Stay safe everyone!
So make sure we’re somewhere safe in the house tonight, OK?
For me, I’ll be hanging out with my mama in a back bedroom watching really loud TV. Yep…that’s my favorite thing to do anyway, sleep upside down on the bed next to my mama.
We hope you all have a wonderful and safe night! And don’t let us doggies eat that candy either! We’ll take cheese please. Or better yet, some special chicken cooked just for us!
Talk later – love, Katie-girl
It’s that time of year again. Time for musicians around here to get dressed up and play the first Community Band concert of the season. No we’re not dressing all in black, no tuxes for the guys, no black skirts or dresses for the women.
It’s time to get dressed up. Seriously dressed up.
We’ll be playing our season opener next Tuesday. We’re doing several scary pieces, but perhaps the scariest is Strange Humors by John Mackey. For some of us in the band it’s the stuff of nightmares. Those of us sitting in the back are counting over 100 measures of rest in assorted time signatures. 3/4, 5/4, 4/4. Pay attention or you’ll be lost. Don’t listen to the music, just watch the baton and count.
Count.
We there in the back have marked our music with which instruments are playing during which section of rests that we count. So that when we get out of sync, when we lose concentration for a moment, we might have a chance of getting right. Otherwise we miss our entrance and then all is lost.
So if you come to our concert (7:00 p.m. at the Clarkston High School, Tuesday November 1) and wonder why we at the back are all focused and serious when we aren’t playing anything you’ll know it’s because we’re counting.
Don’t distract us.
The piece is just over five minutes long; we make our entrance at three and a half minutes. We don’t want to miss it. And yes we’re doing our Halloween concert the day after Halloween.
Because everyone needs One More Boo.
I’m going as a pirate. You’re invited to dress up too.
Middle aged pirates wear glasses.
.
Exploring the village of Milford.
Katie here. Boy oh boy oh boy. My mama has been feeling guilty because I haven’t had school for two weeks and I never get to do anything fun. So she’s been taking me out on adventures, mostly consisting of walking through the woods, but I’m not complaining cause that’s one of my most funnest things to do!
Yesterday she said she had a special place to investigate and did I want to go on a ride? Well sure mama! I always want to go on a ride!
We ended up in Milford, a little town a few miles south of where I live. Mama saw this giant pumpkin when she was driving through the town last week and she thought it looked perfect for a “Princess in the Fall” photo shoot.
Did you say TREATS mama??
What do you think? Was this perfect or what? Except for the cars going by right behind mama’s back that needed watching. And the people walking by on the sidewalk; most of whom, might I add, stopped to watch. People don’t get to see a Princess very often so I was the center of attention. Anyway, I kept watching all this stuff and not looking at my mama at all until she hollered “TREATS!” and then my head snapped right back around to stare at her. Two ladies on the sidewalk started to laugh but I didn’t care. I smiled for my mama and got my treat!
Sometimes I have to be reminded that I’m working.
After we did the great pumpkin shoot we wandered around downtown Milford. Everyone we met wanted to pet me and I let them. For a little bit. But really, I am a Princess and I have things to do people! If you don’t have a treat for me then I only have a few moments for you.
Can we eat here mama?
Mama did make me sit in front of a few other cute fall settings outside stores. I didn’t get to go inside any, even though I walked confidently up to several doors. Mama just said ‘not today sweetie” as if that was going to stop me from searching for treats! I’m sure if she had let me go inside I’d have found people more than willing to give me something good.
I was too busy sniffing to notice this guy. Mama said he was cute.
Anyway, after we had sniffed out everything interesting in Milford mama took me out to Kensington, the big park just south of Milford. It’s mama’s favorite place to go so I figured I could humor her and sit around in the leaves for a little bit.
Hurry up mama, I want my treat!
Yep, I’ll sit pretty as long as I got a treat after each pose. Really mama, you don’t expect me to just sit there and let you snap away do you? After each click of the camera I expect to be paid, so I get up and walk right up to her to demand payment. I know what a camera lens sounds like when a picture has been taken. You can’t fool me!
This tree is pretty mama. But I’m beautiful.
We didn’t stay a real long time cause mama is a wimp and didn’t bring gloves. Geeze. I didn’t have gloves either and I was fine. She is just disorganized. You know how mama is. She gets all excited about taking pictures and forgets to bring provisions. Good thing she didn’t forget the treats this time! I would have gone on strike! And then where would she have been?
She’d have been up the park without a dog, that’s where! Hahahahahahahaha.
Ahem.
I digress.
We walked a lot and eventually I told my mama that was enough. I mean, really, how many pictures of me does she need? She already has about a gazillion billion. I told her I needed my lunch and a nap.
I need a nap!
So she loaded me back into my chariot and we headed home to my daddy and lunch. It’s hard to get good help, but I think I struck it lucky when I got my mama. She’s hard at work planning our next adventure now.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
You going to buy me a watch mama?
Coneflower seedpod
Cee wanted to see some nature, so here’s some from the garden now that summer is over. I already miss the colorful blossoms, but the birds will love it like this throughout our long cold winter.
.
.
Headed to the oven.
I’ve had successes and failures. Sometimes both in the same meal, because, of course, there are two of us here, each with our own opinion, our own likes and dislikes.
For example, this week alone we struggled with the mushroom, brown rice, refried bean burritos and the baked falafel pita with green sauce sandwiches. I loved the burritos, but husband thought the canned enchilada sauce I used over the top was too spicy. On the other hand, he liked the baked falafels, but I thought they were dry, and the raw garlic in the green sauce topping was way too much for me to handle.
But I’m learning. I’m learning that raw garlic is not my thing, though cooked is fine. And that I can stretch my assumptions about what my husband will try.
We’re not truly vegans, nor even vegetarians. We’re just trying to make meat less important in our diet. So once a week or so I cook a meat and potato meal, though never red meat. I enjoy the simplicity of those meals, the feeling of familiarity while preparing them. I enjoy not having to look at the recipe eight or nine times, of just throwing something together.
I guess someday the vegetarian and vegan meals I make will be the same. Familiar. Easy. Tasty. Predictable. But I hope not right away….not the predictable part anyway. It’s a challenge right now, and on good days I’m happy to be puttering in the kitchen. Especially when it works. When it doesn’t, and I’m still hungry after a meal, I long for a simple burger that doesn’t require chopping and sauteing and toasting stuff.
Some people have told me they are amazed at the things I’ve attempted to do. I guess I just don’t know any better. I’m following the recipes, asking people what ingredients are when I don’t recognize them, looking stuff up online. I feel like I’m gaining skills.
It is true, however, that most of the recipes take me a long time to complete. And some of them do seem complicated. There are often recipes inside of recipes. Somewhere within each seems to be a reference to a sauce or toasted something or other that requires another pan and process, the result to be included in the original recipe as an ingredient.
And please. Always have cooked brown rice available in your fridge or you have to start there and add half an hour to the whole event.
But all in all I think we’re doing pretty OK with this change to our diet. I have to say, though, that my hands smell like garlic. All the time.
It’s becoming sort of familiar.
Falafel beginnings
I love to run through tunnels!
It’s all about me because, as you know, I am the princess. Well, some of you might not know as you are new to my mama’s blog. Just to get you up to speed, I am the center of the universe and once in awhile my mama lets me tell you all about it. I tell her all about it daily. Sometimes hourly. I’m a sheltie you know. We like to talk.
But I digress.
So as most of you are aware, I retired from competition a couple of years ago. I got my CD (Companion Dog) in AKC obedience and I figured that was plenty. Especially because I got my Novice and Advanced titles in Rally too. And mama was all stressed out at work, so we stopped going to school, even though I love school (mostly cause of the treats you know). We never did go get my Excellent Rally title, and mama has always been sort of sad about that.
I didn’t care, because I already know I’m Excellent!
Mama started me up last winter in a nose work class which I loved, loved, loved! All you have to do is sniff a few things and treats arrive from mama’s pocket! It’s the greatest thing since gravy! Then mama and I got all busy with traveling and camping and stuff and we couldn’t make the class. She says we’re going back tonight though! I am stoked! I remember everything about how to do this and I’ll show her that we shouldn’t have ever stopped!
Then, last week we started up another class with my friend who used to come walk me. She’s teaching rally and some agility and some obedience. I’ve been to two classes and mama is amazed that I remember so much! I don’t like to heel, but I never did like that. Mostly I’m having fun getting out and about and seeing people again. Mama is OK, but it’s fun to be told by lots of other people how beautiful and smart I am! I try to look indifferent but secretly I really like it.
Sometimes mama forgets to give me enough attention, you know?
And for even more fun mama and I have slept out in the back yard in her tent the last two nights! It’s been so warm here that we couldn’t resist giving camping one more go before winter sets in. I was very very good and slept straight through the night both nights! I think we get to do it one more time before it gets too cold here. I’m going to miss camping this winter, but if mama keeps me busy with school it will be spring before I know it!
That’s what she says anyway. I’ll believe it when I see it.
So I guess that brings you up to date with me. I know you’ve been wondering. I’ll let you know if we decide to do any competition for Rally or Nose Work. I think I’d nail it.
What do you think?
Hurry up mama! It’s time for school!
Last time I visited my local grocery store I couldn’t help but notice this pile of circles and curves.
Tis the season here in the States.
Change Is Hard 