…”But You Pull Me So Hard!”

4:10 PM: I’m sitting, in my car, waiting for my daughter to finish walking the dogs at our local animal shelter.  Dixie, our pit-bull, came with me today.  I’m contemplating giving her a 20-minute walk, and then relaxing back in the car.

Dixie. Always ready to go!

4:15 PM: Dixie is whining to be taken out. I hear several shelter dogs barking. She is getting excited hearing all the barking.  (This was her home before.) I leash her up and out we go.

That mighty speed pulls me hard!

4:16 PM: “STOP PULLING GIRL,” I say loudly to her.  But she keeps on it.  And, she is not a small dog…she is strong, about 45 pounds.  “DON’T PULL, Dixie girl,” I say again.  No change.  The would-be-20-minute-walk is abruptly halted by me.  Dixie turns and looks at me… her big brown eyes asking, “WHY DID YOU STOP?”  Completely out of breath, I angrily said, “…BUT YOU PULL ME SO HARD!”

4:19 PM:  I’m back in the car with Dixie.  I decided the pulling was just too much for me to handle.   Now she is looking out the window, whining.  I feel bad but I’ve decided not to get her out anymore.

Whining while looking out the window.

4:30 PM:  “P-U-L-L-E-E-E-E-E-E-Z-E take me out mommy,”  is what I hear from Dixie’s whining.  I keep playing on my phone pretending not to hear her.  Several minutes go by, and the whining sounds more like a cry, now.  And, this crying cannot be ignored.  It’s making me sad and I’ve started feeling guilty.  (And, I thought I was going to relax).

4:45 PM: “If I take you out, NO pulling Dixie,” I say firmly as I pick up the leash.  Her tail, now wagging full-speed…(I can’t even see the tail clearly…looks like a Chinese fan, it’s quite a speed!)  That made me smile. What a sweet creature!  I kiss her on her head as I hooked her.

4:46 PM: I open the back door, and she takes off!  “DIXIE STOP,” I scream.  She stops – not by the fence, inside of which are shelter dogs – but by one of the shelter windows.  She stands on her two, and pierces inside. (She probably sees familiar faces.)

First opportunity I get, I grab Dixie’s leash.  I take her to the fenced area.  The dogs, behind the fence are in their cages, and they start barking when they see Dixie.  She barks back.  Then suddenly she sits by the fence and watches them.  They keep barking, but Dixie keeps watching.  (Watching her old friends.)

4:55 PM:  “Dixie come.”  “DIXIE come.”  “DIXIE!”  “COME-ON!”  Dixie did not budge.  I could see in her big brown eyes, a spark of hope for her friends.  My heart aches.  I love Dixie…even if she pulls me hard!

5:00 PM: My daughter, muddy from playing and running with some of Dixie’s friends, is finished for today.  Dixie runs to her, licks her to no end. My daughter takes her lease, and they walk back to the car.  (Dixie does not pull her!)  What?  How come? Then I realize – Dixie is 2 in dog years…a teen in human years…of course, she is supposed to give her mother a hard time!  🙂

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)

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Doggy Photo Shoot Day #30

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“I’m a big follower of Sir Thomas.  I know you know him already. He has taught me how to be a beagle. My family keeps insisting that I’m a pit bull. What do they know? I do love my family though.” (Dixie’s thoughts)

Eye Spy: photo challenge

 

“Eye spy humans scurrying about caring for animals inside. I spy the space I use to occupy here.” Dixie’s intent gaze reveals memories of her shelter life.

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time 🙂

Doggy Photo Shoot Day #25

This is Dixie. Sir Thomas puts up with her. She is a huge fan of him. He cares less! But she keeps following him😊

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time 🙂

Weirdest thing!

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It’s true…sometimes I forget meals for my children,  but I always remember meals for my dogs 🙂

Thomas & Dixie: just hanging out!

It’s the weirdest thing!  Do you do that too? 😀😃

…thanks for visiting my blog…until next time 🙂

Healthier and Happier – Working to be Fit Everyday!

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My cheat sheet:) I love it.

My one page note!  My little helper:)

Small consistent changes to eating healthier and living an active lifestyle is what I did to get the results that I wanted.  And, I am still doing it.  I’ve been doing this for almost 15 years now.  I still motivate myself and do lots of self talk.  It has led me to live a healthier and happier life for me, my family and my friends.

Walking in nature is a great exercise. Here my husband is walking our dog Dixie. I walk with our other dog, Sir Thomas, as you may know him.

People ask me if I can help them.  But I don’t have any certification.  I do, however, know how I did it! My little note certainly helped.  I would love to help others, I’m thinking of getting certification in Personal Training so that I can help others.  In the meantime, I still wanted to share  my little photo-note in this post:)

I made this yummy meal! It was filling and healthy, too.

I am regularly reading and learning from different websites.  I educate myself and filter information to fit my body and my given genes.  I fight and beat a few bad genes on a daily basis; but the rest I accept, and continue to move forward.  I, recently, read a good article on fighting bad genes titled, “6 Ways to Beat Your Bad Genes.”  You can read it on, http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/how-your-genes-impact-your-physical-fitness

Can’t emphasize enough – Being consistent and patient is what worked for me!  Small consistent changes to eating healthier and living an active lifestyle is what I did to get the results that I wanted.  And, I will continue doing it!

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)

Boundaries

“I have been calm.  Calmly sitting and watching Sir Thomas.  What’s he doing?  I want to get to where he is………nope…….no luck!” Dixie thinking and planning hard to figure out this situation:)

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Boundaries.”

…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)

A good day, today!

No reactions, no hot headed-ness, no judgments, no arguments, no attitudes.  Kept my cool and did not react instantly.  Was a busy day, but ended up having a good day, today!

8 AM: My husband dropped my daughter to school.  Gave me extra time to enjoy my breakfast.

8:30 – 10:30 AM: Workout time!

11:30 AM: Checked out my daughter from school for physical therapy for an elbow injury.

12 PM: My daughter had lunch at a local restaurant.  I filled out paperwork for therapy session.

1:00 PM: Therapy time!  The therapist asked my daughter her expectations from the session.  I quickly answered, “Good news. She wants to hear that she can go to gymnastics again.”

2:00 PM: Therapist said, “She’s all good to go to gymnastics, but she still needs to be back for two more sessions.  That’s to make sure everything is going good as she eases into it.”

2:40 PM: My daughter goes back to school.

2:45 PM: I had my lunch – late!  Salad with chicken, strawberries, dried cranberries.  Yummy.

4 PM: My daughter returned home from school, played with the dogs, then got ready for gymnastics.  Totally excited since she had missed several weeks of it.

4:15 PM: I called a photo studio to register my daughter for her senior picture session.  After holding for 15 minutes I got a representative.  But our connection cracking!  Heck, I was not going to call again and wait again.  Finally got good connection, I had to be outside my house.  I felt a big relieve!

5 PM: I called the gymnastic place to make a payment.  The director said that she will not charge me until she sees how my daughter does today.  I was impressed…great customer service!

5:30 PM: Took my beagle for a walk.  My husband took our pit bull.  Great walk!

6:30 PM: Dinner time!  I skewered marinated chicken.  Then grilled it with peppers, onions.  Baked a potato and split it in half.  My husband sautéed peas.  He loves peas.

7 PM:  Had dinner out on the deck.  Gave dogs chewy treats.  Lit a candle.  Enjoyed a beautiful cool evening.

8 PM: My daughter returned from gymnastics.  All went well…she can continue.  Good news!  She had dinner…Edamame Pasta and Fruit smoothie.

9 PM:  Daughter started on her homework.  Dogs decided to rest.  Husband went to play tennis.  I sat to blog.  Son rehearsing saxophone with a group of friends, should be coming home soon – 15 hours at school!  Yikes.

Day is over.  Evening has gracefully given into quiet sleepy night.

I really wanted to blog about this day.  Everyday can be like this.  Advice: Need to keep my cool, and not react instantly in any situation!  Since I want good days like today, I’ll be reminding myself of this advice frequently.  Good days to you all too:)

….thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)

Doggy Photo Shoot Day #17

Sir Thomas, known for being reserved, in a rare moment with Dixie, who loves cuddling, hugging, snuggling and playing anytime. Although, Dixie seems calm with her gaze lowered toward Thomas, I can tell that she is super shocked seeing Thomas’ paw on her. Thomas is probably asleep here and has no idea that his paw is resting on Dixie. If he was awake, he will have none of this!!

Am I a dog person?

No, I’m not a dog person!

It’s a beautiful afternoon, today.  Today is July, 9, 2015.  I’m enjoying this afternoon.   It’s quiet.  My two dogs are asleep – the way dogs sleep – up one second, down one second, then up again and then down again, the cycle keeps repeating.  If I slept like my dogs, I’ll never get my full human sleep.  I’ll be going crazy!  I’ll be biting anything in sight!

Right now I’m sitting on my couch writing this article, and the dogs seem like they are fast asleep.  As a matter of fact, they seem to be in deep sleep!  I really need to get off this couch, like right now.   But I don’t want to disturb the dogs!   But I can’t wait ANY longer!  Without making a sound, I pull myself up from the couch.  Quietly, I begin to take my first step toward my destination.  And, before I’m able to complete that first quiet step, the dogs have made a giant leap and I find them right beside me!  Wow, that was faster than any super heroes I know of!   Tails wagging, eyes all brightly lit, and faces looking up, asking me, “Are we going somewhere? Let’s go, let’s go…hurry, hurry, hurry!”  They realize I’m not paying attention to them.  They bend their heads down, and march back into their beds.  From their beds, with their eye lids pulled upward, they see me heading towards the john. Oh, so much disappointment in their faces! In their eyes!  Then slowly their eyelids close on them again.

My heart sinks.  I feel bad.   But something tells me not to feel this way.  Then, I hear myself saying to me, ‘Seriously, these are dogs, darling!  You needn’t worry.  You do not need to feel bad about not entertaining them when they want.”  “You are too busy with too many things.”  That’s true.  I  do have a lot on my plate!  I have a book to finish for my book club meeting next week.  I have phone calls to make.  I have dishes to clean from last night.  I have pictures to frame; baby blankets to sew; run to the store.  Then, I have dog-bios to write.  I write them for my daughter who volunteers at a local animal shelter.  Then there’s dinner to be made; and laundry to be done.  The list in an ongoing one.

At one point in my day, I put all responsibilities aside.  And, it’s for one thing only!  And that is for the daily walk my husband and I take with the dogs.  I walk our beagle, and my husband walks the pit bull.  I love these walks.  I get to see nature up close.

No matter where I’m in the house, my dogs are following me around with  their tails wagging.  When I come home after being out, they greet me with their tails wagging.  They give me kisses and follow me around.  They lay on the kitchen floor and watch me while I cook.  They watch me work on my sewing machine, read my book, and do laundry.  They give me constant companionship.  Suddenly, they seem super cute, cuddly and simply adorable.

Dogs! Dogs! My dogs:)

 

Dogs, dogs, dogs!  At the end, it all keeps coming back to dogs!  I guess there’s no denying that my life somewhat revolves around dogs.  It’s all okay.   If you have a dog, you know how it all works out at the end – We just fall in love with these creatures.  I am in love, too!  With mine – My beagle, Thomas, who lives to eat; and my pit bull, Dixie, who lives to love.

Back to my question:  Am I a dog person?  Correct answer:  YES!  I AM A DOG PERSON!  And, I love it!

…thank you for checking out my blog…until next time…