better than others, instead of constantly watching the "rain" in my life.

With that in mind, I want to take a moment to recognize a few of the blessings for which I am grateful...

• I am thankful for my health.  The more I study the body and disease, the more I am so thankful for my health.  I completely took it for granted in my earlier years, but appreciate it more and more with every year!
• I am thankful for my cute pups that make me smile every day.
• I am thankful for food at home, and a home for that matter.  
• I am thankful for the sunshine yesterday, even if I only saw it for a little while.
• I am so thankful for my current job that I enjoy, and that is helping me through school!
• I am thankful for a mind that works, and for the opportunity I have to go back to school at my age and advance my profession a little more.  I never thought I would be here, but again, small choices at critical times can make a big difference in the path we land on...then it's just a matter of walking down that path a while.
• I am thankful for my faith in God, in my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the hope I have in the future.  He is the one that has made my life possible as it is now, and who gives me inner peace in a world of chaos and despair.

I have come to realize that it doesn't always matter if we have the things in life that we always thought we would have, or if life ends up the way we plan.  Most often it seems like it doesn't.  But that doesn't mean we can't be happy in the moment, or come to appreciate the things we have today.  I need to remember this more often in my life, and be thankful for what I can do, and what I do have instead of focusing on the things that I want, or that I think I don't have.

Updates on the pups...

Wow...what a drag that last post was!  I will try to make this one a little more uplifting!  I noticed that I seem to do my better work in the wee hours of the morning instead of the afternoon...clearly afternoons should be reserved for naps and NOT composing new blog posts!


So a brief update on my pups.  I kept the two blonde dogs - Sadie and Addie.  Roxy (the black one in previous posts) found a fantastic home where she is loved and spoiled, and last I heard she was doing very well there!  And I don't have black hair to deal with around the house...another bonus.  Sadie and Addie are so very different from each other and most days they get along like sisters, but they seem to be good friends.

Sadie (6 yrs old now!) seems to be the alpha most days (after me of course!)... she gets fed first, and barges right in and throws her weight around when she really wants something.  She will indeed knock Addie right out of the way to get it.  But she also listens and obeys better, and is the one who is more in-tune with people around her, instead of loving everyone just because they are alive.  She is one dog who can truly hold a grudge.  Not every dog can...especially not lab/golden mixes...but Sadie can!  Sadie was 1 1/2 yrs when I got her off of a farm close to my parent's home.  She had been neglected quite a bit and did not seem bonded to her owners at all.  A few years ago when I was back visiting my parents, we were outside by the car, and Sadie's former owner rode by on a horse with one of her friends.  I could hear them talking together and the girl who had once owned Sadie asked her friend... "Is that Kate?"  (That was Sadie's name before I got her).  They both looked but Sadie NEVER acknowledged them...didn't even look at them, so they rode off thinking it must not have been her.  Here's what I know about Sadie... She ALWAYS knows who is around her, and doesn't just ignore people.  She usually looks and barks if she wants to.  The fact that she did not even look at them is more telling than anything else.  Yes, she knew exactly who they were, and she did not like them.  She was, however, very interested in saying hi to the dog who was with them, whom she seemed to recognize.  It really made me wonder if it was one of her puppies.  But when they left, and their dog followed them, she did not, but stuck very close to me instead.

   

Addie, on the other hand, is all dog...she is 4 years old now, and while she is starting to turn white around her mouth and eyes, she still acts like a puppy!  She has the sweetest body waggle that she can't contain when someone she loves comes over!  She is happy to be alive, loves everyone who looks at her, and is my stubborn little drama queen.  She is accident prone sometimes (maybe because she doesn't think of consequences like Sadie seems to), so when I have her out on the mountain and she runs like crazy, she also comes home with injured pads on her feet, and sore muscles that make it impossible for her to pee for a period of time (24 hours being the longest so far).  She is a bit OCD, and likes patterns and things a certain way.  She likes to "walk" herself by carrying her own leash if I will let her.  She also likes a baby (stuffed animal) or bone in her mouth for security when she needs it.  Consequently, she will often be found sleeping with at least 3 or 4 babies all around her.  While she doesn't get the first bone - that goes to Sadie, she is very observant, and waits for Sadie to take her eyes off of her bone for a minute, and next thing I know, Addie has both bones, and Sadie has none.  She will also sleep with them instead of consuming them right away like Sadie does...then she has one later when Sadie is all out of them.  She chases bubbles, light beams, and used to bring snails inside to play with later (thank goodness she got over that after her first year!)...and she loves to play with kids!  I had left them once at my friend's home with their 3 young girls, and when I came back to get them, Sadie came right away.  When I couldn't find Addie, I walked upstairs to see her sitting as one of the members forming a circle, playing dress-up with the kids.  She was wearing a cape, and sitting at a tea-party with them!  She just looked up at me like she wasn't ready to come home yet!  She also plays hide and seek with the kids...you can put her on a "sit/stay" and go hide anywhere...then call her when you are hidden and she will look until she finds you.  She's pretty good at it, and absolutely LOVES it!  Anything that keeps her involved with everyone is what she wants to do.

 They are such sweet pups, and have added a dimension to my life that I am thankful for, even with the added responsibility. 

Most Days...

Most days I am happy to be alive.  I feel productive, useful and energetic, and I recognize that I am blessed beyond measure.

Most days I am settled in my current life.  I recognize that I made a choice years ago to be single when I left my husband, and I knew that decision could mean that I may be single for a very long time...maybe always.  I was happy with the decision, because I was so unhappy with the alternative.  I have never doubted that decision.

Most days I love being alone...I love time to myself, controlling the remote, choosing what I want for dinner, choosing what to do with my time, working on my own projects and cleaning up after myself when I want to.  I like picking my own clothes up off the floor, doing my own laundry, not having to clean the house every single day, and the joy of running to the grocery store and back within 30 minutes!  I even enjoy days sometimes when I don't have to talk to anyone.

Most days I am patient and understanding.  I truly do understand when something comes up, or when a grocery line takes a long time to get through, or when things don't go as planned.  I am resourceful, quick to find alternatives, or patient through the process.  I know what to do and can offer help, knowing that sometimes that is not always what someone needs, and that's ok.  I have no problem standing down and going back to my own plans.

Most days I can do it all, and sometimes even impress myself in the process!

Then there are some days...when I do not feel wanted / needed / loved.  When the burdens of being alone seem to stack up higher than the advantages.  When it seems monumental that the responsibility of providing for myself and my pups financially, emotionally and physically is too much.  When I can't keep the house clean enough and the yard taken care of, when I can't catch up with school work, and when I just don't seem to ever have enough of a break to recover.  When working takes so much energy, and driving takes so much time, and walking the dogs even seems hard.

Some days I feel so completely alone...with no one to talk to or share the burden with at the end of the day.  When I go to the one place that always welcomes me without fail, and find that I feel forgotten even there.  Sometimes on these days I book a massage or hair appointment just to feel the touch of another person, even if I have to pay them.

Some days, the dog coming in and putting her head on my knee can bring me to tears, because I feel like she cares when it doesn't feel like anyone else does.  (This only happens with one of my dogs -- the other one disappears when she can tell I'm sad!  Her life is all about her!)

Some days I just want a friend to talk to, to interact with, to help me not feel so completely alone in the world.

Thank goodness Some Days don't happen very often!!!  Most days I would be embarrassed to post and admit to this...which will probably happen tomorrow!

Back to School

This time it took almost 3 weeks into the new semester before I started to feel overwhelmed with it all... My other semesters have been pretty easy - minimal homework - etc, so I started this semester really optimistic.  But something about three intense classes that are pretty important - Pathophysiology, Advanced Physical Assessment, and Pharmacology - all at the same time is making me start to feel overwhelmed.

My lawn needs to be mowed, house needs to be cleaned, dogs need to be walked, and I am finding time to put school first.  I guess that's what matters the most right now, and I get the dogs out as often as I can.  The rest cleans up fast when I have a little downtime.

I finally picked the fruit and veggies from the garden today, and got 4 zucchini, 6-ish tomatoes, 2 green peppers, 4 eggplants, and a LOT of strawberries!  Such a blessing to have the garden...I hope I can keep up with it!

Thoughts while gardening...

So this year I planted my first real garden ever. Why? Because the home I'm renting has planter boxes in the back yard. It really is that simple. One of them is filled with the best strawberry plants I have seen, which produce the sweetest strawberries ever! They are so popular among the wildlife, that I had to build a creative little lid (out of chicken wire) so the birds don't eat them all. Since the chicken wire lid is a nuisance to remove, I have let that box go for the last couple of weeks, making much of my initial weeding and prepping efforts appear to have been in vain. Last night, the crab-grass and vines which had been under control were starting to grow taller than the strawberry plants, and I could no longer peek through the chicken wire and see the ripe strawberries to be picked. Clearly it was time to weed!

As I was weeding and picking strawberries, I realized that the process was a metaphor for my life. The other two boxes are beautiful and growing like crazy. I water all three every day, and often pick lettuce and peas out of the other two boxes without difficulty. Those are also easiest to weed, and have more purposeful plants than weeds growing in them because I am good at tending to them...they are not particularly difficult to get to. The strawberries, however, are in a larger box so the task appears more daunting, and are covered with the chicken wire, making them harder to get to. I usually scratch myself at least once while trying to get in. Consequently, I don't keep up on the weeding as much, and I don't always pick the fruit when it is in its prime. While I still water it, and pretend I have a great garden, that part is often forgotten when I just don't feel like I have the time or energy to deal with it.

I find the same difficulties in dealing with certain problems in my life. Tending to the easier areas in life gets done more frequently and those areas often look fantastic! However, some things just seem painful to deal with. I don't feel like I have the time or energy, the task seems more daunting, and sometimes I get hurt getting to it. It is easier to ignore those areas, or let them go and think no one will ever notice. But when looking at the overall picture, it is worth taking the time to occasionally clean those areas out, or make peace, so the overall product can be thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes without tending those areas, we miss the sweetest fruit!

Yes, I'm still alive!

Ok reading back over this made me laugh at so many of the things that were happening a few years ago! While much of my life has changed, some things are still the same, and I love it! I have been thinking of blogging again, but when I saw that Vlad was working on his again, I knew I had to start too! So while I don't have much to say this morning, I will be watching for the fun stories to post again soon!

What a crazy walk!

Yeah, so while working online this morning on my laptop for less than 5 minutes, one of the pups (Addie) somehow got one of the keys off my keyboard and was chewing it up. I didn't even notice it was gone until I heard her chewing on something hard! I decided it was time to take them all to the dog park if I'm ever going to get a nap this afternoon before I work night shift tonight... So we all headed to one of my favorite parks... Tanner Park in SLC.

They were so excited to go, and I was ready for a nice walk... if only we could get down the ice-covered hill on-leash so they can get to the off-leash area and run...

After getting pulled on my butt for part of it, I decided it wasn't worth it, and let them off leash at the top. Yes, I hate it when people don't keep their dogs on-leash in the on-leash area, but I just couldn't do it today down the hill. We had a great walk and they ran and ran and ran! They did much better on-leash going back up the hill.

And now... time for afternoon naps with 3 big dogs taking up half my bed...
Sounds fun huh?

And then there were three...

I don't know how, but my sister Polly seems to get me into everything! So long story short, I had one dog (which she found for me last year), and we are happy living our lives...she's a little spoiled and a little chubby now, but we are happy. Well, somehow Polly talked me into fostering this sweet Roxie. I didn't want a black dog, so I knew I wouldn't be keeping her, but she is sweet and needed a home for a bit until she can find a permanent good home... but she is black. I didn't want a black dog.


Roxie


Sadie


Sadie sliding down the hill in the snow


Sadie and Roxie



So to make things easier on my dog when Roxie got adopted out to a permanent home, my roommate (last minute of course) found another lab/golden retriever mix for free and we got her (Addie). My thought is that my dog Sadie will bond with both of them, then would still have someone around who she knows and loves when Roxie left. I would keep Roxie, but I don't want a black dog because of the hair issue... am hoping to keep the dog hair all one color. :-)

Sadie and Addie (the new pup)



So now there are 3 dogs, we love them all, they all get along well and play so well together, and I am (almost) considering just adopting Roxie myself and keeping them together...


Addie Sadie and Roxie




What do you think?

Summertime...

Just have to say that I LOVE the summer! As I walked out of work this morning at 6:05 a.m. and realized that it was still warmer outside than it was inside all night, my heart smiled. The sun was not yet over the mountains, but the birds were singing and the air was fresh. It is supposed to be over 100 degrees today, and I will be sleeping through it all, trying not to get too hot. In spite of it all, I still love the summer over any other time. Spring runs a close second for me since it is the prelude to summer! My only near-regret is that I'm not able to spend the next 10 days or so in the Pacific Northwest, which is the best place I've ever been in the summer!

A Visit to Manti (UT)

Last Thursday, July 3rd, Heather and I made a trip down to see my sister Polly and head up the canyon to barbecue for dinner together. Sadie loves to go to Polly's. First of all, that is the general area she is from, as I got her from a farm in the next town over. Also, Polly has a great yard for her. These are a few of her favorite things:

Moe the cat, who has all the other dogs (and people) completely intimidated, is actually careful around Sadie. She is no respecter of cats, and attacks them all equally. Here he is hiding from her.


She loves the yard...there is always something to stalk... What is it this time?


The ducks! She is definitely a bird dog.


We had fun with our bbq before we almost got rained out. Sadie and Hershey (the brown border collie of Polly's) finally found a stick that they could share! There's not many toys or sticks they have ever been able to share. It was hilarious! Sadie tried to pull Hershey into the stream a few times with it, as they were playing tug of war.




Polly had just spent the last few days helping herd cattle through the town and up the mountain for the summer. She has two border collies that are great at herding cattle, and they live for it! They work together really well and know what they are doing. So we decided to drive up the canyon a little further to see what areas were left to camp in. As we went, we passed a lot of the cows that they had herded up there. Some of them were a little too close to the top fence, so just for fun, she let her dogs and Sadie out to herd the cows back down just a little ways. The two dogs (Hershey and Cuma) immediately took off barking constantly and running behind the cattle in a criss-cross pattern to herd them. Sadie, in an effort to fit in, ran after them to "go get the cows!". She had no idea what she was doing but made a good effort to do what the other two were doing. We about died laughing when the other two stop barking and start heading back, we all hear this big deep "WOOOFFF!" and Polly said, "That wasn't one of my dogs", then Sadie comes running back with them, all proud of herself! She's not much of a barker ever (which I am so thankful for!), so the fact that she barked at them once was pretty funny! We headed back down the canyon road and came upon a few more cows, so again, for fun, we let the 3 dogs back out to "herd". This time Sadie had a bit more confidence as she took off with the other 2 dogs. This time though, she ran straight for the cows, barked a couple of times as she ran AROUND it and nearly INTO it instead of BEHIND it like the other two dogs, then she came running straight back to us, very proud of herself again! She was trying to hard to fit in and do what they were doing! It was hilarious and we all got a good laugh out of that! And she was tired! This is a great picture of all of them in the truck together a few months ago.


It was a surprise to all of us that my youngest sister, Brenda was headed up to Salt Lake City for the weekend from Vegas. She came out and visited with us for a bit. Sadie got to run with her favorite "cousin", Baby, who is part blue-heeler. They love to run and play together!



After all of the fun an excitement of the day, Sadie was wiped out as we were packing it up and getting ready to go. She does not believe in expending extra energy sometimes...


And finally at home, once she got to her bed, she didn't move for hours!!

It's been a year!

I can't believe it has been a whole year since I was working in Portland, and since I attended the delivery (almost) of little Hyrum Felt.




He has really grown up over the last year and is such a big boy, and is pretty mobile now, though not walking... The boy gets around fast.


He looks just like his Daddy!


He was pretty tired by the time we got to cake...






Sadie loves him because she has learned that she actually can share our dinner via the boy. It is so fun to have the Felts living close again! :-)

Sadie Jo

Is it May already?!? What happened to April?

Okay okay... I am finally posting a few pictures of my little girl, Sadie.

Wendy and Sadie


Playing in the snow


She loves swimming for sticks


She hates baths but she's so dang cute afterward when she's all wet!


And she loves laying outside...usually in the sun unless it's too hot.



So now that I've introduced her, I can tell stories. :-)