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.

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday, last board meeting as president, May Day…

The deer have eaten my rose bushes – and everything else that ever was green – so there are no raindrops on roses and I’m allergic to kittens, but there are still plenty of favorite things to make me smile.

Not everything is a cause for celebration.  The girls’ blog talks about another hurdle we’re trying to cross.  I am very grateful that Sis is okay, but my spirit is broken.  I’ve lost faith in some people, and in my own ability to keep my dogs safe, but full disclosure…  I did buy a new pair of PANK trail shoes earlier this week, so not all hope is gone.

Ebb and flow is the way of life, but this afternoon, I received one of the greatest compliments of my life.  A teenage girl, about as typical as they come (angst, challenges authority, heard moaning, “I hate my life” and the like regularly), greeted me brightly and then opened her arms wide and we hugged.

And hugged.  And held on.  And whispered things I won’t share.  Growing up can be hard, and I think she really knows not only is she the only one ever, but her parents aren’t the only adults who care deeply about her.

Neither of us are overtly affectionate, which only made the moment all the more precious.

And sometimes, being honored is inconvenient.  That’s all I’m going to say about that for now, but has anyone else ever thought, “Oh, what an honor — I just wish the timing was better”?

The sunshine and roses will be back soon.  In the meantime, I’ll take a rainy day hold tight and sway with a young friend every single time.  A resilient dog with plenty of kisses and sassy demands for a walk – even in the rain, even after being attacked – makes the world a better place too.

And yeah, I do sing “My Girl” to the furgirls, along with “You are my Sunshine.”

What lifts you up or puts sunshine on a cloudy day for you?

 

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.

Roses Aren’t Red

… well, not all of ’em anyway.

Happy Thorsday (or whatever day you see this), little friday and Thankful Thursday.  The fast-paced, jam-packed schedule continues here, with no relief in sight until NEXT Sunday.

If you’re local and would like a complimentary early-bird ticket to Dogwood Deals, leave a comment or email me.

If you’re looking for fur-girl photos, click over.   I’ve missed two days of walks this week, but I did manage a couple of new photos and a post on their blog.

Thankfuls are even more important when I’m running ragged.  I’m thankful for a husband who will fix dinner, rolls with the punches when I deliver take-out at 9 pm, and who knows when I am fighting a migraine even before I do and urges me to go home, feed the dogs, and he’ll go to the next meeting alone.

I know I’m blessed to have a husband who also delivers the very best lunches on the very worst days at work.  I’ve written about Blue Ridge Pig before, and if you ever make it to Wintergreen, stop in and get a great sandwich and some of the dill potato salad.  I cannot find a similar recipe anywhere.  (Olive oil, dill and …?)

There are no coincidences; I landed a great job that gives me a sense of purpose.  It’s sad that our happy little quintet drops to a trio tomorrow, but ebb and flow… and I’m glad I got to know A and B, and I hope the next chapters of their lives are happy and  productive.

And there’s no denying how much two furry lumps squeezed against me makes the world a better place.  Gg rarely misses a chance to be a lapdog, but Sis doesn’t always grace me with her presence in such a close fashion.  I am missed, I am love, and I am honored.

Where would I be though without my friends?  Thank  you for checking in on me, and thanks to those locals who are on the hamster wheel with me.   It will all be worth it!!

 

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?