Early Fall?

Gg around 6 mos.

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday and Champagne Toast day!

Gretchen thanked everyone for her birthday wishes, and shared our family’s “treasure hunt” item over on their blog.   Does your pet have a VERY FAVORITE toy?  Is it one of a kind?  If not, do you have a spare?

So, tonight’s the League‘s Champagne Toast, where we welcome our newest members into the fold.   I have two dresses hanging on my bathroom door, and we’ll just have to see which feels most right this evening.  What I wear isn’t nearly as important as what we’re celebrating.   It’s the kick-off event for fifty some women’s League careers… or at least I hope so.  I hope that each and every one of them will get half as much from their League experience as I continue to get from mine.   I invite you to explore our website’s Who Are We? section and learn more about the organization that really is my passion, because chances are, we’ll (pleasantly I hope) surprise you.

But today’s post is about how we celebrated Gg’s birthday.  No, I didn’t make the cupcakes I mentioned yesterday, because the Knight got a little carried away.  There were peach cider donuts from Chiles Orchard, and then he picked up a half-dozen pumpkin muffins too.  Hem.  More than enough for our little four-pack to celebrate with, through, etc.

Fur-girls in a fall Atlantic 11-29-09

I’m not a huge fan of peach, but the donuts were cake-style, moist and reminded me a lot of the apple cider donuts that will soon be a local staple.  And while I’m glad I’m not the only person who needs pumpkin year ’round, don’t ciders and pumpkins scream fall to you?  Ironically, it’s supposed to be in the mid-90s tomorrow, and here I am hoping for an early fall. 

I’m thankful for a husband as into our dogs as I am, for local produce and fantastic bakeries and such, but in case you can’t tell, I’m really grateful for the inspiring women already making a difference in our community through their work with the JLC, and for the new women, some of whom I’ll meet for the first time tonight, who chose the JLC as the non-profit where they’ll devote their time. 

Our community is RICH with non-profit opportunities.  We have many of the big names you’re sure to recognize, such as one of the JLC’s community partners, the Boys & Girls Club.  We also have some incredible local agencies, and while we share common goals, we’re also competing for the same volunteers.  It’s an honor to have 50+ women choose the Junior League of Charlottesville from all the rest, and I have great faith in our leadership’s ability to train them and guide them through a meaningful year that will assuredly change lives – both in the community and in our own membership.

Has a volunteer experience changed your life?

Fabulous Four!

Photo from the breeder that sucked the Knight in

Happy birthday to you, dearest, darling, wonderful Gretchen Greer!  

I can’t believe it has been four years.   I mean…  I guess it hasn’t been yet, since your gotcha’ day is still 8 weeks away, but…

Today’s the day you came into the world so that a few short weeks later, you could come into our lives and keep us all on our toes.

Fall 2009, age 1

You’re sweet and demure… when you’re not honoring your JRT heritage and bossing us around.

Some say dogs are color and/or shade blind, but you my dear know PANK when you see it.  You love your PANK clothes, your PANK ball, and anything PANK of mine.  In fact, your sense of PANK is so well-defined that you have me and a few other humans using it in our regular conversations, because indeed… it isn’t fuchsia, magenta or even a truly hot pink… it’s PANK…  a nice, strong, bold pink that isn’t strident or too close to coral.

Fall 2010, age 2

Time flies.  You’re now definitely an adult, even in terrier years.

You’ve always been an odd mix of very serious, sometimes timid, brash and sassy, fearlessness.   It’s a part of your charm.

But I’ve also failed to give you credit for how well you weathered the storms that seem to hit Sissy.  When her diet needed to change, you changed with her.  When she rejects a kibble you’re fond of, you change with her.  Above all things, you are devoted to your Sissy, and while you were shaken to the core when she was scared and couldn’t see, and then after her eye surgery when she was just scared and didn’t know what was going on, you followed our lead and tried to stay calm, tried to let Sissy know you loved her, and never left her side… except when a human made you.

Fall 2011, age 3

Of course, Sissy is always tolerant and utterly devoted to you too.   We laugh and call you a brat, tell you your sister isn’t furniture, but Sissy just sighs and goes back to sleep, content to have you THAT CLOSE. 

(This isn’t about Sissy, but NEVER has there been a more benevolent alpha… ever.)

Here’s to MANY more years with you, wee one.   We’ll have banana doggy cupcakes with red-hots on top tonight.  (Because yes, the girl loves bananas and really spicy foods!)

Summer 2012, not quite age 4

You are indeed the PANK Princess of the Woods, and you have us all wrapped around your little paw.  Happiest of birthdays, Gg!

Almost Dressed

I’m sure I have earrings on… ??

I somehow managed to leave the house and get just far enough that it didn’t make sense to turn around and go back before I realized I don’t have earrings in.  I am otherwise “done up” complete with two pairs of shoes (heels and flats), but no earrings.  I’m not terribly bothered by it, as with my long mop loose, it’s hard to see my ears anyway.

Ironically, my mother inlaw managed to leave the house without ANY of her jewelry today.

Do you feel undone when that happens?

Laundry List…

Where does that come from?  Anyway, I have a whole laundry list of stuff on my mind… 

• Isaac.  I fell in love with New Orleans when I was there.  While I don’t wish Isaac or any other tropical storm-like damage on anyplace, it seems especially cruel that 7 years to the day, NoLA could again be testing their hurricane preparedness.
• Honey.  I hate glaucoma and how it sneaks up on sweet doggies.  More information on the girls’ blog.
• Samba.  Sue has been a wealth of information and support for me, and Samba has been a great alpha-DIVA role model for Sissy.  We’re hoping their good vet has answers and a plan to get Samba back closer to normal.
• Today’s one of those days…  It was my paternal grandmother’s birthday, the day she died, a few years later, the day her last husband died, the day my parents were wed, and it’s also a local friend’s son’s birthday. 
  

  Wish I’d bought this last year…

And fair warning…  I’m entering a crazy-busy time, so don’t worry if posts are sporadic.  Now that I know I don’t need to wear rain boots with my dress for the Champagne Toast (welcome new members!) Thursday, I can start pondering what on earth I will wear.  That’s the “festive sundress” event.  Evidently, I just don’t like sundresses…  I own one and have worn it once and was uncomfortable the whole time!

10 Books

Ruth found a series of 10 Books… topics somewhere, and today’s is easy (and will allow me to ignore the baby knitting that won’t meet its deadline, the unblocked shawl that might dry rot before I get it blocked or blogged…).

10 Books I Read Over and Over

1. The Bible
2. Lord of the Rings (series, plus The Hobbitt) by JRR Tolkein
3. Harry Potter (series) by JK Rowling
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
6. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
7. The Chronicles of Narnia  (series) by CS Lewis
8. Five Sisters by James Fox
9. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
10. Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Now… these are NOT necessarily the most influencial books, or even my favorite books.  They’re just the ones I read over and over, and the ones that popped into my head this morning.  In general, I don’t re-read unless there’s a book club or I want to re-visit a certain part of a certain book for some reason.

Do you re-read?  Why? 

 

Thorsday Double-post

Happy Thorsday, little friday and Thankful Thursday!  Please forgive the double-post, but some things are worth repeating…  You can get a little more information on the fur-girls’ blog, but please consider supporting BROOD – Basset Rescue of the Old Dominion – and saving 25% off at Macy’s on Saturday.  (Good for online purchases too…)

As for the thankful part, I’m grateful for my friends, especially a couple of you who are seemingly more mindful of my pre-existing health issues than I am.  My very first allergy – as an infant – was to sulfa drugs.  According to Wikipedia, sulfite “sensitivities”  are in the top nine food allergies.   Unfortunately, the symptoms are basically the same for an allergy to tannins. 

Given that tea and raisins don’t seem to be a problem for me, the sulfites make more sense.  That opens a whole new can of worms though, because sulfites are virutally everywhere.  The good news is that with the possible exception of wine, I can control my exposure by simply avoiding foods with long shelf lives, which is probably a good idea anyway. 

Anyone out there with a sulfite “sensitivity”?  I guess I’m going to have to keep a food journal and see what causes the problems…

Grown-up Uniforms?

The Knight, 2008 courtesy of Chief Brown ACFR

No, I’m not talking about “real” uniforms…  I did that for 12 years, as a firefighter.  The Knight still does, but he also has the OTHER kind of uniform, which is really more of a go-to formula for getting dressed.

That photo works just fine for explaining that OTHER uniform.  For work, he grabs a plain, solid tee, light colored in the summer, darker colors welcome in the winter.  Summer, jean shorts.  Winter, jeans.  For not-work, he substitutes a golf shirt – or “polo” if you prefer – and might do twill pants instead of jeans.  Unless he needs a suit or his dress fire uniform, that’s it. 

No wonder the poor man gets impatient with me.  I need to know what the day – or night – is going to hold before I can even THINK about getting dressed.  I prefer dresses or skirts, but sometimes – like going to the dentist yesterday – it makes more sense to wear capris, leggings, jeans, etc. 

ARS rain boots

Then, we have the shoe dilema…  Is it raining?  Is there a chance of rain or snow?  Am I going somewhere (shopping?  yoga class?) I might need to take my shoes off?  Am I going somewhere I want my feet and toes safely secured inside the “ride”?

Do you have a uniform?  I know one friend loves a tunic and leggings.  She just needs to know whether to wear summer-weight tops and capris length leggings or a sweater-dress-like top with ankle-length leggings and boots.    A few of you stick with the same dark pants (or jeans) and just let your tops and footwear set the mood.  

Ann Taylor – What if I pack this and wake up wanting grey and brown?

My problem is as easy as a uniform makes getting dressed, I love to express myself through my clothes.  It’s one reason I hate to pack for a conference.  Yeah, I have a general idea of season, climate and appropriate attire, but who knows what mood I’ll be in?!  Sure, the clothes can help set a mood, but what if I’m not in the mood wear what I packed?  (I’m stuck, and I have to put on my big-girl panties and deal with it, but that’s hardly an ideal situation… so I over-pack, religiously.)

Last but not least, I’ll share a dirty little secret.  I’m still six, and I still change clothes when I get home from work.   Of course, that presents its own set of problems, because Sissy firmly believes that lycra means she’s going for a walk.  Let the leaping, spinning and barking begin. 

Do you do uniforms?  If so… how?  I know it makes getting dressed easier… but where’s the fun in that?  I do realize not everyone works for their inlaws and can routinely be late for work because the dog wanted to snuggle, or because I had to try on 17 things before I gave up and came in wearing the first thing I tried on…

 

Grape skins

Muscat grape, courtesy of Wikipedia

You’re wondering, “How much more random can she get?!”  Trust me, I can do random.  After all, one of my favorite books is James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist…     (If you don’t get that, click on the link, click on “first pages” and read just the first five sentences.)

 It’s not quite as random as it might seem.  I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned my sensitivity to tannins and the problem it causes with red wine consumption.  However, we’re moving into new territory now.  I learned two things at dinner Saturday night.

1. Moscato can be red.
2. I’ve kicked my “sensitivity” up a notch.  I don’t care what some experts say; when a food/beverage causes a systemic reaction, it is an allergy, not a “sensitivity to…”

And thankfully, I have smart, foodie friends.  I was sharing my less than optimal Saturday night experience with friends, and one immediately informed me that I should not eat grapes or raisins either.  Hmmm…  Oddly, I’ve ALWAYS preferred white grapes and golden raisins.  Good thing, eh? 

I’m still curious about those black grapes though.  I like those more than reds, and according to Wiki’s article on tannins, red grapes are the “source”…  I don’t think I’m curious enough to experiment though.

Here.  Let me distract myself with this really cute outfit inspiration from those rockin’ BonBon Rose Girls.   I think I might need it, almost as presented. 

Shoes?  Yes.  (Old Navy… evidently, my fall flats wardrobe can be had from their stock.)

Pants?  I didn’t think I needed colored denim, but then I saw these Hollister jeggings.  Yes please?  (I’m not familiar with Hollister.  Anyone?)

I’ll skip the bag, even though I love me some cobalt blue, and since I have finally accepted that the boatneck isn’t my friend, I’ll look for a similar top with a scoop neck.

And once I find it, I’ll sip something cool and white while wearing it.  White wine doesn’t stain.  There’s a silver lining…  Now… who wants my Horton Xoco (Rojo only…  I can still drink the Blanco!)?  And that was a joke, unless you’re local, because it’s illegal to ship wine.

Flat-in?

How was your weekend?  Mine didn’t follow the script so well.  I did get started on another baby knit, and I did have a nice, long walk with the fur-girls on Saturday, but that’s where the scripted part ended.  

Last night, we had to go to the funeral home.  I pulled out heels for the first time in ages, and all I have to say is I’m glad flats are in right now.  Clearly, I need to stock up.   Sorry back; I know you like a little bit of lift (just a bit), but none of us are happy if my ankle isn’t happy, so we’re going to ride this flat wave for a while.

Here’s what I’m thinking I need…

Vintage Shoe Company courtesy of 6pm

A new pair of black flats.  Mine are old and not versatile.  These beauties are a little spendy, but I think they’d work well with capris, leggings, jeans and skirts, no?   Besides, what’s more classic than a black flat? 

 

 

 

 

Old Navy deal

Cap-toes.  I have turquoise suede flats, but I think I need these Old Navy beauties anyway… just because.  Besides, I don’t wear suede when it’s damp outside, and these are about the cutest flats ever…

 

 

 

Banana Republic Abby

Are there flats you’re craving?  And has anyone tried the elastic “trimmed” flats?  Given my narrow heels, I’m tempted, but I just haven’t stumbled upon the right pair to bring home and try out.   (No, those AREN’T available in my size, or I might have accidentally ordered a pair.  My navy peep toed flats are looking like I’ve worn them hard for over a year now…)

Do you wear a lot of flats?  If so, what brands?  One reason I don’t wear a lot of flats is because even the better brands tend to lack support, and my back needs support.  

 

It’s Not 4 Me…

I’ve dodged writing this post for several weeks.  I absolutely HATE solicitation on every level.  Now…  some of you know I’m happy to support others when asked, but being the one doing the asking always makes me uncomfortable. 

Hence, the title of today’s post.  It really isn’t about me.  It’s about raising funds for breast cancer, breast health, etc.  It’s about supporting my personal physician and other women (and men… don’t forget that breast cancer “goes there” too) who have battled or are battling breast cancer, and it’s certainly about honoring a friend taken too soon.  It’s about the sad 33% to goal that the event’s website shows…

I’m walking in the local Women’s 4-Miler in just a few days.  If you care to sponsor me, that would be awesome.   The donation form is here, and if you put in the last name “Moore” I’m the first one. 

Any exciting weekend plans?