A January Afternoon

Five days a week during the school year, my trusty poochie and I trek out to the end of the road to wait for Leah's bus to drop her off. Despite the routine, no two afternoons are ever alike. In the fall, Jack and I kick through drying leaves, and in the spring, we find a serpentine path around the street lakes formed from melting snowbanks.

This day, was an overcast, chilly, nearly windless, January day with light snowfall of itty-bitty flakes. The sun was already very low on the horizon and casting an amber glow as it sank, promising to take a little longer to do so tomorrow. And Jack, perky eared and shivering, was almost monochromatic against the snowy road and backdrop.

"Where's Leah?" I whisper to him. He looks up, turns his head in the wrong direction, and looks earnestly for his little friend. We're quiet and, for a few seconds, so is the neighborhood. Then, faintly before growing, we hear the quick clackity-clack of the diesel engine groaning up the road. Then we see the lights on the top of the orange bus. Then the whole bus. Squeaking brakes, noisy idle, size 12 boots on the steps, and Jack's soft, happy whimper. She's home!

Eeeek!

On our way back into the house after a walkies, Jack perked up at something inside the big Red Wing crock outside our front door. He occasionally sniffs places where someone who has a dog has walked, or where he last saw a chipmunk dart into a drainpipe, but this time he was committed.


His tail, usually quite dormant for a dog, went berserk, whipping in every direction, his ears stood at taut attention, and his neck strained at his collar and leash.


And this is why:


It was so cute! After I snapped these photos, we brought Jack inside, came back out and carefully tipped the crock on its side. The lil' guy wasted no time and bolted out of the crock, down the porch, and under a crack in the cement. He's probably related to if not complicit in the group of mice that have been leaving their little black calling cards in our kitchen recently. But finding him/her helpless in this crock gave me hope that we could use the dangling toilet paper roll method to catch one of 'em one of these days and actually find him/her in the garbage can in the morning. What we'd do if we actually caught one? I don't know. I guess if we release them outside, they'd just come back in and think it was all just a fun field trip. I don't want to kill them either. And, in case you're wondering, I don't want to keep them as pets either. We already know what Jack thinks of them. :)

If you've got any tips, let me know!

New Camera = Loads of Fun

With the actual NEED for both of us to have cameras coming up more and more, Matthew and I decided it was high time to finally buy a second camera. We've really enjoyed the shots we've taken with our Canon Powershot SD 1000, and we wanted to step it up with number two. We looked at the lovely Panasonic Lumix with the ample digital zoom and HD video capability, but ultimately, I persuaded Matthew to take the leap of faith with me into the world of dSLRs. After some research online, a few, informative chats with friends and camera store employees, and deep soul-searching, I selected the Canon T1i as my golden ticket. Costco had a lens and gadget package offer I couldn't refuse and I am now a proud owner of this beautiful device.
I am still a complete novice with it, but the controls and menu are fairly in line with the point-and-shoot we're used to, so that helps. Basically, it's a thrill to use, and I am amazed at the difference in not only how the photos have turned out, but also in what conditions I've been able to shoot. It's opening up a whole new world of photo capabilities that were previously impossible in our shady house and yard. Oh, and yes, I do love the cha-click of that shutter opening and closing.

Knowing that I'm still new at this, that these were not taken under ideal circumstances, and that they've been reduced to fit on your screen, please don't throw any tomatoes at my recent batch of show and tell pics. Here we go!

Jack was my first official subject, and like a good greyhound, he stood statue-like under the golden canopy of changing leaves for this one, my first favorite photo from my new camera:


Then, onto some flowers still showing their colors in mid-October at the Arboretum. I could quite get the vividness of the purple in these little flowers, but I like the depth of field in this photo:

Here again, the red is a little too pink, but I think I nabbed the softness of the petals, the perfection of the rain drops, and that lovely yellow glow from the inside of this rose blossom:

On to moving targets, here's my papa (hi, Dad!):


Leah, with her growing collection of these infectious Silly Bandz:


And Natalie, posing on the deck in her Halloween costume:


Speaking of Halloween, here are the girls in full outfits. Natalie is a chef who says she'll cook us all a mean-a pizza pie. Leah is a veterinarian, poised with syringe and stethoscope, and evidently not wearing any shoes.


Both girls brought home enough candy to last them until next year, and enjoyed the entire weekend in their alter egos.

To close, one last photo of Nattie on her bike. With practice at preschool, she's getting this peddling thing down pretty well and can cruise up and down the street a few feet at a time on her own (with training wheels, that is). Something about those little rosy cheeks makes me like this one a whole lot:


I can't promise the blog posts will be any more frequent, especially as we near the holiday season and my work picks up big time, but I will do my best to take even more kick-butt photos to include with the posts I do manage to write. Thanks for joining me! See you soon.

Happy, Happy!

This post is all about sharing some smile-inducing moments from the last week. Enjoy!

"Whitey." One of at least TWO albino grey squirrels in our neighborhood.



Tulip "spears" in the front yard!



Muffin head.



Smiling Nato



Happy girls by receding lake ice.

...and Here it is!

Phew! Just cleared off the cyber cobwebs from this here bloggerino, lubed up the thinkin' gears, worked a passel o' photos into the bucket, and we're ready to roll. So sit back, relax, have a cold one handy, and set yer mouse to auto-scroll, 'cause we've got some catchin' up to do.

What the heck have we been up to for over a month? Some of you already know, but here's the detailed and pictorial explanation.

Most importantly, we rang in a full, first year of breathing, crying, laughing, drooling, kicking, crawling, babbling, pooping, burping, squealing, wonderful life for Miss Nat-o. Like everyone said she would be, she is very different from how Leah was as an infant, yet she brings us a very similar sense of amazement, joy, and that other, deeper, parent feeling we can never express without getting choked up. "Every day's a new day. Every time, I love ya!"



Speaking of "spiral staircase," we also had a chance to spend the fourth of July at the cabin in MN. It was a beautiful weekend and I think we all got a chance to take a break from everything else. We found a little edge of curb in Annandale to watch the parade, and stayed until Leah got to see a horse (alright, it was a pony - part of a local "pioneer" back-in-time tourist attraction - and the poor thing was being dragged along by an equally suffering Laura Ingalls-esque woman who tried in vain to calm the lil' fella every time Buffalo Bill shot blanks out of his hip pistol). The best part, pictured below, was the electric bass duo in one of the marching bands. Bet they didn't have these in the civil war (although the bass line for Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" might be cheeky).



While we were in Minner-snow-ta, the two NCTs (Natalie and her uncle Nathan) compared foot sizes,



Leah spent most of every day in the water,



Natalie wore her swimsuit for the first time (she never wore it on cruise!),



and we were frequented by this great blue heron a few times a day.




What were we doing across the border, you ask? Well, we were looking at houses, of course! (Insert sound of news breaking) Yep, we are selling our lovely little house in MadTown and moving to what we hope to be "the" house in beautiful Shorewood. Both deals go down at the end of the month and there still seems to be a bazillion little steps between then and now.



I know I will miss this house, this neighborhood, this city, and being so close to our friends. But the new house, along with having enough room for us to get lost and have to yell to each other, will cut our drive time to see Matthew's folks down from 5 hours to 15 minutes, and the drive to see my folks from 9 hours to just under 4. And that will be sweeeeeeeeeet!

Jack ponders life in the new house - he's going to love the carpeted stairs!



You know what else is sweet? (Are you gagging on the segues yet?) A scone from Lazy Jane's on Willy Street. I have never liked scones before having one of these babies.



If you live nearby and have not had one, move your behind there and order two or three right now. If you have tried one, go back and get some more! O.k., while Lazy Jane scones are some of Madison's most awesome treats, my ulterior motive for urging you in its direction is to check out the cards next to the bakery case. Look familiar? They're mine! The lovely and talented Cari (mudandmint on Etsy) offered to buy a small wholesale set to sell at the cafe. She plans to offer stamps as well so that patrons can buy a card and a stamp, sit down with their scone and latte, write a little somethin' somethin' to someone, and send it out - how sweet is that? I was so excited to deliver them, I was shaking.


In addition to selling my cards internationally for the first time, I have also been filling more custom orders. One dear person requested modified versions of my popular "topo" cards. The first set has all white layers cut to look like violins.



The other set has graduated shades of blue layers cut to look like cellos. This was a new challenge and I enjoyed making them.



Another crafty soul (scrappygrasshopper on Etsy) had the genius suggestion of turning the cards into larger wall art pieces. So, I created three 5 x 7 topo-style pieces in shades of coffee brown for her.



I'd love to be able to make really big ones like this (say the size of a whole Strathmore sheet), but I haven't found paper with such subtle color changes in that size, and I have no idea how I'd ship them without charging arms, legs, and first borns. Any ideas? I think the closest I can get right now would be something like multiples or a triptych of 12 x 12 pieces. They would be cool, but wouldn't necessarily have that "OMG!" factor.

Well, pard'ner, you've come a long way since you first opened this post. Thank you, kindly. To show my sincere appreciation for your in'ner'est and time, please enjoy this photo of a sweet per-tay-ter vine blossom. Idinit purdy?



(I have no idea why I felt the need to throw some southern dialect in here. Perhaps I wanted the softness of a well worn saddle to help ease you back into the blog...) Happy Trails.

Recent pics of kid & dog tricks

While, I could stretch these pictures and thoughts into longer, individual posts, the procrastinator lounging on my shoulder says she probably won't get around to making another post in any sort of a timely manner. So, I now present some recent pics of kid and pet tricks (did you catch the rhyme?).

Natalie is beginning to crawl! She's only moving her little knees a couple of times before she collapses onto her tummy again, but people, there is forward movement. Sometimes her leg muscles get overeager and she gets up on her hands and feet for a while before she realizes she doesn't know what to do in that position, so she goes back down to her knees and rethinks the situation, sometimes with the aid of a thumb in her mouth. I will try to post a video of this within a week or so ("Don't bet on it," scoffs the lump on my shoulder).

Our tiny baby is also an official biter. She bites her clothing, her toys (she tore open her "birthday bear" who will undergo surgery this evening), her food (including me - OUCH!), and basically anything she can get into that drooly, tooth-filled cavity of hers. Here's a picture of her with the aftermath of a "biter biscuit."



Doesn't she look proud of herself? I could almost lick her clean, she's so cute, but I opted for a warm, wet washcloth. When I asked her just how dirty she thinks she could get with one of these teething bikkies, her reply was something along the lines of, "Wanna find out?!"



And then Leah and I played hide and seek. While I had the advantage of knowing *how* to hide (I don't clomp my feet on the floor as I find my spot, and I don't announce my spot to the seeker before my turn, and I don't pick the same spot every single time. Leah's methods need some tweaking.), I had the distinct disadvantage of attracting the attention of one giant canine who, for one afternoon, fancied himself a bloodhound. Wherever I went, I had to act quickly - Leah can only accurately count to ten - so I rushed to find a covert retreat. Jack, aroused by my haste, followed me to my perfect spot and stared at me as I tried not to laugh. All Leah had to do was find Jack, follow his expectant gaze, and ta-da! there I was. Somehow the situation seemed so absurd to me each time, I had a hard time not laughing. (See here for more on this problem.)



If you have a dog - and maybe this works for cats too - , do try playing hide and seek with them. Yes, try playing hide and seek with your pet. Get you pet to stay (staaaaaaayyyy...) in one room, while you tiptoe off to another room. When you're sufficiently hidden, make a high-pitched "beep" or other release noise to signal your pet to find you. When s/he finds you, attack him/her and get him/her really riled up! Most of their little brain is saying, "I don't know what the heck this person is trying to do!" But there's another part that says, "All this goofiness sure beats a half-sleep nap!"

Before we had kids, I played this with Jack and it's actually quite fun. My favorite part was how I could "hide" by climbing up on the counter in the kitchen. Jack never seemed to look up when he was seeking. He'd run right past, ears erect, tail wagging, totally clueless. Of course, my giggle would give me away and he'd let out a hound-y growl/bark to let me know he'd known I was there all along. Goofball.

More later, if you're lucky. ;)

A Doggy Decade -- Almost

One more post before the day is over: Happy Birthday, Jack-A-Roo!
Our darling dog, Jack, a retired racing greyhound turned nine today. He's got a greying snout and he's currently limping, but the grey hair is just hair, and the limp is from tearing around the back yard like a young pup.
Here's to many more years, you gorgeous goofball, you.

edited to add: I got a little overexcited and originally posted that Jack was ten. Whoops -- not yet, puppers!