Types of Men

Happy Thorsday, little friday and thankful thursday.   Over on the girls’ blog, we’re celebrating – better late than never – National Pet Week, which is all about the ways pets make our worlds better places.

Earlier this week, I had a great training through the Junior League.  One of our members is a behavior analyst, and we received a full report through their program, which has its roots in the Types of Men by Eduard Spranger, a 20th century German philosopher and psychologist.

The six types, also used in the assessment I received are:

Theoretical: A passion to discover, systemize and analyze; a search for knowledge.

Utilitarian: A passion to gain a return on all investments involving time, money and resources.

Aesthetic: A passion to experience impressions of the world and achieve form and harmony in life; self-actualization.

Social: A passion to invest myself, my time, and my resources into helping others achieve their potential.

Individualistic: A passion to achieve position and to use that position to affect and influence others.

Traditional: A passion to seek out and pursue the highest meaning in life, in the divine or the ideal, and achieve a system for living.

Can you guess which two were my guiding (primary) attitudes?  Which are your own?

Despite my own inner philosopher’s glee – and need to delve into this deeper – I thought in honor of Thorsday, it would be fun to try to peg the furgirls.

Sissy is without a doubt, Individualistic.  The dog is a ridiculously strong, benevolent alpha, and she took all of about six tenths of a second before she had the normally alpha Knight wrapped around the finest undercoat hair on her body, bending to the DIVA’s will.  Unlike humans, the DIVA only uses her power for good – except when she’s counter cruising in search of an extra snack..

Gretchen Greer is a tougher case.  I think Aesthetic is her dominant motivator.  The Knight and I both have tempers and are prone to snapping, eye rolling, rude noises, etc.  Or rather… roughly six years ago, we were all that and then some.  Enter one tiny, sensitive little terrier who just wanted everyone around her to be calm and happy, and we’re reformed, all to keep Gg from having a panic attack.   She’s something special too, and we’re lucky to have both of these dogs in the house, in our hearts.

I don’t know if we’re giving them nearly as much as they give us.  Dogs are unconditional love personified.

Bits and Bobs

Yet another week where life turned on its ear, but it’s all good stuff.  I have a great opportunity for work and was reminded again that not only did I accidentally land in the right job, but I have the best friends ever.   Instead of asking me how I could put them in such a position, they’re excited for me and while I don’t take their support for granted, I know they always have my back.  (So there’s your Thankful Thursday moment, even though I doubt any of you will actually read this on Thursday.)

And no, I didn’t forget Thorsday… never will, even when I can’t manage to get a post up.  I have a question for you over on the girls’ blog…

I’m already sipping my Sleepytime Throat Tamer tea, so I’m not in a state to give you a well-organized list of things I’ve found online this week or any such cool thing, but here are some bits and bobs you might find interesting:

• No, I’m not sick.  Dangitall, my allergies found me.  I’ve been battling itchy, “weak” eyes for several days, my nose is all goobered up (sorry… over-sharing seems to be my theme for the day), and now, there’s been enough “drip” that my throat is sore.  WAH!
• And no, I can’t take allergy meds.  Like wee Gretchen Greer, my body just doesn’t respond well to some drugs.
• I finally got you a decent photo of my hair color.  I don’t know what it will look like on your monitor, but I’m happy, the Knight is happy, and nearly everyone who has bothered to comment has been quite positive.

• Because it’s Thorsday (as I’m composing this), we need a gratuitous doggy photo.  Enter Ellie, the unofficial canine representative in the JLC.  She’s such a sweetheart!
• I’m sure I had more to say, but my tea is working and my brain is not.

What’s new with you?

 

Pretending…

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday and my last regular general membership meeting as President of the JLC!  It’s also almost Kids in the Kitchen time, and long-time readers know I love that event.

I love snow too, but enough is enough.  I shared my thoughts – and a photo of the furgirls – on their blog.   I’m ready for flowers and being able to step into the parking lot at work without needing to bundle up.

Sweet Mugsy and Fred are still sending me flowers, and I’m still missing them.  They loved snow far more than the girls do, although even Gretchen has warmed up to the white stuff this winter, in a true testament of that old cliche about if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em…

I’m grateful for each and every one of you.  Your support and friendship is a blessing in my life, and I look forward to having the time to repay your kindness very soon.

In the meantime, can we call the leaves compost and pretend I’m making sure the Boy-dogs’ garden is getting ready to grow beautiful flowers?

Will you share what you’re pretending?

 

Eating by Example

Happy Thorsday, little friday and thankful Thursday!  At least… it’s still Thursday when I’m writing.  When you’ll read is another story.

Thanks for all of your comments about my new(est) food focus.  Some of the obvious changes I’m making include:

• I’m not eating out as much
• I’m avoiding processed food
• I’m seeking out leaner protein sources

Today’s post is supposed to be about our March delivery from Chewy, but while I was working on the REAL content, I realized that I feed the dogs the way I should be eating.  I stick to natural products as much as possible, and limited ingredient products are best… because Sissy is so allergic to so much.  They eat a fish kibble, lots of fruit and veggies…  Gee, if I follow a similar plan, I bet my cholesterol level will drop.

This time, the furgirls got to try Old Mother Hubbard’s Gourmet Goodies in the carrot and pumpkin variety.   There are only 8 ingredients (which is amazing for a cookie of any sort), but the girls have assured me they aren’t short on flavor.

Who eats better in your house?  One of the Knight’s favorite stories is about the boy-dogs eating prime rib while we had hot dogs.  (True story!)  He always leaves out the part where the prime rib was really nothing more than leftover bits, and maybe I should be ashamed to admit it, but I love a good, kosher hot dog.

I’m giving up on suggesting that my former normal of daily, weekday posts will ever return again.  My life is just different now, and even as my time as League President winds down, there are only so many hours in a day and so many more things I want/need to do.  I’m very grateful that you still check in on me and wade through my ramblings!

Oh – and if you’re here for furgirl photos, you can click over to their blog for your fix… unless you’re sick of snow.

Snow Bunny

Happy Thorsday, little friday, Thankful Thursday and snow day!  Just to prove me wrong, after I ratted the furgirls out in the post on their blog, they awoke and followed me to the deck landing for a QUICK photo shoot.  The Knight wanted to know what on earth we were doing, and I had to remind him that the girls don’t get free boxes from Chewy just because they’re cute; they have to work for their rewards!

Regular readers know the routine.  Each month, Chewy offers us an opportunity to review a product of our choice, from an ever-changing list of treats.  This month, we tried the Wysong Dream Freeze-Dried Rabbit Treats.   They are the new favorite… worth getting out of bed and braving the snow.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but it’s still exciting when we find quality food and treats Sissy can eat, and Chewy has something on the list almost every month.  Rabbit was the first safe protein source for Sissy, and she seems to have a special fondness for it.  Plus, it’s not a routine flavor, so that makes it a real treat too.

These aren’t hard, crunchy biscuits.  They’re dried meat discs, and they are easily broken for sharing with a little sister.  As you can see, Gretchen thinks they’re pretty awesome too.  Add in that “made in the USA” fact and you really have a great treat for your cat, dog or ferret.  They are designed to be part of a raw food diet, but your dog (or cat or ferret) will enjoy them whether you feed raw or not.

There’s so much to be thankful for today!  I’m delighted with our significant snow.  I’m glad the Knight is feeling better after a nasty chest cold.  And more broken recordness, but I appreciate having a job where I don’t have to try to get to work.  I loved my career as a firefighter, but there was no calling in because I couldn’t get out of my driveway.  Of course, we all like being a part of the Chewy Blogger Outreach program too.  Clearly, the opinions expressed are our own.

What are you thankful for today?

 

 

Recipe for a great book

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday and everything else!  Gretchen wants to know what you thought of all of the dog commercials during the Super Bowl,  but I want to talk about dogs, magic, baking and books!

Two different authors stumbled upon a great recipe for a cozy series.  You take a bakery, add some magic, a sassy, smart terrier, a couple of hunky (human!) men, well-meaning family, and voila!  Each series also has a firefighter or two in it, so seriously… what’s not to love?!

Naturally, after just finishing Pride and Prejudice, I jumped into Pies and Prejudice, the first book in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries, another series by Ellery Adams.  Just look at the cute cuss, Charleston Chew, aka: Chewy!  What else do you need to know?!

Ella Mae LaFaye heads home after catching her husband red-head-handed, and opens a pie shop with her mom and aunts as not so silent partners.  Of course, heading home means lots of conflict with her childhood nemesis and finding an old flame or two.  You can see the magic in the pies on the cover art, but you’ll have to read the book to figure it out!

#2 in the series is Peach Pies and Alibis, and #3 is already out… but my librarian hasn’t sent it to me yet.  Think Steel Magnolias meets Charmed… in a pie shop, with a firefighter who also owns the local doggy daycare.  (Oh Gretchen…  I think Chewy wants you to attend school with him…)

In the same but different vein comes The Lightfoot Chronicles by Bailey Cates, starting with Brownies and Broomsticks.  Don’t be fooled by Honeybee the cat on the cover; the reader quickly meets Mungo, a black Cairn terrier who adopts Katie Lightfoot when she ditches her former fiance and moves to Savannah to open a bakery with her aunt and uncle.  Her uncle’s a retired fire chief, but her aunt is a hedgewitch… not that Katie knows that before we all find out as the story unfolds.  Of course, her uncle has a favorite firefighter about Katie’s age… but Katie also is drawn to a local reporter…

I devoured book #2 in this series too.  Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti is heavy on the magic, but most of the witches have pet familiars, so Mungo and Honeybee have play dates with a parrot and a Great Dane too.  If you aren’t comfortable with magic as a rather real part of life (and the plot!) this series definitely isn’t for you, but it’s really no darker than MacBeth and the three witches.

Both series also feature some tempting recipes at the end of each book.  Have you ever used a recipe from a work of fiction?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give thanks for the Knight and his knack for finding things I can’t put my hands on… and they’re usually somewhere I’d already looked (and looked right over them, somehow).  I’m also grateful for the very devoted DIVA who paces with me when I’m a little manic, and for the sweet little snuggler always waiting for me to be still long enough for her to help soothe me.

And I can’t thank you enough.  Friends both near and far have been so very supportive, and it means more than I can say.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never been so tardy with thank you notes, but what’s truly special about my friends and family is you know that and I don’t even need to apologize for falling off the Emily Post wagon.   I am blessed, and I know it.

More Cowl Photos

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday and anything else you’re celebrating.  Here are a couple more photos of the cowl, in honor of Dogs on Thursday.  I’m also quite thankful for knitting, pretty yarn and good bloggy pals!

And yes, I’m wearing the cowl today (Thursday).  It’s cold outside, my office at work is being painted and I’m a little restless when I don’t have a spot to call my own.  It’s going to be spiffy when it’s all done, but transition is painful.

Any transition or change in your world?

Greenies on Thorsday

Happy Thorsday, little friday, Thankful Thursday and more!  I don’t know whether the girls recognize the Chewy box, smell the goodness within, or what, but they KNOW those boxes are for them.  This time, they were asked to try/review Greenies.

Greenies are dental treats for dogs.  They’re even shaped like a toothbrush.  We had tried them before, and the girls rushed right through the original, firmer texture.  The new, chewier texture makes them slow down a bit, and hopefully, that improves the cleaning efforts of said treat.  Both girls are starting to have some tartar build-up, so the Greenies arrived just in time!

The good folks at Chewy sent the regular size, which is perfect for Sis, and thanks to that new texture, I can easily break one in half for Gretchen Greer.  We are very grateful for the ever-increasing, Sissy-friendly (read: nearly vegan and yet still corn-free) range of product Chewy carries, their speedy shipping, and of course, for this great gig reviewing things for them from time to time.  While the treats were sent free of charge for our review, the opinions and content are our own.

They don’t just carry food and treats; Sissy has her eye on a new leash too.  Valentine’s Day is right around the corner…

If you’re looking for fur-girl photos, you can check out their blog for a rare Sissy in a sweater sighting.  Extra credit if you know her sweater’s origins!

I’m also thankful for your kind condolences and sweet comments and emails.  The details are sorting themselves out well enough, and work has been nice and busy, which is actually a good thing.

What are you thankful for?

Unexpected Treasure

Fall 2007ish?

Happy Thorsday, little friday and thankful Thursday!

The Knight got lost in his photos on Christmas afternoon.  He found one that made me laugh and cry.  That’s Mugsy, on the operator’s platform on a fire truck.   That little guy was fearless, and at least for the last few years of his life, Mugsy followed the Knight whenever and wherever he was allowed to do so.

I’m pretty sure not many dogs have operated a quint.  (Ladder truck + pumper/engine/wagon – whatever you call them in your neck of the woods)   I now work for the company that was demo-ing said apparatus, as an aside.  Those truly in the know might have already realized that isn’t one of our fire trucks, because it’s not hunter green.

Anyway, happy Boxing Day too.  Back when I was a paid firefighter, there were several years we celebrated Christmas on the 26th.  I hope you have time today to say hello to a friend, neighbor or relation you didn’t catch up with yesterday.  And if not, there’s always the weekend.  I’m never in a hurry to stop celebrating.  In my family, there’s a lot of emphasis on shared meals, and I have three more in the next four days.

For those looking for the fur-girls, they’re resting up.  They didn’t go to any of the dinners with us, but they did make sure I burned off the calories from said meals with several extra miles, and Sissy even insisted on running today.  Smart girl.  I think our daytime high was something like 27 degrees, so there was no reason to doddle in the woods.

Why yes, they had presents too.  Like most girls, they got clothes, toys and some special treats.  Sissy even got a Basset Hound calendar from Shadow (Pop’s dog, now living with my inlaws).   They also partook of some macaroni and cheese last night, and had strawberries with their dinner tonight.  Do your pets celebrate with you?

 

Bassitude

Happy Thorsday, little friday, Thankful Thursday, one week before Christmas and whatever else.  I apologize for my unplanned silences, but that’s what happens when one has a real job and she gets the bright idea to do League leadership mid-year reviews at mid-year even when that falls during the holiday rush.

So, I haven’t even had time to set up my most exciting, early Christmas present from the good folks at BROOD – the local basset rescue.  See, they had a raffle a few weeks ago, and imagine my surprise when I not only won, but won my favorite of the four prizes donated by the extremely talented paws at Sir Bentley Art.  I hope they won’t mind if I use their cover photo from their Facebook page to illustrate my most awesome loot!

Courtesy of Sir Bentley Art

Which piece is your favorite?  I truly can’t choose.  I’m just delighted to own it; I might have to shuffle around some other precious things so it can live year ’round in one of our glass-front cabinets…

Courtesy of Will Kerner; JLC future, present and past presidents

Obviously, I’m thankful for the generosity of talented artists, for the good folks at BROOD helping houndies find great homes, and for literary classics that make us think and inspire us to be better people.  But I’m also grateful for landing in a job that is never the same two days – or two minutes? – in a row and for my good-natured co-workers who make me laugh, one way or another, every day.  I’m also honored to serve the community with the dedicated, brilliant women in the JLC, especially those awesome leaders who went along with my crazy notion that the mid-year reviews should happen between Thanksgiving and … yesterday.  We did it, and they have some great ideas on how to move the League forward even further in the next few months.

Of course most of all, I’m grateful for the Knight, who never does more than sigh and make sure the bluetooth headset is charged when I mention at 4:35 that I have four conference calls, beginning at 5.  And I’m glad Sissy has remained relentless in her demands for a daily walk, except in the foulest of weather.

I hope friends and family will understand when our Christmas cards arrive next week… or after the 25th.  There’s also been no baking this year.  It might be the year of fudge, because I can manage to stand at the stove and stir for five minutes and then wait for time and the magic of cooling, liquefied sugar to happen.   But next year…

Never mind.  I’m pretty sure I’ve vowed to get my act together better every year since life started getting in the way.

What are you thankful for today?