Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Category Archives: winter


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It's a brand new year!

The first day of 2009 dawned a delicate pink here in Michigan. Fresh snow on the ground, clear skies and the sun coming up make for a hopeful feeling. Katie and I watched the sun rise as we wandered the yard looking for the perfect place. If you know what I mean.
trees-680

Traditionally this is the time to plan future goals.  So here are a few things I hope for in the year 2009:

That my family members find peace and resolution to their current troubles.

That I find a full time library job.

That Katie gets to take some more agility classes.

That the economy finds its bottom and begins to improve.

That the Middle East finds some sort of structured peace (hey if you’re wishing might as well wish big!)

That all of you are safe and happy.

Love to all, from Katie and me.

katie-1127


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Living with a crazy princess

So Katie has become even more crazy.  She has started to ask to go outside constantly, last night in the driving rain turned to sleet over and over again out we went.  Each time I was thinking that her incessent whining and barking at me must mean she has to go out “RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE AND CAN’T HOLD IT A SECOND LONGER!”  But when we get out there (I don’t have a fenced yard so we have to go out together) we end up wandering around the yard sniffing stuff.  She seems especially interested in the #2 deposits of previous trips.  So I am constantly saying “NO!” and pulling her away.  This is new behavior for her, and it’s wearing on me.  This morning after being outside in the freezing cold four times in a couple of hours, with no apparent reason I left her with my husband for the day and went shopping!  When I got home he said “She’s crazy!”  We can’t decide if it’s a reaction to me being gone a lot, to having less practice time, and thus less treats, or just less fun, so she’s bored.

The good news is that to my surprise she was pretty good tonight in week 7 of advanced dog obedience.  She even stayed down when I left the room during one exercise.  So I guess any fairy tale about a princess that ends on a happy note is a good story.  Right?  Now I have to go.  She wants to go out.  Again.


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Ceramic Christmas trees revisited

When I was a teenager my mother owned a ceramics store where people came in and finished ceramic pieces.  At this time of the year we’d be firing hundreds of Christmas trees in our kilns.  Most of them were finished with assorted green glazes, some had a type of glaze on the ends of the boughs that resembled snow after they were fired.  We did so many of them that I vowed I never wanted to see another ceramic Christmas tree.  Ever.  As it turned out my husband and I inherited one from his mother, and  I put it out every year, smiling  as I remember.

On my way home from work last night, driving slowly through driving snow I realized that almost all the huge pine trees along the roads were covered in great big wads of sticky snow.  And they looked just like the ceramic trees of my youth!  They were everywhere!  Guess you just can’t escape your past.  That’s OK.  They’re beautiful and I didn’t have to load a kiln, or pack them in a box with shredded paper for our customers!

Katie and I wish all of you out there a very happy holiday, whether you have a ceramic Christmas tree or not!


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See? Tomorrow IS OK!

While I was not sleeping apparently it was snowing. This morning Katie and I ventured out late, having slept in after our long night of contemplation. The snow is deep enough in places that her belly drags through it. It’s beautiful, sticky wet snow, and Katie wanted to explore under every tree and shrub, looking for something to pounce on. Soon her fur hung with Christmas ornaments made of snow, which she occasionally tried to shake off.

I had to drag her back in the house; she wanted to stay outside all day! So today the ghosts of last night have receded again, and Katie and I can appreciate how beautiful everything looks in the fresh snow. Thanks for letting me spill all over you, it helps to have a place to store the images.


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Working, working, working

Today was my first shift at the library job. Last Friday was my first shift at the book store job. I have to say that I like both jobs, once I get there and start working. THINKING about going out to work is a different story. On the drive to work I’m wishing I didn’t have to go, and sometimes I watch the clock when I’m there, especially at the beginning of the book store job where I was on my own on a cash register, and there was a continuous line of customers. It felt like about an hour had gone by when really it was only 15 minutes. That was stressful; it had been almost ten days since I had been trained, and at first I couldn’t remember very much! But the other employees were helpful, and eventually I sort of got in a rhythm. As long as no one asked me anything beyond wanting to buy something! The library job this afternoon was fun too, but I had the same problem of not being able to remember just how to get everything done for the patrons, or the right answers to many of their questions. But it will all work out in the end. I hope.

Today we got some pretty significant snow, about 2.5 inches. Katie LOVES snow, so before I went to work we went outside to play. Here she is asking WHY she has to sit still when there are so many snowflakes to chase and catch!

Then we ran around the yard, her chasing my feet and pant leg as well as trying to catch all the falling snow, my shoes kicking up snowballs. We had a great time!

Eventually she looked like this…

…and I had to go to work, so we went inside; she played with her inside toys and her Dad, and I went on to work to make some money to buy dogfood and more toys!

Tomorrow and Wednesday I work 8 hours each, then a day off! YEA! I know I am lucky to have work, so this Thanksgiving I”ll be giving thanks for working again. Even though sometimes I don’t want to leave my warm house and head out. Hope you all have things to be thankful for as well!