EVERYDAY LEARNING

Things I have learned in the last 24 hours (or so...)


- If I plug the kettle in on the right side of the kitchen, instead of the left side, I can still reach the tap to fill it without unplugging first.

- First thing in the morning, my brain still thinks it is easier to plug the kettle in on the left, detach the cord from the kettle, fill it up, then plug the cord back in. Most likely because the outlets on the right are all used up.

- There's going to be a new version of Law & Order coming to tv, and I absolutely love the man voice that goes "and these are their stories". Dun dun.

- I enjoy walking in the morning without music. Yesterday I took my bb and listened to running tunes and had to take them off. They were giving me a headache. This morning I went with nothing and found it peaceful, relaxing even.

- My ipod is officially missing and perhaps hiding in my sister-in-law's suitcase. (Tanya - Will you look if you get a sec? Thx!)

- My hunny's Dad flies out tomorrow morning, and I get to drop him off. I love being there to pick him up when he gets home, so I will try letting him go.

- Our lettuce is growing out of control.

- My hunny put nitrogen on it a few days ago.

- The never-ending power of positive verbal reinforcement (Gail! You're a rockstar!! So proud of you!!)

- You can buy fresh apricots in a basket: Sobeys, $4.99 DEAL!

- Apricots in a basket are cheaper than bulk ones, and alot less bruised up. DEAL!

- Stephen Hawking thinks that humans need to abandon earth in order to avoid extinction.

- There is no one in my favorite coffee shop if you walk by at 6:30am, it's pitch black. I always just assumed they were early morning keeners.

- I absolutely love when people leave comments on my blog posts. Oh wait, I already knew that......hehe

- If you turn off your alarm/snooze in the morning before actually getting out of bed, you can't be surprised if somehow you manage to lose 30 mins of your day.

- There's nothing exciting like making my sleepy brain realize that it's only 7:05am, not 8:05am, and I already have the dogs walked. Wizard!

- There is a better first-thing-in-the-morning walking route than the one that yesterday took me down by my closed favorite coffee shop.

- "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta" is no where near as good as the original.

- Surprisingly, my hunny has considered at some point getting a tattoo somewhere on his body of Remy.

- This little girl will not be getting any tattoos of any animals, no matter how much I love them to pieces.

- The Tetley Blueberry Green Tea is definitely the best flavors

- This humid weather doesn't do my hair any favors. Oh wait, I already knew that too.

- If you cover up a big, dead bug with your sneaker, and no one else is home but you and your animals, then the next time you move that sneaker the big, dead bug will still be there.

- Getting out of bed 3 hours before I'm due at work seems to be just the right amount of time I need. (I spend most of that time walking Remy, or drinking tea and watching the news).

- We really need to invest in a few new towels that don't have dog dirt stains that won't wash out (I hate the smell of bleach), big tears, runs or corners chewed off.

- I was born in the chinese year of the dog. Coincidence? I think I will blog more about this in a later post. Very interesting stuff.

- Both our kitchen flooring, and the outdoor deck stain seem to be the same color as Remy's coat.

- If in the morning you empty the dehumidifier, and then put the container back in and turn it on.... the next morning this process will repeat.

- Pre-made gravy is so salty it almost hurts my mouth

- I will eat anything when I get off work and am starving. Anything.

- I have the best hunny and dogs in the entire world. Oh wait, I already knew that too!

SEWING SIZE ANIMAL

I seem to be having a hard time typing this morning. I just deleted everything I'd already written and am starting again. In attempt at possible explanation, I feel like a zombie. I dragged myself out of bed 6am to take Remy on a hardcore walk to downtown and back, then got home and added Bear to the equation for a final around the block loop. Now all I need is a caffeine drip and I should be able to get moving again.

My mom gave me a shirt last year, and over the weekend I decided that its boring life of hanging in my closet was over. It was a top that I like from the bust up, but the rest just looks like a potato sack on me. I tend to take it out (because I like the fabric), try it on, then take it off again and hang it back up. It needed a better life than that.

So I decided I could use all that fabric to make matching dog bandanas!

Before getting jiggy with the scissors, I took out my camera and snapped a few photos. This way you can see what I mean when I say it's pretty but more like a smock from grade school art class than a fashion top on me. Oh, and before you ask no I didn't dye my hair. These pictures are fresh out of the shower. Clean, just for you!

The first bandana I made took, I'm guessing, about 1.5hrs. Seriously. Now, in my defense, I edged it in reflective tape and I had to cut more than once to get the right size. The second bandana took a little more than 20 mins. Isn't that always the way? I was so proud of them when they were done. Remy's was a little big, but often when we buy new ones they start out seeming large and then after some wear and tear they fold up on themselves into smaller sizes. I want to put in a little note here, thanking my hunny for sitting calmly by while I moodily ranted about the fact that I do not sew because I enjoy it, but for the point of learning something practial and useful. I love him, and I'm so glad we took this photo before going to the movie...

because after we got back from the movie last night, Remy proved that perhaps hers was too big. She had eaten it, while still wearing it.

I wasn't totally heartbroken, as you might think. I mostly just laughed. I still think it's pretty hilarious. We will just have to try to make another set some time. Ultimately, it was only Bear who needed a new one anyway. Remy had earlier taken his off him, won possession in a tug of war and then proceeded to rip it up - we were outside gardening, in our defense... what a bunch of hooligans!

Have a great day everyone! Time for me to get ready for work.....

XOXO

P.s. The movie Salt is SO my kind of flick. I LOVED it. Oh goodness gracious me...... it was awesome!
P.p.s. My friend Gail is learning how to swim at the wonderful age of 29, and I am SO proud of her for being so brave. You're a rockstar!
P.p.p.s. I stumbled across this new background and love it! What do you think?

Xoxo

oh one more p.s.! I added some musical gems I found this morning to my playlist. Including one of my favorite songs by the Neverending White Lights that I saw in a movie preview last night, and it gave me goosebumps! Also, a version of the lullabye I sing to the dogs at night when Bear can't sleep. xoxo

HOMEMADE REMEDY

Good morning everyone, hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

You have all met our little girl Remy.....

Well there is one place in the world that is her absolute favorite to be. Ok, maybe playing fetch at Marble is her absolute #1, but this is a more constant and important 2nd place...

on the deck.

If we are home, she'd rather be out on the deck than anywhere else.

Now, I've been getting in the habit of keeping the door open for her every time I'm here. Unfortunately, that means that if she's out there alone while I'm in the house, I can't keep my eye on her entirely. She's a bit mischevious, but not in a devious way. She pulls off the innocent puppy face really well. As if she just forgot that she's not alowed to chew on the deck. It's hard for us to catch her but there's obvious evidence that it's going on.

This morning I caught her. I decided that was enough. I will try one more thing (ok, I'd probably be willing to try more than that....) before keeping the door closed and her inside when I can't be out with her. I went into the cupboard and found the apple cider vinegar. I took it outside, poured it all over the area she likes to gnaw on.

Then I stood back to watch.

She sniffed. Sniffed some more. Ventured closer. At this point the vinegar had run off and was pooling just below the chew spot. She leaned in, hesitated, and then took a tentative lick. Haha, it was her last one. She was definitely not impressed. Even if all she does is stay away from the puddle, because the pouring never actually made the specific spot stay vinegary, that's ok with me. I think she has been seeing that it has already been chewed there, so goes back for more. It has to stop.

Although, I'm definitely going to need to go buy more vinegar.

It just started to rain.

Off to work I go!

xoxo

CREATIVITY

Good Morning!

I've been slack in writing, I know. My back is still causing some issues, so I don't seem to be sleeping well. Energy Zap.

I was asked yesterday how the garden is doing, and it occured to me that I haven't updated you on our growing vegetables in awhile.

Voila!

The brocoli are practically trees! Our carrots are coming along nicely as well. Most nights now, we mosey out into the yard and pick our salad for supper. It's wonderful! We never did get anywhere with the spinach. I firmly believe this is because we simply planted it too late in the season. It's a cold weather crop, so by not giving it a chance to mature before the heat hit, it just couldn't thrive. If any of the seedlings are still struggling by fall perhaps we will see some life from those plants then. No worries, we learned our lesson.

I also wanted to tell you about the online phenomenon called: Etsy

I searched the website itself for their own description and here's what I found:

Etsy is the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace. Etsy celebrates individual creativity in design and craftsmanship by connecting unique people, stories and items in a playful and meaningful way. Etsy provides a marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies. (Source: Etsy)

Now, I'm not a huge online shopper. I think that some of you aren't either. However, this place is a treasure chest of ideas. If you have a few momments to sit down with a good cup of tea, and perhaps are unable to read my blog that day because I have not updated it, Ladies..... go see Etsy

More things than you can even imagine are being made and collected by wonderful women just like you. I found this website through one of my favorite blogs, and she has her own Etsy Store. A Bushel and a Peck
Here are some lovely snippets of her creativity:

There you have it. Go browse and do some window shopping. I would love to be able to make bags like these. I think that means I will have to eventually buy one just so I can see how she does it. Hehe, what a fun thought!

Have a wonderful day everyone! As soon as I'm feeling up to going out for some of my own adventures, I will tell you all about them...