Molly's First Haircut

I finally gave in.

In theory you aren't supposed to shave a Cairn Terrier. They're double coated and it eliminates their "weatherproof" quality. But, she's an inside dog and this just makes so much more sense for my lifestyle.

Plus, I think she's cuter this way. :)



We shaved her in the bf's kitchen with clippers purchased from Walmart. Not too shabby huh?

Right before we finished she got a little nervous and jumped into the clippers. Hence the hockey tape on her ear.

The bf thinks it makes her look tough.

I don't know how I feel about my princess looking "tough". Probably similar to how my mother felt when I refused to wear anything but bib-overalls growning up...

A light unto my path

There's something about a lighthouse that inspires me.

Standing silently; providing a beacon.

Protecting. Guiding. Warning.




The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
Psalm 27:1

I took these pictures a few weeks ago in OBX. The first is Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the other is Bodie Island Lighthouse.

I swear they speak

These pictures are a little dark but this was the scene in my bedroom this morning.

Both my monsters watching out the window.



Dex: "Hey, you see any squirrels?"



I swear they have conversations with each other.

I even have video of them working together as a team to accomplish a task. (Dex getting a toy for Molly that I put up high on a bookshelf)

Thankfully they don't gang up on me.

Often.

14th Post

Just because.

Just because this makes more posts this month than any other month I've been blogging.

Just because its little things like this lately that make me feel like I'm finally getting a grip on my life. I'm not standing in the middle of it watching it spin around me.

Victory is mine.

My First 5K

I ran my first 5K last weekend.

Well, I ran half of it.

You see, I tore up my knee pretty badly in highschool. It ended my basketball career. For what it was. And I was pretty tore up about it. (Pun intended)

And well, I haven't really run since then.

I ran a little my freshman year of college. And kept it up into the summer. But after a while, my knee would swell up every time I ran and I wouldn't be able to walk afterwards.

Not worth it.

So. I stopped running.

Six weeks ago I started running again. Can I tell you how it feels to run for the first time in years? And I mean, we are talking 8. Eight years folks. It doesn't feel good. Those first steps made me feel 40. I'm 26. I'm active. I just haven't run.

Saturday I ran half a 5K. I walked the rest. And finished in 40:16. Not great. Not last in my age group. But definitely something to beat next year. Its a start. And I'll take it.

Here's an official pic from the race. I refuse to pay ten bucks for a low res digital. I'm laughing because what you don't see is the CEO of the company I work for running next to me. "Letting me win". He went back and finished the race with every one of the people who ran from the company I work for. It was kind of awesome.

And here's one of me and a colleague after the race.



I was a little sore after the race. But it felt great to cross that finish line. Hopefully it won't be my last.

And hopefully they will all be in shorter finish times from here out.

Salsa!

Last night I turned some of the tomatoes from my garden into this loveliness!





I used the basic salsa recipe from this book. And it turned out really well.

One thing to note, when they say 1-2 jalapenos for mild salsa, they mean it. More like, only one. I put in three because I was shooting for somewhere between mild and medium and ended up on the warm side of medium.

The only change I made to the recipe was to add the juice from one lemon. It seemed to make the flavor pop a little more. Just make sure to strain out the seeds first!

This is the first recipe I've tried from this book but I will certainly be trying many others. I was really excited to find a canning/preserving guide that scales back the recipes for small batches. It makes the process a lot more convenient for those people who are only canning for themselves and don't want a lot of excess or who have small gardens and their veggetables come in a little at a time.

I fall into both of these categories. While I know my work colleagues will be more than happy to be recipients of any excess, I only had 18 tomatoes to work with. I was worried they wouldn't hold over until more ripened for a full batch. This recipe was perfect. I even have a few extra tomatoes left for BLT sandwiches this week!

Monster Monday

Remember the apothecary jar from a few posts back?



They had Dexter in mind when they mailed it in an extra large box with lots of bubble wrap.

Happy kitty.

Arrival

There's nothing better than that first view of the sand after a long drive.

Doesn't matter if you live at the beach.

Doesn't matter if it was really less than a two hour drive.

This view is awesome.

From the cutting garden...

...to my cubicle!


These have been brightening my cube all week long. I'm definitely planting more zinnias next year. Many more. They last forever after they're cut.

Apothecary Jar

The bf and I collected shells while on our trip to Corolla Light, NC, that I posted previously. I had an idea for putting them in an apothecary jar and adding a label with date and place and starting a little tradition. (He and I are both big on travel and I see many trips in our future!)

After poking around the interwebs I stumbled across this website. They have quite a few interesting glass jars at great prices. I was impressed. These would be perfect for anyone looking to do a candy buffet at a wedding.

I still need to add a label, but you get the idea.

Kicking Myself

I finished the quilt for my girl friend's baby Tuesday night and mailed it off to her on Wednesday.

Without photographing it.

Dangit.

Adorable. Soft. Cuddly. No pictures to prove it.

Hopefully I can get a few from her once her little man is born of him and the quilt...

Geez.

Sooo...

I have a confession to make.

This poor graduate student has hired a cleaning lady.

That's right.

And to be perfectly honest....

I might love her.

You see, I would so much rather play in my flowerbeds and my garden during the nanosecond of free time that I have each week. That meant that while my house was "picked up" it was by far not "clean". Even though looks were deceaving.

This might be one of the best decisions I've made in recent memory.

Sanity restored. Or very nearly.

Monster Monday

I think this might be a sign that Dex needs a diet...

He was rather entertaining trying to squeeze himself into this Roman shade box. Once he was in... he didn't bother to attempt to extricate himself for quite a while...





Hey, hey, what are you doing?


Not paying attention to me? Oh, I'll fix that.



This makes doing homework rather challenging...

Goober. Has to be the center of attention.

Pittsburgh Peeps

While I was editing my Corolla pics I realized I never posted the real pictures from an actual camera from my Pittsburgh trip. I didn't take very many, but here's what I did take.

This is Amanda and Shawn. They just bought a house and moved in together. I have a sneaky suspicion they might be "next".


Katy B and Pat. Or Double Patty. Whichever you prefer. They've been dating for just over a year now. Great couple.


The Burgh from the stadium.


Four of the Eight Casa Verde roomies. (Plus a future Penn Stater in the oven!)





Doesn't Kristen make the cutest pregnant chick?! She's the one the baby quilt is for. Just have to finish the binding and its in the mail. She's due in a month!

Corolla Light, North Carolina

**Warning, this post is picture heavy**

I had the pleasure of joining my bff and her family and their friends on their vacation to OBX again this year. What a relaxing place! Its unlike any other beach vacation spot that I've ever been to. Just a lot of sun and sand and relaxation. And maybe a few wild horses! Corolla Light is semi-secluded with very few "tourist attractions". Its perfect for large families who don't want to drag kids from one attraction to another but simply want sun and surf and peace and quiet.

Here are some of the pics from my trip. There are quite a few...

Package for Me!

My bridesmaid dress for my BFF's October wedding arrived this week. It's super cute and not so bridesmaidy. (This was my pick! I love when the bride listens to the opinions of the girls wearing the dresses.)



I even might not dye this one!

Now I just need to find some shoes... this is turning out to be a rather difficult task.

Ps. Like how both my monsters interjected themselves into this pic?

Pps. Excuse all the extraneous clutter, the bf locked the keys to my garage... inside the garage. I'm going to have to borrow some bolt cutters from the office.

First Garden Haul!

Finally!!



This is what I picked this morning. Its the first time I've picked more than one vegetable at a time. However, once my tomatos ripen, I'll probably have at least a bushel. I'm feeling some homemade salsa canning in my future.