Chewy Cheese

Finally, we’re getting around to blogging about the May Chewy Blogger Outreach goodies that came to our door.  Fromm is a trusted source – as is Chewy – so we new it would be something the girls could safely enjoy.  I’m more concerned about the product meeting Sissy’s rather restrictive dietary needs, while all the furgirls care about is the enjoyment part.  Chewy and Fromm make both possible with their Cheese treats.

The furgirls don’t need low fat, but when I can find a treat with only four ingredients from a brand I trust, it’s a win.  And who doesn’t love Wisconsin Cheddar?  The Knight always brings some home for us when he travels to WI, and while HE has told the dogs it’s too good to share with them, the folks at Fromm disagree and put the good stuff in their treats.

Worth waiting for

The DIVA feels the treats are tiny, not even bite-sized, but because we are a small and large dog household (yes, bassets are considered medium-large… don’t let the short legs fool you!), I’m happy to have wee treats that I don’t have to break into pieces to serve the wee one.   They’re great training treat size for Sis and other not-tiny dogs, and did I mention the girls love them?

Oh – and don’t let the title fool you.  I like alliteration, but the treats are crunchy, not chewy.

Thanks, Chewy!  We love your prompt service, your great selection and your commitment to quality.   Well…  *I* love those things; the girls just like the boxes that smell like doggy yum-yums are inside.

That’s all I’ve got right now.  There was a quick business trip to Sarasota last week (honest – I’m blessed to work for a company that sends me to such miserable destinations for training), but unless you want to see photos of the Bradenton plant, I have nothing for you, other than a piece of advice…  if you’re in the area, visit Siesta Key and grab a meal at Siesta Key Oyster Bar.   I had the fish tacos and they were the best I’ve ever had – seriously.

Have you encountered any best-evers recently?

 

 

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.

Saturday Scramble

Oh, the things we’ll do to avoid doing the taxes…

And yes, I realize I’ve put them off about as long as I dare.  Just as soon as I finish this post, I’ll go update the software, walk the dogs and then buckle down.  The taxes are just a symbol of how life is going right now.  If it isn’t on fire or otherwise an emergency, it isn’t getting my attention.

The girls are peering up under the bridge across the little creek, and that’s a good image for how it goes in the woods of late.  I ran hurdles in high school track, and that’s how I’m managing things right now.  Eyes forward, leap while the brain is calculating when the next leap has to happen…

I do have a few things to report though, and for another photo of the girls in the water and an update on them, click here.

Firstly, coconut milk “creamer” doesn’t cut it.  I can do plain cream and an artificial sweetener or flavored syrup, but the vegan “creams” don’t come close.  I’d rather just do 2% milk and sweetener, to give you some idea?  I am drinking less coffee and more green tea though, so I figure my reduced consumption of “fake creamer” that way is perhaps win enough.

Relay Foods is my new friend.   There’s a pick-up location nearly every weekday that is close enough to on my way home that going to the grocery store is a thing of the past.  See above; I need time-savers and stress reducers, and I find the Knight’s turn down every aisle at strolling speed version of grocery shopping just about the most stressful thing EVER.

Do you Relay?  If so, please share your favorite finds.  Locally, they partner with Whole Foods, so I have a good idea of what’s available, but they also partner with local small businesses – like the tea source I didn’t have a clue about that I walk past regularly when I’m downtown.

Next…  I’m pondering a return to nearly natural hair coloring.  I thought I wanted to go blonde instead of grey, but the most recent photos of me are too brassy, and I have a great colorist, use filtered water and quality hair products to wash…

Granted, I know I look awful in black and the lighting is horrible in this photo, but you get the idea.   Am I tilting at windmills?  Should I just use one of those cover the grey temporary colors that’s closer to my natural, medium-to-dark brown?

(And that cutie was Kids in the Kitchen vice chair.  She really is so petite that I am a few inches taller!  I’m looking forward to watching her develop as a JLC leader.  She’s smart, direct and a very hard worker… and always has that big smile on her face.)

Okay.  This isn’t taking care of the taxes or the dog walk.  How goes it in your part of the world?

 

 

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?

 

 

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?

Beach Report

Wow.  I knew the week was hectic and I didn’t have a great grasp on things, but I was truly surprised to realize this morning that Thorsday came and went and no post happened.  The girls have a bit of a post on their blog, but really, they’re just annoyed because the humans have been busy, walks haven’t happened to their satisfaction (no walks twice this week due to Sissy’s upset tummy, rain, etc.) and they don’t like ANY changes to their routine.

We saw our first sea turtle last week, but I’m rather sure it was dead.  Still, I didn’t risk it and didn’t get close enough to confirm, because their jaws are quick and powerful.

Despite the wind, rough seas and Sissy’s issues, we still logged quite a few miles on the beach.  Gretchen in particular loves to chase birds on the water’s edge, but I haven’t been able to convince her that perhaps she shouldn’t mess with the larger gulls.  They just glare, soar and land out of her reach, but seriously… my sometimes timid, sometimes snake hunter really is a JRT at heart!

I’m very grateful for a place to retreat and recharge, but I’m most grateful for a man who will go out after midnight to buy his dog children’s chewable Pepto with the hope that she’ll get comfortable enough to let the rest of the household sleep.  I’m also thankful for the kindness of strangers… particularly the waitress at the Knight’s favorite seafood buffet who was more than willing to allow us to break the “no to-go boxes” rule to take shrimp tails to the same spoiled dog(s).

And really, I did knit (and gave away one of the cloths yesterday without taking a photo) and I did read, and I will share more about that as soon as I have a spare moment.

Is giving thanks part of your Thanksgiving traditions?

Thanks and Giving

Happy Thorsday, Thankful Thursday, Thanksgiving and …  You’ll note it’s not little friday.  I’m most grateful for a very long weekend.  My new employer gave us two days off, and Sissy is determined that we are going to make up for the two days of walking lost to foul weather.   I think the fur-girls are also a little confused about the “gobble” part of the holiday.

For us, this is a quiet holiday, a time to contemplate and collect my thoughts before we launch into a busy holiday season.  The Knight and my sister also have birthdays in early December, so I try not to rush into the Christmas decorating and such.  I have done a lot of my shopping, but the right cards still elude me.

What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

Who are you when no one’s looking?

Sissy DIVA 2-11; ALWAYS true to herself

Feel free to hum Blake Shelton’s tune, but the concept goes back to at least the 20th century and John Wooden’s “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”   Or we could push it back another half century or so to C. S. Lewis and “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

The concept is actually age-old, but I’ll quit playing connect the quote/philosophy dots.  I’m still shaking my head, wondering if the Lululemon founder was raised in an all-male orphanage and as such, has no mother, daughter, wife, niece…   I just cannot imagine any other reason an otherwise seemingly functional adult would say something so very, very stupid.

Some of you have been asking about my new job.  I like it very much.  I work in a very small service center, where mostly fire engines, but sometimes ambulances or wreckers are also in for repair.  I am the only woman in our little “burg” so on most work days, the only other woman  I see is the parts delivery person for one of our vendors.  The four men I work with span roughly three decades worth of ages, and they’re all good guys.    Two have daughters, two have sons,  and all of us have “young people” in our lives we care about, so we all are role models, whether we like it or not.

I try to be authentic, always.

Who are you when no one is looking?

Thorsday Howloween

Happy Thorsday, Howloween, Thankful Thursday and little friday!  Do pop over to the girls’ blog and read their Taco Faerie fairy tale.  It makes their mish-mash of costumes almost make sense – ALMOST.  Evidently, Sissy only pays attention to Fudge‘s stories… and you’ll have to click over to figure out what THAT means, if the link between their costumes doesn’t puzzle you enough.

I have to thank Houndgirl for Gg’s costume.  Oddly, once she gets it on, she actually likes it.  Who would have thought?!  She’s a cute little taco, and she had fun prancing around the yard in her costume.  Thanks, Kari!

The DIVA wasn’t feeling the tiara.  I guess she didn’t want anyone to mistake her for a faerie princess?  And after I went to the trouble of matching her wings to her favorite crown!  Such is the life of a costumer for doggy DIVAs!

I’m thankful for my sweet, indulgent dogs.  We won’t dwell on Sissy’s new, bad habit of raiding the pantry when we aren’t home in the evening.  She’s been showing off her “I can open the pantry!” skills for a while now, and we’ve scolded her… clearly to no avail.  Friday night when I got home, I found a one pound bag of red hots in the doorway to our bedroom.  We’re still finding red hots!  Last night, we came home to find the box of saltines in the middle of the kitchen floor… with one sleeve missing.  The Knight found it on the floor, on his side of the bed… with lots of cracker crumbs.  Hem.

Anyway.  How’s the cracker crumbling in your world?

 

 

 

Double DIVA Day!

Birthday 2010

Happy Thorsday!  It’s a very special Thorsday, as it is Queen Sissy DIVA’s sixth birthday.  You can see more photos of her on the girls’ blog.   Since it’s also little friday and Thankful Thursday, it only seems fitting that I focus here on how thankful I am that Sissy found us.  She’s the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, smart and bold, funny and affectionate…

She has more personality than any one creature needs, and we wouldn’t trade a thing.

And she fights the Knight for the pillow – he calls it HIS pillow – every single night.  The girl is a very strong alpha, and likes to remind the Knight that he’s only in charge when she deems it acceptable.   Of course, I routinely mention that she’s a relentless personal trainer, and she sees to it that we log 20 miles or more every single week, no matter what.  I won’t even mention how lost Gretchen would be without her.

Happiest of birthdays, Princess of Joy.  I guess I’ll be buying some shrimp on my way home for your birthday dinner.

Happy birthdays to our dear friends celebrating with us this week too.  You know who you are… and I’m VERY sorry life has been so hectic and I haven’t properly acknowledged squat.

What are you celebrating?