fun stuff | Change Is Hard

June 5, 2013
by dawnkinster 9 Comments

Beyond brutal

If work last week was difficult, this week it is impossible. Since mid February there have been three women in our department whose husbands have died unexpectedly overnight. This past Sunday it was the husband of someone in my region. The resultant pain and grief among our small group is overwhelming and we all feel so helpless. Each of us wants to help her. None of us can. The work must still get done, and the volume of emails and phone calls has intensified as people hear and want to know what happened. And, of course, how to help. Today is only the third day of this never ending week. We were exhausted before. Now we are plodding, a painful slow hobble; we’re just getting through each day. Our exhaustion and pain is all consuming but nothing like what she is living through right now.

So it surprised me a bit tonight to find I could still smile and sing, even tap my fingers on the steering wheel. The CD from our spring concert arrived last night and I listened to it on the way home this evening. What a great concert; it was full of happy, fun, upbeat music. Stuff you can sing (or at least hum) along with, sway with, nod your head with, snap your fingers to. Good fun, great memories, heart singing music.

Here’s a sampling of what we played (found on youtube and played by other groups for your listening pleasure). For Lassie and Benji’s mom I give you Lassus Trombone. (She plays the trombone so I figured she’d get a kick out of this.) And New York 1927 was really fun to play. We featured the trumpets in Bugler’s Holiday …including one of our oldest members at over 70 featured as one of the soloists. We even showcased the clarinets with Pie in the Sky Polka…a piece I spent way too much time practicing.

The whole evening was really fun, and the memories of that concert kept me smiling tonight on my long commute home after another very long and sad day at work. For the concert we invited 10 or so 7th graders to play with us on a couple of the pieces. The kids looked so young. The young man sitting with us in the clarinets said as he took his chair that he was nervous. We said that was OK, we were nervous too. Afterward his grin, and the grins of most of the other kids went from ear to ear. Amazing what music can do.

I wish it was this easy to lift my friend’s spirit.

May 28, 2013
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

A lovely weekend

This is all mine!

Katie here….Three day weekends should be the norm because then I’d have my Mama around more and we could do more fun things. Like going to my park! Mama kept promising me all weekend that we’d go to the park. She said that a lot while she was weeding and hauling mulch and stuff. After awhile I didn’t believe her anymore.

So when Dad said “Hey Katie-girl (I was sleeping and he woke me up!)…do you want to go to the park!?” I knew something was up. He never asks me that. So I got all excited and missed the evil look my Mama gave my Dad, cause I guess she was busy with something and now she was going to have to stop doing it and take me right away because Dad got me all riled up. It worked too! I should probably pay Dad a commission or something.

Come on Mama, hurry up!

We had the park all to ourselves. I guess Mama had planned on taking me to a bigger park, but then she realized that those parks would be full of people doing Memorial Day stuff so we just went to my local park. I didn’t care, I was so excited to be there I didn’t even want any treats when Mama offered. I just wanted to sniff!

Every year Mama takes me to this park to take my picture with the pretty yellow flowers. I don’t know why, I always look the same. She says this year we were a little late. I don’t know what she’s talking about. I still look beautiful even though I am six and a half years old. Little late. Sheesh.

A Sheltie is never late.

We practiced some obedience along the way too. And of course Mama did that distracted recall thing. I’m really really good at that. I love running back to my Mama when she calls.

Coming Mama!

Toward the end of our walk the sky got dark and it started to sprinkle. I don’t care so much, but Mama said we had to get back. You see, we tried camping last night in the back yard for the first time this season and Mama said we needed to get back to the house so we could get all the camping stuff back inside. Whatever Mama. It’s not like we spent very long out in the tent last night. It was stinking cold! But I’m not worried, I know there’s going to be plenty of camping nights this summer.

Here’s me being ‘dramatic’ before the rain.

I had a great weekend. Too bad Mama has to go back to work today. On the other hand, I could use a nap!

What are we doing next weekend Mama?

May 26, 2013
by dawnkinster 11 Comments

Got to go for a walk!

Katie here. So the weather guy this morning says that the sun came up at 6:03. I figured I had waited long enough so I got my Mama up at 6:06. I didn’t want to rush her out of bed. But on the other hand, no sense wasting a day of this glorious three day weekend either!

So as my Mama was stumbling around the kitchen making her oatmeal (notice she did not make me anything!) she noticed there was steam rising from the pond across the street and the sun was up and it all looked sort of pretty. She stopped mumbling about bad dogs and hustled me outside. I noticed she had her camera and that always excites me because I know it’s gonna be another “beautiful Katie photo shoot!”

We got to walk down the road, and she never lets me do that! It was so much fun! We went down our road and around the corner to the neighbor’s pond. I love going there; I get to sniff where frogs and turtles and other dogs have been. It smells heavenly! You should try it some time.

But I didn’t get to smell too much this morning because my Mama stepped on my leash to keep me near her and was taking pictures. But not of me! Can you believe it? She was taking pictures of the pond!

Early morning.

And the moon.

Hello moon!

She doesn’t take long when she’s out in 37 degree weather, sunshine or no sunshine, so soon we were off on my real walk. I got to sniff a lot of great stuff and she didn’t hurry me at all. That’s why I love my Mama. After awhile though we were both pretty wet and cold. So we headed back to the house where I got my breakfast. Wow. I got to go on a walk and it’s not even 7 a.m. yet! This has been the best weekend ever!

I got a little damp.

Mama promises that on Monday we can have even more fun. She says she has to weed more gardens today though. Well. That’s fun for me because I get to be outside with her all day. Weeding is fun. Not as fun as the park but pretty close.

I’m going to take a little nap now. All this early adventure is exhausting.

shhhhh……

May 22, 2013
by dawnkinster 12 Comments

Wordless Wednesday-on a lighter note

(Bet we made you smile)

May 17, 2013
by dawnkinster 7 Comments

Katie has a play date!

Not getting her feet wet.

By prearrangement I took Katie to a state park a few miles up the road to meet a friend and her dog Peep. Peep was in the same obedience class with Katie a long time ago, and we’ve been following her trials via facebook for the last couple of years.

When I got home from work tonight I asked Katie if she wanted to go to the park! And of course she did, spinning her excitement as I chopped up some cheese for treats. Her Dad brought up the fact that she was getting to go for a walk at the park and a ride in the car AND she was getting treats! Katie spun faster. I had to put her in the car before I was ready to leave, she was so excited.

Anyway, we made it to the park, one I’ve never visited before, and met up with Peep and her Mom. It’s a beautiful park and the dogs enjoyed exploring, both along the lakefront and on a trail into the woods.

Peep and Katie

I wondered how Katie would be with another dog, and it turns out neither of them cared particularly that the other one was there.

Noses busy.

In fact it was just about impossible to get a photo of the two of them together, how those of you with two dogs ever get them to sit still at the same time, in the same place is beyond me!

Regardless of the photo quality we all had a great time!

This was as close as we could get them…

Katie and I are looking forward to our next visit to the park with her new doggie friend!

…unless treats were involved.

May 13, 2013
by dawnkinster 9 Comments

Windows of DC

I could not resist capturing photos of windows (click on any of them for more detail) I saw while in DC.

Geometric

I wasn’t looking for windows in particular, but as the days went on I began to think maybe I should start a archive file just for them.

Reflective

They are fascinating…

Multiples

…in their shapes….

One opens

and their colors…

Home

…and the worlds that are just beyond the glass…

Endurance

…that we can only imagine.

Patient love

And here’s a door. Just because.

Welcome

May 12, 2013
by dawnkinster 16 Comments

I’m baa-ck!

Katie here.

Well. As most of you know my MAMA (who maybe should rethink her title) sent me off to doggie camp for ten days. TEN WHOLE DAYS! She just picked me up and boy am I letting her have it! WHINE WHINE WHINE…BARK BARK BARK.

I want to go OUT and then I want to come IN.

What’s out there Mama?

I even conned them into playing ball with me, then I took the ball and put it in the other room. Just to make them feel bad. I think it worked.

Mama keeps asking me if I want to take a nap. Huh. Like that’s going to happen.

Nope. I’m back and I’m doing my best to make sure she never thinks about taking me to camp again!

Hey Mama! Hey Mama!

PS: It wasn’t so bad there, but don’t tell them. Cause I want them to feel bad.

Really, really bad.

Me and my Mama.

May 11, 2013
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Just a few more places to share with you.

Here’s just a few more photos to show you from our trip to DC. Click on any of them for more detail.

The Jefferson Monument.

I thought you might like to see some of the iconic sights…

Vietnam Wall reflections.

…and some you might not have seen before.

Korean Memorial.

And of course I knew you’d want to see the dog.

FDR’s Memorial is a lovely place along the river.

…plus just a couple cool things I saw along the way.

Georgetown during the ‘blue hour.’

Some things just begged to be photographed…

We were followed everywhere by the ‘kids in blue.’

…and others were hidden away.

Almost modern art.

Tomorrow…or sometime soon… I’m going to show you windows. But Katie-girl is coming home tomorrow so it might be awhile.

You know how she is.

Mr. Lincoln

May 10, 2013
by dawnkinster 10 Comments

Would you like to see the National Cathedral?

We spent today at several monuments and I’ll probably show you some of those, but for tonight, how about I show you the National Cathedral? (click on any photo to see more detail.) It sits high on a hill and is massive.

Front facade.

Inside it is all angles and arches…

Arches repeated.

…stained glass windows…

Warmth flows through the windows.

…and muted colors.

Columns bathed in light.

The light is amazing.

Light and arches.

And you could get lost in it’s massive naive.

Lit corridor.

I’ve never visited the Cathedral before, I’d go again. It’s photogenic, peaceful and best of all quiet which is hard to find in Washington DC.

More later…I have so much to show you.

Trio of pretty.

May 10, 2013
by dawnkinster 7 Comments

On the Mall

Dome through the visitor center ceiling.

For all my hours and days of tromping around the hill I’ve never visited the Capitol building. Yesterday was the day. Senator Stabenow’s (D-MI) transportation expert gave us passes to visit the Senate and the House galleries. And we lucked out; when we visited the House Sander Levin (D-MI) was debating Dave Camp (R-MI) on the Full Faith and Credit Act. Each Representative gave their opening statements, then called in other House Members including Representative Rangle (D-NY) and Representative Lewis (D-GA), to support their sides of the issue. Sometimes it got quite heated. The only thing they agreed on was that the United States would not default on our bills. The argument seemed to be who got paid first, the Chinese bond holders or the Social Security and disabled veterans. After about an hour of this I was so confused I’m not sure even reading the bill would help me sort it out.

Upper windows are in hallway from the House Gallery.

Then we moved over to the Senate gallery, just as a long discussion about Syria was started. Senator McCain (R-AZ), Senator Levin (D-MI), Senator Menendez (R-NJ), and Senator Graham(R-SC) all asked the President to put additional military pressure on Syria in an effort to stop their use of chemical weapons and begin the end of that government’s reign. That was interesting, if not a little frightening. Then Senator Boxer (D-CA) who is Chairwoman of the Senate Committee of Environment and Public Works, began speaking about a water bill, complete with charts. That was interesting too.

The dome is so large I couldn’t get it all!

After a couple of hours of watching people talk we needed to get up and move around, so we went on a tour of the Capitol, moving fro the visitor center up to the Rotunda, and into what was the first House of Representatives meeting room, then down through the crypt and back to the visitor center. I’m glad we did that, as it’s a truly magnificent building and everyone should see it at least once. I’m sure if I went again next time we are in DC I’ll see even ore interesting details that I missed on this tour.

Rosa Parks

We ate lunch in the visitor center and then headed out for a walk on the National Mall. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, bits of sunshine in between the clouds and a breeze to keep us cool. We walked and walked and walked…visiting a sculpture garden along the way…

Remember the typewriter eraser?

…and then finally sat down at the World War II memorial.

A corner of the WWII Memorial.

Our feet were tired, but we wanted to see everything.

Sounds of war.

When we finally got back to the hotel we rested for an hour or so, then walked the mile over Key Bridge to Georgetown for dinner. A little Advil keeps the feet going. Dinner at Clydes was wonderful…and the walk back across the Potomac for a good nights sleep in the warm night air felt nice too.

It was a good day.

Georgetown.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

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