Guest Blogger Charlie: My New Home

It’s been so nice of many of you to ask how I have been doing at my new home, so Mom said I could write a guest post for our LifeInBetween friends.

charlie 1

It’s been 10 days since my new Mom and Dad drove me two VERY Loooooooong Hours in the truck to Mars from  my temporary home at the dog shelter in Ohio.  As my mom already shared, I threw up three times.  Seems I get a bit car sick, and I was EXTREMELY nervous too.

I was pretty shy at first.  There were so many new things to discover, and I wasn’t sure I trusted these people, but my Mom works from home most of the time, so she has been able to be with me A LOT, and I am really growing fond of her.

charlie 2

Dad has to leave most of the time during the day to go to his job, but when he comes home, boy is it fun to have both of them here!

There is A LOT to learn here.  My mom said it is for my best interest and safety to learn all of these rules, and it will make me a better dog, so I am trying very hard to make her happy.  Sometimes, however, I just can’t help myself…

charlie 5

I went to the doctor yesterday for my first check-up.  I really didn’t want to get in Mom’s car, but she turned the air conditioning on full blast in my face, laid a big blanket down on the seat (in case I threw up again – and to catch the unfortunate drool that I just couldn’t help).  Thankfully it was a short drive, and I didn’t throw up!  YAY!

Once there, however, I was a nervous wreck again!  I did NOT want to go in.  So many new smells, new people, things I just didn’t understand – nor did I want to!  But once again, Mom convinced me it was for my best interest, so in we went.

The doctor and his helpers were really nice.  They were patient with me.  They told my mom I was very handsome and very healthy, and that I am about a year old.  Dr. I liked my teeth and my coat and my ears.  He told her I need a lot of TLC because I am nervous.  I weigh 40.8 pounds.  Seems I lost a few pounds during this transition time, but I look pretty svelte if I do say so myself!

charlie 6

One of the ways my mom says she is trying to “help” me is with this stupid red “bizzer” collar I have to wear, and these horrifying orange flags around the edges of the yard.  We walk around and around and around the yard, but we don’t dare go near those flags.  Mom tells me we are in “Charlie’s yard.”  (yeah yeah – whatever!  I get it lady – you’ve said it a couple gazillion times).

charlie red flags

At first, though, I have to admit I really wanted to check out beyond “Charlie’s yard” a couple times.  Well – let me tell you, it is not something you want to do!  If there is one thing you take away from this post – I implore you – look out for orange flags everyone!

If I don’t have my “bizzer collar” on, it is exciting, because that means we are going for a walk BEYOND Charlie’s yard – YIPPEE!  Unfortunately, there are more rules to that, however, like we have to stop and stay off the street when these things called “cars” come zooming by, and I am not allowed to eat all the interesting things I find on the ground that mom says you really don’t want to hear about.  She says it is “YUCKY!”  I say it is “YUMMY!”  Sometimes she wins.  Sometimes I win.

My mom wants me to eventually be able to go out in the yard without a leash, but so far, I really can’t be trusted (as I have proven two times already).  So one of her “training techniques” is that she leaves a leash on me with a long rope attached, but she doesn’t hold onto it.  This way, if I do start to run or head out beyond the orange flags (NOT!), she can catch the long rope.  She knows I can run much faster than her (wink!), and I like to run!

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Last night, we played in the yard and on the deck.  It was so nice out, and I played with some of my favorite toys.

I also like to relax on the chaise lounges when I get tired or to just chew on a bone or ball for a while.

charlie 4

I’m settling in nicely, and I hope to have lots of stories and adventures to share in future posts if Mom allows me.

After all, I’m one of the things she likes about “life in between.” 🙂

Cheers & Puppy Kisses,

Charlie

How I turned Peach Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Peach Glaze into the HEALTHIEST Fruit Dessert EVER!

peach coffee cake with brown butter glaze

First, I spent about an hour or so early in the morning blanching, dicing, mixing, melting, streuseling,  spreading, baking, glazing, and plating.

peach coffee cake with brown butter glaze 2

I then cut a slice,
took a photo of the whole cake,
plated a slice for a photo,
placed it on the edge of the deck railing with the cake where I was photographing for good lighting so I could share here,
considered how I should be careful balancing so much on the railing….

peach coffee cake disaster

Shrieked!
Cursed……
cleaned up the broken plate, ENTIRE cake AND plated slice out of the mulch 10 feet below the deck…

and cut up a ripe, juicy cantaloupe for dessert.

cantelope

I’ll have to try that one again another time…

or not….

The upside:

We saved hundreds of calories,
The cantaloupe was SUPER sweet,
and I allowed myself an extra glass of wine that evening.  🙂

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  If you would like the recipe for the Peach Coffee Cake (which I cannot tell you how it tasted), here is a link to The SeaSideBaker where I found the recipe.  If you would like the recipe for my Cantaloupe dessert: cut up one fresh, ripe, juicy delicious cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces, and enjoy.  🙂

A Fun Guy

Mushroom Funji

On my walk to the mailbox one day last week, I stopped in my tracks when I saw this mushroom.  Such bright yellow and orange and quite large – probably about 3 inches in diameter.

I am NOT a mushroom fan, so don’t know a lot about them, but my guess is this one would not be a good one to eat!  Look at all the icky things growing on it!

Anyway – it reminded me of one of only two jokes I have ever been able to remember in my life.

Our youngest son’s girlfriend often tells a “corny” joke or two when she comes for dinner or a visit.

I’ve always been envious of people who can remember jokes and tell them well.

My father-in-law had a full arsenal of corny jokes, and he would adore Liz for it if he were still around.

So are you ready for the joke?

Here goes.

A mushroom walks into a bar.

The bartender immediately says, “Hey you – get outta here!  We don’t serve your kind in here.”

The mushroom replies, “WHY?  I’m a Fungi!”

laugh

Cheers & Happy Monday Hugs,

Jodi

Gold Finch Mountains to Climb

gold finch watercolor card

After painting Spooky earlier this week, I still felt like doing more.

I was on a watercolor roll.

So while the paints and brushes were still out,

I saw a Youtube video by The Frugal Crafter.

Lindsay made painting a gold finch

look like a cinch.

So I made the one above.

Then I felt like Jodi’ing it up a teensy tinch,

which meant loosening it up and splattering a pinch.

So I went at it again – on my own this time.

That’s why this original is having a bit of a bad hair day…

Oh dear…..

I sure have mountains to climb!

gold finch watercolor bad hair day

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Don’t Take that Route Little Squirrel

squirrel

the little grey squirrel that visited our deck

Hello little Squirrel…
are you a boy or are you a girl?

I love the way your fluffy tail
has such a happy curl.

We thought you were so cute
the first day you gave the bird feeders a whirl.

It was fun to watch you leap and jump
and prance and dance and twirl.

But you were a bit of a piggy…
eating more than your fair share.

So we had to give a shout
that gave you a little scare.

I sure hope that your feet – that are a little biggy
withstood that leap and kept you springy
from the tromps and claps and shouts
of that old meany Papa Bear McKinney.

Have fun climbing trees and running about,
but please watch out – – -don’t take the route
that causes us… to chew you out.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Doggone Dogwoods – A Guest Post with Mikey

Mikey head shot

Hi Friends –

It’s good to be back as a guest blogger for Mom today, because I have a doggone bone I’d like to pick with all of you.

Let’s talk about Dogwood Trees.

Yes – they are beautiful…

Especially this time of year when Mom makes us stop for ridiculous amounts of time while she takes pictures like this of their flowers.

dogwood blossom

But really….  DOGwood…  What about this tree even remotely resembles a DOG??!!

Let’s take a look at me….  I am a DOG…

Mikey in the grass

And a fine specimen I might add…  if I do say so myself…

As a dog, I have a tail that wags when I’m happy, a nose that is always slightly damp to sniff out important things, whiskers to add a little charm, fur to keep me warm and for my family and friends to pet.  I have four legs, pads on my feet so I can go for long walks WITHOUT shoes, two eyes to stare people down when they are eating something delicious (which is everything except for raw green beans), two floppy ears that perk up when visitors come to bring me cookies (like Mike the UPS man), one very hungry mouth (I must remind you again)…

Need I go on?  You get the deal – right?

I am a DOG.

dogwood blossoms
DOGwood trees have NONE of these important things?  So I asked Mom to Google it and try to explain this phenomenon to me.

With a couple clicks on that darn laptop that takes up the space that belongs to ME on her lap, she learned a few things I thought you might be interested in about dogwood trees from Askville and Wikipedia:

The word dogwood comes from the original term dagwood, whose slender stems of very hard wood were used for making ‘dags’ (daggers, skewers). The wood was also highly prized for making loom shuttles, arrows, tool handles, and other small items that required a very hard and strong wood, wine and fruit presses, and it was used to make the first styles of tennis rackets made out of the bark cut into thin strips.

The name Dog-Tree entered English vocabulary by 1548 and was further transformed to Dogwood by 1614. Once the name dogwood was affixed to the tree, it soon acquired a secondary name as the Hound’s Tree, while the fruits came to be known as dogberries or houndberries.

Another suggestion as to how the dogwood got its name is the distinct barking noise it makes when its limbs rub together in a gentle breeze.

It is also possible that the common name of dogwood may have come about because dogs were washed with a brew of its bark, hence dogwood.

Hmmmm.  Interesting?  I’m not sure…

Barking???  I’ll be listening for that.

And as far as washing in a brew of it’s bark….  NO THANK YOU!  I am NOT a fan of baths.  I think I smell quite good just the way I am.

Unfortunately Mom disagrees.

And she’s the boss….

Or at least the one who fills my breakfast and dinner bowl and drops food on the floor while cooking and takes me for walks, so we’ll let her think that…

Thanks for visiting with us today.

Wishing you a doggone great day!

Sincerely,
Mikey

Special Guest Blogger Post: A Walk with Mikey

Mikey walk

Sometimes I stick my tongue out at my Mom when she takes my picture for the umpteenth time

Some of you may remember me from my debut blog post back in November.

Mom was looking for a break, so I offered to write today’s post and share a bit from our adventures yesterday.  (Well… she did the typing, but I did all the creative thinking!)

First off… I’m very proud to share that, with the break in weather and the opportunity to get back out and walk with Mom, I fit back into this spring jacket / raincoat (albeit barely fit) since loosing the 3 or 4 lbs I recently packed on.  Don’t I look svelte?!

Mikey walk raincoat

When the weather was below zero for weeks on end, the only exercise I was getting was my occasional escape into the woods when Mom or Dad weren’t paying attention where I was secretly feasting on the hind quarter of a deer I found (all by myself!).   Then Dad had to go and spoil everything by tracking my footprints in the snow the led him directly to my snacking spot.  I should have taking some twists and turns to throw him off, but my exuberance to get directly there won out.

Since it was still in the below freezing temperatures when Dad found MY deer, the best he could do was attempt burying it with sticks and random stuff that I had ABSOLUTELY NO TROUBLE getting past, so when caught again (due to the smell on my breath and the size of my waistline) when returning from “going potty,” I was grounded.

Seriously…. Grounded!?  How humiliating!  My doggie door was BLOCKED!  No free range for me.  I had to humble myself to ring the hanging bell on the front door when I absolutely HAD to go out.

So when Mom started offering walks again recently when the weather broke, I got my mojo back and thought I’d share a bit of our adventure with you all.

Monday was so warm and sunny, we didn’t think to take pictures since we were enjoying it so much.  Yesterday was a bit drizzly and dreary, but that didn’t hold us back – though we did only have the iPhone with us to capture these snippets we are sharing.

Mikey walk snow melting

Don’t you just hate when ‘someone’ shares this rear-angle view of you?! SHEESH!

First stop was this tree that has been troubling me for a while now.  I really wish my friend Jim would get back from Florida!  He would be appalled to see this tree down and laying in his yard.  And besides, I am sure he misses seeing me walk by his house daily and letting me run around his yard and give me ear scratches and belly rubs.  COME HOME JIM!

Mikey walk Jim tree down

There are several of these bright red fire hydrants that we pass on our walk.  We thought our friend Dan at RedStuffDan would like this shot.  He takes some amazing photos (most with red stuff) from a place called South West France.   Whatever…

Mikey walk fire hydrant

It is exciting to see all the things that have been buried under the snow for so long.  I was very carefully sniffing around these VERY prickly things that have fallen on the ground from a large tree.  They were not really very interesting to me, but I’ll bet our friend PJ from BeautifulWords would think of a funny or heartwarming story to write about them!

Mikey walk prickly tree things

When we saw this litter, we thought of our friend Jo at DailyRecord365 and the beautiful work of art she made from the things she collected on her recent walk.  Mom and I have decided we are going to try to remember to carry a trash bag one day a week and pick up this ugly litter people have thrown out on our beautiful stretch of walk.

Mikey walk trash

It was great to see and hear the water running in this little creek that runs under the road and into the woods that has been frozen for so long.  We envision John at JustMobilePhotos doing something crazy cool with his photo editing skills with this one and making it all dreamy and freaky looking, or Sylvia at SpanishWoods writing something poignant in just a few words that would make us smile and remember this moment all day.

Mikey walk water running

Every time we pass these beautiful blue spruce trees (that smell like Christmas by the way), we think of our friend Barbara at SilverintheBarn and all the beautiful arrangements she creates and how much she loves and misses blue spruce trees.  Come visit Barbara and we can send some back with you!  And maybe a certain little Westie-boy would like to join us for a walk.

Mikey blue spruce

I am very curious about walking up this path, but Mom says that bright orange sign means we are not allowed.  We try to follow the rules (except when fresh venison is involved!)  And we know our friend JR at Nuggets of Gold would want us to do the right thing.

Mikey walk no trespassing

It was a great walk, but I got quite muddy… And we all know what that means……

the dreaded “B” word!

Yep – you guessed it – BATH – I had to immediately get in the laundry room stationary tub (seriously!?! – there are other much nicer tubs in the house!)  Albert from AlbertsNewYork – are you with me here?!  Do your people make you bathe in the laundry tub?  HELP!

Mikey bath

And then my Mom thinks this is a cute way to dry me off….  MH at MotherHenDiaires – please hold your tongue – I know you have something to say about this pose – but I beg you to spare your wit at my expense (unless it involves one of your chickens as a treat!)

Mikey towel

This is how I like to dry off!  Like a real man!  Like AI from AlmostIowa who lives in a cabin in the woods and writes about macho, manly stuff and doesn’t feel the need to check freshness dates on things (like dead deer in the woods).

Mikey drying

But after all this excitement, I need to rest.  And my favorite place is to undo Mom and Dad’s bed and snuggle between my Dad’s two pillows and hide my nose (but never my eyes that are always on the lookout – unless they close –  for the UPS man or squirrels or deer or bunnies or birds or the pizza delivery man or….) and I dream about Laura at CreateArtEveryDay capturing my beautiful eyes in one of her famous sketches and challenging people to guess who it is (since I am kinda famous) or maybe Jenny from RamblingsfromaMum could write a beautiful poem about me….

Mikey after bath in bed

Well – I’m exhausted after all of this blogging stuff, so I think I will take a nap, but I hope you will write and comment so Mom will give me more opportunities to be a guest blogger here at lifeinbetween.  After all, I am part of what makes her life so darn wonderful!

Sincerely,

paw printMikey McKinney

I went to the Gym yesterday…

See me?

IMG_5573

Yep – that’s about all you are going to see for a while of me at the gym….  Oh dear – it is NOT a pretty sight!

giphy (1)

Maybe when my form looks a bit more like this, by possibly 2020, I’ll share my tips with you!

giphy (2)For now – I was lucky to lift one foot up on this contraption:

snap gym matt and balance ballOops!  Need to flip it over!

IMG_5575Here is an ultra special top-secret sneak peak of my amazing form mid lift (action photo!)….

IMG_5579

…all while snapping the photo with my iPhone and listening to Uptown Funk on REPEAT through my headphones – AND keeping my shoes off the wall!  (which are not, God forbid, the shoes I wore to enter the gym from outside, as that is a BIG NO NO! – and there are cameras everywhere!)

Impressive – right?!  Okay – maybe not so much – but last week I couldn’t even balance with two feet on the dang thing.  Believe it or not, it takes some core muscles to do it….  And now Nick (my son and fitness instructor) said, after I proudly texted him the above photo, I need to work on one-legged squats/toe touches on the ball!  SHEESH!

So anyway- did some crunches and then planked (I know – talking like I know what I’m talking about here – right?!).

I even managed TEN (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – count ’em kids!  10!) [ahem] girl push-ups!

But last week I could only do 6!  (Am I PITIFUL or what?!)

Here’s my view from the floor where I was covertly snapping these photos with my iPhone, trying to be discreet to the 3 or 4 other patrons that braved the 1 degree F temperatures today to join me at the gym on their lunch break.

IMG_5580

I’ve been trying to get up at 5am and “hit the gym” before I get too busy, but couldn’t do it yesterday, so I went at lunch time. (a great perk on days I work from home)

So hey – I’m not calling this a New Year’s Resolution!  I never stick to New Year’s Resolutions!  Does anyone??!?

And besides, I started going on December 27th – exactly one day after my BFF posted some photos of me on Facebook that made me gasp!

That is almost a full week BEFORE New Year’s Day, so it can’t count as a New Year’s Resolution!

Gotta go for the lifestyle change dealeo – right?!  ….

….again…..

If you need some motivation to get moving, I just double dare you to not boogie while you listen to this:

Are you wiggling yet?

Well – put it on repeat and get movin’!

Help hold me accountable by asking if I’ve gone to the gym today?  K friends?  I’m thinking if I tell all of you, I’ll stay accountable.  What burden I ask of you – eh?!  🙂

IMG_5581

Time for some cardio!  Are you dancing with me Jo Freehand?  How about a song to keep me moving when I burn out on Uptown Funk?

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Holiday Gift Ideas: Chocolate Uranus? Suitjamas?

It is December 3rd.     22 days till Christmas.     That’s like a blink – right?

giphy

And I have not even begun my Christmas shopping.

When the kids were young, I had organized lists well ahead of time, letters to Santa sent early, Christmas club accounts cashed out, layaways picked up, gifts wrapped and hid… and likely all done by December 3rd.

Not so much these days….

So even though I’m saying again this year we are downplaying the gifts, I’ve been scouring the internet looking for “just the right” little sumthin sumthins.

Here are a few things I am considering.  What do you think?

Did you ever wonder whSolar system Choco Kaiseki (nine sets)at Uranus tastes like?

For my chocolate-loving friends, Chocolate Boutique Rekura RIHGA has these gorgeous chocolate planet balls each with their own unique flavor.

For $50 a box, I think I’ll pick up a dozen or two to keep on hand for those last-minute gifts you always find yourself needing.

suit-pajamas
And you know how hard it is to find a gift for your boss that pretty much can buy anything he wants?  Well, I’m betting since he loves being in a suit so much all day that he would just be super-thrilled to have these suitjamas from ZBoss to wear all night too!  And they are quite the steal at only $99.95!    Check √

Now for that hard-to-buy for hubby…

Well – If I would not have just spent $100 and several hours of Jake and Nick and Colleen’s time buying and re-felting the pool table Marty got on Craig’s list, I would for sure have got snatched up this Ford Mustang pool table, which is a total steal for $9,995.  Dang!  It’s even in his favorite shade of red.  Oh well – sorry dear!
1965 Mustang Pool Table

pet-hoodiesBut I did find just the thing for my grandkitten!

Wonder if she will love her pet hoodie as much as her Mom and I love wearing our hoodies?

Score!

So thanks to the This is Why I’m Broke website for the great start on my holiday shopping!  If you have any more great ideas, please share.  I’m still looking for a bit more inspiration…

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

What to do with an EXTRA Hour?

I don’t know about you?  But I’m all screwed up….

In our part of the world, we switched time.

Fall-Back-Daylight-Savings-Time

Yep – just like that, we are supposed to change the clocks – Fall Back, Spring Ahead – Daylight Savings Time – on – off – and just adjust….

But the challenging part is – the older I get – the harder it is to adjust to the time change.

For days weeks, I will say, but it is really XX time, even thought it is XX time.  SERIOUSLY!  Can an hour really do this to a brain?

Yep.

But I digress…

The topic of this blog was supposed to be what can we do with that extra hour….

and…. it was supposed to be posted on Sunday – the day we got that extra hour.

But – hey – whatever – I had other stories to tell and recipes to share, and I’m just getting to this….

(I have a card I am DYING to share, but holding off until tomorrow because I am worried you will grow weary of my silly cards – even though I am super-excited to share this one (for the Paper Players Vintage challenge 🙂  )

Sunday gave us an extra hour.

extra-hour-oprah-style

What did you do with it?

DaylightSavings2

I stacked firewood.  And I’m proud to tell it.

Very exciting -right??!!

Well – it was a beautiful day – and who knows what I was doing?…  Oh I remember – cleaning off the porches/deck for the upcoming winter season 😦 …

Marty and Nick were cutting and chopping and stacking firewood so that we can keep warm, wonderful fires burning all winter long in the fireplace to keep us toasty.  (As I wear t-shirts through this lovely menopausal period of life!)

giphy

I decided to help.  I heaved and hoed and bent and snapped —  anybody get the reference here??!! 🙂  — and tossed and stacked like the best of them.

And it felt good!    Then….

Legs are a bit sore two days later.   WIMP!

But I helped (for a change) my guys with the “physical” work that gets done around here; and it felt good, and it was nice to be a part of it.

What did you do with your extra hour?  What would you do if you had one?

I spent it with a couple guys I so greatly appreciate and love even more!

Thanks for all the hard work you do to keep our home warm and comfortable and cozy, my dear Merv and my sweet Nick!

płonący-ogien

Cheers & Warm, Toasty Hugs,
(while I turn up the ceiling fan!)

Jodi