Radvent: The End (for real this time)

The conclusion of Princess Lasertron's December Blogging Event: Radvent!

Day 24: Trusting

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Trust is the foundation of success.

Allow yourself to trust something or else you will build up defenses and find yourself alone.

 What can you always trust in?

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For all the times I am pessimistic and generally negative, I somehow remain a very trusting individual.  I don't have MANY close friends, but the people that I do end up being close with are those that I trust the most.  Afterall, what's the point of having friends that you can't trust?  In that way I would have to admit that I do expect a lot of my friends.  I'm definitely not the type of person to have "casual friendships."

 

I can always trust in...

~my husband

~myself and my own abilities

~Spring coming

~ALL of my family

~my best girlfriends

~Oma's cookies

~Mom's spaghetti sauce

~Dad's handiness

~My MIL's craftiness

Day 25: Believing

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Living according to your beliefs is one of the best gifts you have to give.

Have you ever had an experience that inspired belief?

List some of your most closely-held beliefs.

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*I believe...*

*that we will be reunited with all our loved ones someday, including lost pets*that true love happens*in ghosts*laughter is the best*that women should love themselves*that everyone should go to a movie alone at least once*sometimes the cheapest entertainment is the best*you don't need to spend a fortune on shoes/a purse/clothes, but treating yourself sometimes is okay*friends sometimes grow apart, relationships change*people that deserve respect will respect you in return*in things that are 'meant to be'*that you should always say 'I love you' when you feel it*

Radvent Days 21-25: The End!

Well, I fell off the Radvent wagon... too much fun (6 Christmases in 4 days!) will do that to you.  But I'm back to finish this thing off.  Some of these prompts would have been my favorite yet so there's no way I'm missing out on them! 

Here we go... wrapping up Princess Lasertron's December Radvent 2010!


Day 21: Surprising

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Commit yourself to the pursuit of surprise!!!

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It's normal for one of my co-workers and I to exchange small gifts for the holidays.  Pooja and I have become close over the last 3 years.  We enjoy chatting and while there are still things that I hold back from sharing (she's a bit of a...  talker), these items have become fewer and fewer.  Her daughter is going to be 4 and I knew that this Christmas was going to be a bit more special for her.  One of the first ones that her daughter will actually understand the concept of presents and Santa.  Pooja even dedicated herself (at the suggestion of myself and some other co-workers) to putting up her very first Christmas tree.  Pooja received her permanent residency in the past year as well and I knew she was looking forward to creating some new traditions with her family.  So, while it is normal to exchange small gifts with her, I spent a bit more this year...  When I went to the Christkindlmarkt over the weekend I purchased her some blown glass ornaments for her lovely little tree.  I originally had wanted to purchase a lotus flower, a tiger and a peacock, the national flower, animal and bird of India.  I found the tiger and peacock easily enough, but there wasn't a lotus flower.  So I purchased an elephant instead, knowing that this was another animal of significance in her religion.  She was so absolutely delighted with the gift.  I could see that this was something she was cherish year after year.  And I was so happy to be able to surprise her with a little bit of home for her American Christmas Tree. 


Day 22: Laughing

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Think of someone who made you laugh when you really needed it and write a letter thanking them.  It's important to tell people these things because today might be the day that THEY really need it.

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people ~Victor Borge

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 Oh my word how I love to laugh!  I truly believe that a good belly laugh can cure nearly anything.  My husband makes me laugh.  A lot.  And I love him for that.  He knows that laughing is one of my favorite things.  It's always funny to me how much HE loves to see me laugh.  One of my favorite movies growing up was Mary Poppins.  Particularly the scene where Uncle Albert laughs so much that he floats up to the ceiling.  And the children all join him for tea!  That just always looked like so much fun!!!

I mostly laugh at stupid things.  I can't remember the last time I laughed uncontrollably!  

This was one time though...

And this site makes me laugh a lot too.  I'm a fool for animals and stupid things, I guess.  

This doesn't speak highly of my husband.  He can make me laugh too though.  :)

This year we celebrated the anniversary of our 'Home Day' with Lita, whose mug you can see looking at you from the header.  We have faced many trials with this girl.  Illnesses, behavioral issues, surgeries...  And yet, she makes us endlessly happy.  And yes, she also makes us laugh.  A LOT.  I would write her a letter.  To let her know how much we appreciate her for her loyalty, her fun-loving spirit, for her love of sniff class and Kong and American cheese.  But she wouldn't understand.  

Thanks for being you, Lita-Loo!

Day 23: Celebrating

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Bring your best self to all of your Holiday celebrations this season.  

No matter what packages were lost, no matter what didn't get done in time, no matter who you are anxious about seeing, put it aside just for a day and live in the magic of celebration.

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I find the holidays extremely stressful.  We have 3 separate sets of parental units to see and please with schedules and timing.  That is the number one thing we struggle with every year... setting the schedule.  This year we went to 5 houses in 3 days.  It was insane.  I was completely drained by the time Sunday rolled around.  But, we had a blast!  I have to say that despite the chaos and some confusion or unexpected changes at some of our festivities, I think I really rolled with the punches and managed to stay upbeat and cheery.  Most of the time anyway!    And I'm happy to say that I truly enjoyed time at every function.  On several occasions I even managed to completely lose track of time and had no idea how late it had become.  That's a victory in my book.  

This has gotten really long so I'll wrap up the LAST TWO DAYS in the next post!

Radvent Day 20: Charming

Even more of Princess Lasertron's Radvent...  she's a little behind, not that I blame her!, so I am too.  :)

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Today, make someone feel like the only person in the room.
Everyone deserves charm and loveliness.  Being charming to difficult people transforms them.

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad.  People are either charming or tedious.  ~Oscar Wilde

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I can't say that I've ever thought of it that way... people are either charming or tedious.  But, I suppose, it's entirely accurate!  I try to be charming... I try to listen and be genuine.  I have a very hard time being charming with difficult personalities though--those who are disrespectful, crabby, the humbugs as it were.  I just can't pour any of my energy, positive or negative (although I'm still working on the negative) into those people.  They're like black holes. 

I will say that I went out of my way to speak to some of the more positive souls that I work with every day, but typically don't say more than "good morning" to them.  Not because I'm being outright rude, but because we just don't see each other that much.  I had a lovely conversation at lunch though, with someone I wouldn't normally talk to very much.  Also, it was a lot of fun to say hello and/or pass along holiday greetings to strangers in the halls or out at the shops. 

Radvent Day 19: Sharing

Still catching up from the crazy weekend... Princess Lasertron's Radvent Blogging Event, Day 19!

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Share your favorite Radvent prompt with a friend and talk about your responses together.

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I'm just not feeling this today.  I had a very fun, but very... social... weekend.  By now my instinct is to curl up under the covers and just. not. talk.  And that's what I'm doing.  I came home from work, made some more cookies, chatted with my husband, played with the dog, and now I'm on the couch, under a blanket with my computer and watching the Bears game.  My introverted personality just gets the best of me sometimes.  

Besides Christkindlmarkt, which I wrote about in the previous post, we also had our family Bon Pasco! Holiday party at our house this weekend.  In total we had 20 people here.  It was chaotic, but a lot of fun.  All the food was delicious!  Including my first attempt at jerk pulled pork AND a yummy layer cake--coconut!  Fab!  To be honest, I was very impressed with myself.  Everyone mingled just fine.  There were a few times when there were just too many people in the kitchen, but it never got too bad.  

I think it'll be okay to make this a tradition.  As long as I can remember to relax. 

Radvent Day 18: Listening

Belated: Day 18 of Princess Lasertron's Radvent!

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Listen to your inner child.

What does he/she want to do today?

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On the 18th, I went to Christkindlmarkt in Chicago.  My inner child wanted to spend lots of money on adorable Christmas decor from Germany and eat apples fried in dough right before dinner.  ha!  So I did.  :)

 

I have only been to Christkindl for 2 years in a row now, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorite holiday time traditions.  I don't think I would've really appreciated it as a child anyway.  Now that I've actually been to Germany a couple times, I really enjoy the thought of a little bit of Germany coming to ME.  The food, the sights, the music.  :D



Okay, it was freezing out there this weekend.  But the Glühwein kept us warm enough to see the vendors.



My husband and I decided that we were going to buy a new smoker to go with the one we purchased last year: this little lion in lederhosen.



Well, we splurged and bought two new ones...

Saint Nick.



And this one...because I thought this little snowman one was just to cute to leave without (apparently so did a lot of other people because he was the very last one).



My "inner voice" tends to be the thing that stresses me out... that makes me second guess things.  When I hear those kinds of thoughts, I have been trying to quell them.  I worry too much!  However, from now on, I will try to make more of a conscious effort to listen to the voice when she wants to be spontaneous or have more fun.  Who doesn't want to have more fun?

P.S.  I also finished painting my little house for the year!  In progress picture was here.

Radvent Day 17: Entertaining

Princess Lasertron's Radvent, Day 17!

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Write out some ideas for a party that you will host in the next four weeks

★ Who will you invite? ★ What will you do? ★ Where will it be? ★ What will you serve? ★ How will you decorate? ★

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I'm actually hosting a party for family this Sunday and am trying (really hard!) not to be freaking out about it.  I'm at the stage where most of the planning is done, most of the cleaning and decorating is even done, but now I'm starting to wonder... is everyone going to get along? will there be enough food?  how much and what kind of alcohol should I buy?  will people want to play games?  will there be enough places to sit?  how is my dog going to handle all these bodies in her house?  will people give us a hard time about our hallway not being painted yet?  Ack!  I need to just take a deep breath and realize that my family is mostly just grateful to me for hosting.  I think most of them are even actually looking forward to it!  At least, I hope they are.  I guarantee someone will make a crack about the hallway--there's painter's tape marking everything off, we just haven't gotten around to actually painting yet--but they'll only be doing it to give us a hard time, not because they are truly offended.  (I will probably have to bite my tongue if this happens because we busted our ass on that kitchen and aside from my parents helping us, and one day of MIL helping us paint, we received no other help from anyone in our family.  This actually doesn't bother me!  But don't give us a hard time about it then.  You want to paint it?  No?  Then be quiet.)

Meanwhile, I've also been thinking about hosting a party for friends.  Last year we hosted a New Year's Eve party, a Beatles Rock Band New Year's Eve party actually, and had a blast.  We played the entire game and took turns playing instruments and singing.  This year we wanted to do another NYE party, but have dropped the ball and now I'm at the point where I'm wondering if everyone else will already have plans.  We also have quite the interesting predicament with our friends.... because not all of them get along.  And we have unintentionally hurt people's feelings by inviting some people but not others to parties in the past.  Makes it tricky.  If we DON'T have a New Year's Eve party (I think I'll send out an email to see what people are up to), I would like to host a function for our friends in the beginning of 2011 sometime, say in mid-January.  Not sure what the "theme" would be or anything like that yet.  I would love to do just a simple cocktail party actually.  Or maybe a game night?  We shall see.

Radvent Day 16: Giving

Day 16 of Princess Lasertron's Radvent Blogging Extravaganza!

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What is the most surprising gift you’ve ever gotten?

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As I've already mentioned, I'm terrible at remembering these types of things.  And words like ever, most, best, favorite, etc., freak me out.  So I'll just say that ONE of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received was from my husband when he took the cover of the journal that my first scientific manuscript was printed in and had it professionally matted and framed for me.  This is extra special because our article had the cover image that month.  It was a HUGE accomplishment for me and our lab, which was slightly tainted by my rocky relationship with my advisor.  It was a really special gift though and the frame still hangs in our office.  Oddly enough, I recently realized that while that is hanging on our walls, my BS diploma is still in the envelope it was mailed to me in and I have no idea where my MS diploma is... 

I must be getting old because at this time of the year I actually do look forward to giving gifts more than receiving them.  That's probably also because I, like so many people, hate being the center of attention.  No, really.

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What have you been holding back that you could give more of?

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There are certainly times where I could "give more," both in the material sense and in other ways.  I do make a lot of donations throughout the year, but could do more.  And I have thought about getting back to volunteering somewhere again too.  I could also give more of myself, in the I-hold-back-my-real-personality-around-certain-people kind of way.  Particularly my mother-in-law.  We have had some issues in the past.  Things certainly aren't smooth between us, but, at least from my side, I think they have gotten better!  But I still tend to hold back a little, not say everything that I think, censor myself a bit, when she is around.  Maybe if I get out of this habit she will too.  Or maybe I'll just fill her in on the fact that I actually am a crazy person. 

Radvent Day 15: Receiving

 Radvent Day 15: A blogging event by the lovely Princess Lasertron.

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List some things you received today. Did you consciously accept these gifts?

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Oh my goodness.  It seems that the Princess and I have a lot in common.  She spoke in her blog today about how she is not good at accepting help, how offers of assistance are sometimes viewed as interference or "meddling" and is generally a control freak.  I am quite the same.  I have 3 sets of parents; my own and my husband's two sets (they divorced and both remarried)--so naturally we have A LOT of parental opinions flying around.  It's really hard for me to take it.  The Holidays are especially a nightmare.  So many houses to visit, each one has an idea of what the "perfect" day will include.  It's so hard to make them all happy and I stress about it.  We both do.  Are we spending an equal amount of time at each house?  And heaven forbid one of the parents make any "suggestions" on how to make our life easier--meddling! 

I am very good at saying 'thank you' but have a hard time accepting generosity.

Here are some things that I received today...

~A lovely morning wake-up from my husband
~A look of gratitude from my dog when I put her eyedrops in, seriously!  :)
~A funny text from a friend
~An "I love you, have a nice day" from my husband 
~Friendly greetings from strangers in the hall
~A compliment from my boss
~A favor from a co-worker
~Another favor from an unexpected co-worker
~A compliment from a friend
~A hug from my husband--I'm sometimes really bad about receiving hugs
~An offer to bring a dish to our party this weekend

I need to work on accepting help still.  Especially from our family.

Radvent Day 14: Reading

Princess Lasertron's RAD-Event.... Day 14!

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while doing your christmas shopping, buy a few copies of your favorite childrens book: One for you to re-read, and the others to gift to your loved ones.

Did you like to read as a child? Do you read more or less now?

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It would be *very* difficult for me to choose a favorite book.  Books hold a special place in my heart.  I was a big reader growing up and still am... the things that I focus on have changed over the years a bit.

Here's one of my current bookshelves...



This is my "fairy tale" stack.  And if you forced me to choose a favorite book... I would cheat and choose those two blue "The World's Best Fairy Tales" books.  They were given to me by my grandparents, I believe for Christmas one year...1985ish.  I can still remember my mom and dad reading me stories from these books in my childhood bedroom, snuggled in my bed underneath the large mural that my Aunt had painted for me.  Fairy tales were definitely where it was at in my childhood.



Here are some "children's books".  Yup, some of them are quite new.  I like kid's books, so???  My husband has even purchased some of them for me... Hipira and Santa Claws.  :) 



I have also started collecting some older children's books when I visit antique shops or flea markets in the hopes of sharing them with my own rugrats someday.  I just had to have these two when I found them at a little shop.



One of my horror shelves.  I haven't been too big into horror lately, but used to read it almost exclusively while I was in graduate school.  Well, that and a LOT of scientific papers.  I guess I needed the escape.  Yes, I have quite a few Laurell K. Hamilton books, none of her newest stuff though... sad to say that she's gotten a bit too ... dirty... for me.  The Walking Dead graphic novels are the newest things on this shelf and those are actually my husband's.



One of my "classics" shelves.  I've recently started re-reading a lot of these.  But I'm also one of those people that is always reading 2 or 3 different books at a time, so progress is slow.



Cookbooks!  I wouldn't say that I actually sit down and "read" these.  But now that I have a home and a husband I certainly do enjoy getting a new cookbook more than I ever thought I would.  :)



Finally, this is one of my favorite shelves.  As I said, I'm a sucker for books.  It's a rare occurrence for me to visit an antique shop and not come home with a new previously-loved hardcover.  There are some goodies in here and my eyes are always open for more.



My most loved find is this copy of The War of the Worlds.  The inside is inscribed "Clinton Granger, 1942" and whenever I pick it up I always find myself wondering about Clinton.  Who he was, where he went.  The binding is broken and the cover is loose but I still love it.  Someday I'll actually sit down and read it.

 

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Make a place to read in your home. A place that welcomes calm and reflection and invites you to transport your mind.

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I don't have an actual reading nook carved out in my house right now.  My bookshelves live in our "office" which isn't really an office at all.  Right now I mostly read in bed before going to sleep.  My nightstand is cluttered with books I'm currently reading, have already read or am waiting to read.  A few years ago I purchased a gorgeous old wood-carved chair that just screamed "read in me!"  It needs some love and reupholstering before I can do that though.  I do have the perfect corner in my bedroom all picked out.  Now I just need to save up the cash for the new material and labor.  And to get that old lamp re-wired as well.  Hmmm....

Radvent Day 13: Beginning

Continuing the Radvent Blogging Event, a creation of the fabulous Princess Lasertron!

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look for chances to begin. hidden new opportunities every day

a phone call, a bank envelope, driving past a new shop, doing laundry, saying hello, asking for help, saying yes, saying no, going to a movie alone, set the alarm, open a new document, offer to help, pop the cork, make a gift, write a letter

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Tonight is going to be a quick one...  grocery shopping, cooking dinner, bathing the pup and decorating the tree have worn me out.  Now we're resting by the tree, lights a twinkle, with White Christmas on and I'm ready for a good snuggle. 

So...  I'm going to revisit Day 4 and try a new beginning at the same time.  I mentioned briefly that I had a bit of a falling out with a close friend recently.  Feelings were hurt on both sides.  But, apologies have been made and we're trying to move on.  As I mentioned in the "forgiveness" post, this is a difficult concept for me, but I'm willing to give it a shot.  Today I started drafting an email to attempt to get things back to normal.  I'm honestly not sure that we can get there.  I'm still not sure if our friendship will survive.  Not the hurt from our disagreement, but deeper issues.  Ones I can't fix.  I'm gonna give it a try though. 

Here's to a new beginning.

Radvent Day 12: Procrastinating

Day 12 of Princess Lasertron's Radvent!!!

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What are you putting off? What bad things would happen if you stopped making excuses and tackled something today?
(Would you do it wrong? Would you fail to meet expectations? Would you have to do it even better next time?)

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I am so good at procrastinating!  In college, whenever a big paper or project was due, I was always working away at the last minute.  The pressure really forced me to focus.  I still procrastinate now, but in different ways.  I procrastinate when I have phone calls to make.  I *hate* talking on the phone.  With strangers.  Really don't like it.  I procrastinate at work when I have projects to do that I'm unsure of or that a history or not working.  I don't like to fail.  And when things don't work repeatedly, which is quite common in sciences, it's very easy to become discouraged.  There's one thing though that I've been putting off for years.  3 years to be exact.  Before we moved into our house, my husband owned a condo.  I was in graduate school.  And several years before that my parents moved, which meant all the belongings I had left at their home were boxed up and pretty much not unpacked.  So, once we purchased our first home all of our belongings got moved into the same place.  On top of that, both of our parents saw fit to bring over every childhood belonging of ours that *they* had saved.  For us.  Because OF COURSE we want all that stuff!  Why wouldn't we?!?  The necessities got unpacked quickly.  Everything else got piled into our very spacious unfinished basement.  Yeah...  that basement is not looking so spacious anymore. 

We've tried to clean it out a number of times.  And have even made some progress!  We now have a whole corner devoted to a workout area.  We also purchased a chest freezer that lives down there.  But mostly, there's just a lot of boxes and large rubbermaid containers.  Every time I agree to clean it up I am faced with boxes of memories or at least things that seemed important at one time.  Of course, I don't really *need* a box full of all my class projects from 1st through 5th grade.  Or 100 Pez dispensers that my mom has purchased for me over the years.  Or all of the crappy cookware and utensils that I accumulated during college.  Or sets of twin extra-long sheets!  Or... who the heck else knows what crap is down there.  But I can't let it go.  And this is after all the things that I *have* let go.  I can't even tell you how many donations we have made to charity.  There's obviously more to do.  And, unfortunately, my husband is as much of a packrat as I am... he doesn't hold onto things for sentimental value of any sort really, but is more of a "collector" than I am.   

I have been particularly brutal over the last week or so while we've been trying to put the house back in order post remodel.  The entire first floor of our house is now neat and organized thanks to filling a lot of garbage bags and a very large donation to The Cancer Federation.  That should be motivation enough for me.  Before we get back to the basement project though, we need to survive the holiday chaos, including a party at our house!  I am determined to get the basement in order though.  It's just going to take a lot of time and a lot of brutality. 

Radvent Day 11: Dreaming

Princess Lasertron's Blog Event: Radvent.

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What is your personal dream? What would happen if your dream came true?

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For right now my biggest dream is not associated with my career.  For right now, my personal dream is associated with family.  I had always thought that I would be one of those women that could take 'em or leave 'em when it came to children.  And for a long time I was!  I didn't have any strong feelings of being a mother.  Within the last year, some time when I wasn't paying attention, that all changed.  Now I'm actually looking forward to the new adventure.  Along those lines, I'm dreaming of having a large family...  3 or 4 kids!  What?!  The idea what I have gone from "I'm not sure I'll ever want kids" to "Oh yeah, let's go and have lots!" really still shocks me.  But, when I think about it, I'm not surprised at this desire. 

My husband and I are both only children.  That means our kids won't have any aunt or uncles.  No first cousins.  Weird.  And a bit sad.  I'm quite close with my cousins now, but I don't think it's quite the same kind of relationship as I would have with a sibling.  There's no one that I would call at any hour of the day for any reason, major or minor.  It's just different... not necessarily bad, just different.  Regardless, now I watch "Parenthood" and I see those 4 adults siblings getting together for family dinners with all their kids and oh, how I want that.  The chaos of all the kids, the laughter, the rivalries, the large meals, the traditions.  It just looks like so much fun! 

If my dream came true... holy crap would my whole world change.  I can't even imagine.  We'll see how it all plays out. 

I do have other dreams... associated with work and home and such.  But this one, this family one, for now it's the big one.  My how things change.

Radvent Day 10: Loving

Day 10 (!!!) of Princess Lasertron's December Blogging Event.

First of all, can I get a "woo-hoo" for making it this far?  Woo-hoo!!! 

And now, Day 10...

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You are loved immensely. You are wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket of love everywhere you go because you deserve it! Make up your own self-affirmations today.

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My self-affirmations...
~I am surrounded by those who love me.  Sometimes the amount of love is overwhelming!
~I am the best wife and dog-mom that I can be. 
~I am getting closer to making my house a home. 
~I run a lab and do a damn good job at it too.
~I am honest, caring and sensitive.
~I have nice eyes.
~I am a darn good baker, it's in my genes.
~I am 30 and just where I belong.

Radvent Day 9: Inspiring

Day 9 of Princess Lasertron's Radvent!!!

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Ask someone you love to show you what inspires them. It’s a great exercise in seeing the world through someone else’s perspective.

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Gah!  I'm a ginormous chicken.  And I think no one besides my husband knows what a sentimental sap I can be... so if I were to ask someone this question they would probably think I was delirious.  I wish I could just ask these questions.  Maybe someday...

Instead I'll talk about what inspires me...

People that aren't afraid to have these mushy sentimental chats with the people they love!
Traveling to new places.



Those who are brave enough to do what they love.  (ahem... Princess Lasertron! :)
Creative, talented individuals.
People that help others.
Nature!



Wonder.
Snowflakes.
Beautiful homes... although I have to be careful because sometimes those perfect homes stress me out! 
Nature!



Helping others.
Creating something pretty.
People that overcome fears/challenges.
Parents.
Lights!



Love.

Radvent Day 8: Creating

Even more of Princess Lasertron's Radvent Blogging Event!

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Choose an object to symbolize your creativity and put it in a place you can see it every day.

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Creativity.  It's not something that I recognize easily within myself.  I've never been artistic.  Or "crafty".  I never had the best project in art class.  Couldn't write an interesting story.  Didn't have talent in dance either.  But... I am creative in less traditional ways.

I'm a scientist.  Working in this field forces me to think outside of the box a lot of times.  Experiment not working?  What could be wrong?  How can you test each step to find the issue?  Creative trouble-shooting, if you will.  My job also forces me to find ways to organize massive amounts of information.  This is admittedly an area that I still struggle with.  Updating my lab notebook is still more of a chore than a pleasure, but I do try to keep if fun by using different colors and silly notes and drawings.  :)

I do have some more traditional talents as well.  I'm an amateur photographer.  I like taking pictures, but have fallen out of the habit.  Need to find more time for this.  I wouldn't say I'm great at it, but I do surprise myself from time to time.  I'm also told by my husband that I have quite a talent for painting ceramics.  I could never just take a blank canvas and create something beautiful, but give me a ceramic penguin and I get by just fine.





Or maybe a ceramic house.  In progress.



My mom has a whole Halloween village of my ceramic paintings--a haunted house with Wolfman, Dracula and Frankenstein, bats, pumpkins and other spooks, villagers, a haunted ship wreck, etc.  It's super cool and I'm really jealous that it gets to live at her house and not mine.  :)  This type of painting is also a good exercise for my patience.  I'm a perfectionist and everything has to be just. so.  and it sometimes take quite a bit of time to get it there.  Here's the piece that I'm the most proud of thus far, Santa.  I painted him a couple years ago and I am still delighted every year when I can display him.








Finally, I try to be creative in my home "design".  Designing your home?  I certainly had never imagined I'd be stressed about that!  What an intimidating concept!!!  Have I mentioned that we recently remodeled our kitchen???  Oh my, what a job that was!  And yes, it was definitely intimidating making all of these very grown-up decisions... paint, tiles, appliances, how will it all go together?!  Well, we're nearly done.  And I am so, so PROUD of the outcome.  I feel less intimidated now at the thought of tackling the rest of the house and am actually looking forward to it! 

Without further ado, the before and afters...











Details to come: backsplash and trim.  Hardware is already installed but I haven't taken new pictures yet.  My kitchen is now a constant reminder of the fact that I can create something pretty. How awesome is that.

Radvent Day 7: Playing

Day 7 of Princess Lasertron's RAD December Event.

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What were your favorite games as a child? What did you like to do with your classmates or the neighborhood kids? How did that affect the person you grew to become?

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I am an only child.  So a lot of my time growing up was spent alone.  I really enjoyed reading as a child.  Particularly from a two-volume set of fairy tales given to me by my grandmother and grandfather.  I can still picture those books in my head.  And they're now on my grown-up bookshelf along with some other childhood favorites waiting to be enjoyed by the next generation.  I loved to play with my Barbie dolls.  Their lives were something like an afternoon soap opera.  It was a real treat on the occasions that I got to play with my cousin.  I liked to play with my play-doh.  I would pretend to be a chef and create rare play-doh entrees that my parents would be invited to sample.  Never mixing the colors, of course.  That smell still brings me back.  I definitely enjoyed playing the evening games of Go Fish with my dad, even though he cheats.  I loved making up my own games when I went to my Oma and Opa's and spent time in their basement with the pool table, the assortment of hats and large sectional sofa.  I liked to color.  I used to love 4-square in grade school.  I didn't really get the opportunity to play a lot of board games growing up... but when I reached junior high my best friend and I used to play Mall Madness ALL the time.  We also used to roller-skate in her basement.  And sing karaoke.  Funny that I would never do that anymore. 

I'm much the same now.  I have no problem entertaining myself, would never really say that I get bored.  I can always find something to do.  I enjoy the company of others on occasion, but don't *need* it.  I *do* need alone time.  Otherwise I start to feel stressed out.  I'm independent.  Alone, but rarely lonely.  And my husband is one of the few (the only?) people that I don't mind being around constantly.  I guess that's a good thing.  :)

Radvent Day 6: Adventuring

Continuing Princess Lasertron's Blogging Challenge.

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Abandon your to-do list and go somewhere else. Somewhere new. Somewhere you have wanted to explore. Bring a camera and take a picture to celebrate the moment when you abandoned anxiety and insecurity, embraced imagination and opportunity, and let life unfold.

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I am all for an adventure.  But I'm not very good at beginning it.  I like to know what to expect of my upcoming time.  Almost like I need to plan for spontaneity.  :D  Right now, I'm overwhelmed with the pressures of decorating the house, baking TONS of cookies, purchasing gifts for the people I love, planning an open house, and preparing for multiple other holiday gatherings.  So a day of exploration is likely out of the question.  We'll see if I can squeeze it in somehow this weekend.  When I do, I'll update this post.

Radvent Day 5: Rocking Out

Day 5 of Princess Lasertron's Radvent!

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Write down the soundtrack of your year so far. Play it for someone who loves you.

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Some songs that will forever be associated with this year in my mind.  Some for very specific reasons, others just because I can't get enough of them.  I'll never tell which are which...  :)

Kings of Leon -- Sex on Fire

Lady Gaga -- Telephone

Jay-Z -- Empire State of Mind

Boys Like Girls -- Two is Better Than One

Volbeat -- Still Counting

Glee -- Singing in the Rain/Umbrella Mash-up

Paramore -- The Only Exception

Matisyahu -- One Day

Most of these are sentimental or ... inspiring in some way.  I turned 30 this year and made a lot of grown-up decisions.  They're also all a lot more mainstream than is typical of me.  What can I say, I've gone soft in my old(er) age. 

Radvent Day 4: Forgiveness

Because I was out of town this weekend, I'm now catching up with Princess Lasertron's December Blogging Event, but still playing!  Here we go....

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It’s hard to come out of a place of resentment, and it takes practice (just like everything). Practice forgiving about small, everyday things. You can always non-forgive later. Who and what are you ready to let go of resentment toward?

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Oooo...  I'm a grudge-holder...  or at least a forgive but not forget type, so this is one is going to be the toughest yet!

I try really hard to be polite, understanding and accepting of other people, I still fail sometimes of course, but at least I try.  So it drives me crazy when other people are judgmental, inconsiderate or rude.  Even as something as simple as not holding the door for someone else or cutting me off in traffics grates my nerves and I find myself wondering how one person could think they are so much more important than everyone else.  Sir, you are putting everyone's safety at risk by trying to compose an email on your Blackberry doing 75 mph on the highway, please stop.  It can wait.

I digress...

Forgiveness.  It's a tough thing.  Mostly, I need to recognize that people make mistakes, including myself.  Some mistakes have bigger repercussions than others.  There are definitely some minor things that I can and need to let go of!

People who I am ready to forgive, to practice: * The friend who, after 10 years with my boyfriend, addressed my invitation to her wedding as 'Firstname Lastname and Guest' * All the people this Holiday season who are too rushed to hold a door open * My family for insisting on certain things at my wedding * My former boyfriend who pressured me (I never gave in) * My best friend who suddenly stopped speaking to me in high school in favor of hanging out with cooler kids * My cousin for teasing me in front of her friends growing up * The boy who told me "just drop [the arrow] so the rest of us can go" when I was struggling with archery in 6th grade (I went on to be one of the best in the class)


People who I am not yet ready to forgive: * The priest at my (former) church who implied to my 12-year old self that my family and I were going to a bad place for not attending mass every Sunday * One of my graduate advisers for playing myself and the other graduate students against one another * The strangers at comic conventions who would slap my butt while they rushed past or lean a little too close...pervs *

Some of these things are very minor.  Others have resulted in the end of friendships, faith, innocence.  They have changed me.  I no longer attend church.  I lost two of those friends up there, have gotten back in touch and am friendly with the former boyfriend and am now very close with my cousin.  I realize that people are motivated by their own greed/desires and don't always take into account the feelings of others.  But on that forgiveness list, I don't think any of those people (except maybe that jerk in 6th grade) were out to hurt me.  I'm sure that I have inadvertently hurt people too.  And so, I let it go.

Radvent Day 3: Writing

A continuation of Princess Lasertron's Radvent Blogging Extravaganza!

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Write a letter of love to yourself to read in one year.

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Dear sensitive, analytical, stubborn Marienkafer,

this is a very timely challenge.  You've been feeling pretty bummed lately.  It has been a rough last half of the year for you.  There was the kitchen remodel.  Lita's surgery.  Jumping on the trying-to-conceive train only to have life get in the way, mostly with a minor surgery of your own--wisdom tooth removal.  Now it seems that everyone you know is getting pregnant or having babies!  Friends from high school.  A former co-worker of mine.  One of my best friends from graduate school.  Even your cousin announced that she is now expecting her second baby next year.  You're feeling hurt and left behind.  Lots can change in the next year though... especially since you're back on the train!  And you should be happy for all those lovely ladies!  I hope that you meet all those new babies and steal lots of tips from all those moms. 

There has also been lots of drama surrounding one good friend.  You've poured a lot of energy into worrying/responding to/trying to better that friendship and the efforts haven't really been returned as of yet.  This is a reminder to step out of the turmoil once in awhile, you can't fix everything and you can't change people either.  Sometimes friendships fall apart.  Cherish the ones you still have.  And since you're reading this, take a moment now to write out a list and finally send out Christmas cards for once, huh?!  Reconnect with some of the friends you may have lost touch with over the year.  

So it's been a rough last half of the year, so what.  Life has ups and downs.  Besides, on top of being sensitive, analytical and stubborn you are also...

~creative

~capable

~independent

~loyal

~hard-working

~trust-worthy

~honest

~wife, scientist, reader, daughter, dog-trainer, baker, cousin, photographer, painter, godmother, home-maker, gardener, friend... 

~and pretty damn good at laying thinset for tiles.  :)

Some things to remember:

Don't let other people dictate your actions/thoughts.

Stop over-analyzing.  

Whatever you're working on now, do it to the best of your ability.

Stress less.  

Be thankful; you are lucky. 

Take time to appreciate your family.  You have a lot of it.  Sometimes that is stressful and difficult, but they love you.  Be glad.

Don't forget to take time for yourself.  You used to love yoga.  Try it again if you've quit.  

It's okay to buy yourself presents... but don't get too caught up in material possessions.  You're spending a lot of time right now trying to decrease your "stuff."  Keep up with that.  

Love yourself and others will love you too.  

Much respect, 2010's version of Marienkafer

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Search for a special place to keep your writing materials. Have everything you need at the ready for creating your own beautiful magical words to offer the world.

* cards and stationery * a journal * stamps * special colored pens * beautiful paper * stickers * glitter glue * magazine pages for collages * patterned tapes *

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This part is just not going to happen right now.  All of my "crafty" things are stored away in a giant pink rubbermaid in the basement, waiting for proper homes.  Hopefully they'll get there by this time next year.  I'll need them to send out those Christmas cards.

Radvent Day 2: Organizing

A continuation of Princess Lasertron's Radvent Blogging Extravaganza!

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Focus on one drawer, table, or surface today and spend 15 minutes making it pretty! (And take a pretty picture afterward to motivate yourself!)

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 Well, isn't this just perfect timing.  My husband and I are just wrapping up our massive kitchen remodeling project.  We just have details remaining: trim, touching up the paint, and installing the backsplash.  The fallout of this project has overtaken the entire rest of the house however.  So I have been managing to take time out here and there to organize minor areas of the house.  Boxes are being unpacked as we move back into our new kitchen.  Tools are being moved to more permanent homes.  And I recently revamped two of my closets and am in the process of collecting items for a large donation to charity (the truck comes Tuesday!).  Soooo... I had a hard time coming up with a "small" area to organize for this project.  The Princess organized her medicine cabinet and when I got home from work I realized that mine was also struggling.

Last week I had my wisdom teeth pulled.  It was not a fun experience and I was out of commission for 5 days straight.  My bathroom turned into a big mess of medications and scattered "sick" items...  gauze squares, crazy syringes, etc.  See for yourself.



Yeah... there are all my prescriptions on the shelf.  Along with an assortment of jewelry that I have a habit of taking off and leaving there instead of putting it away in my awesome jewelry chest.  *sigh*  Lots of empty boxes and medications on the top shelf.  Including immodium, heh.

Ten minutes later...



Much better.  Stashed away items that don't get as much use.  Threw away the empty boxes.  Put away the jewelry and hairbobs.

And on the shelf...



The dish I got from a maker of blown glass in Canada on a trip with my husband.  Containing: a variety of shells and stones from our honeymoon in Antigua, a safety pin because you never know and some broken turquoise earrings that I've been meaning to give my mom so she can craft them into a new piece of jewelry.

Also...



The only perfume I currently wear, Iris by L'Occitane, a gift from the husband's trip to Paris.  The Paris gift box from our trip to Las Vegas (ha!).  And a pretty, fragrant candle.  Hmmm... looks like I should have spent a little more time and dusted as well.  Next time!

Radvent Day 1: Remembering

I'm going to make an attempt to participate in a December "Radvent" Blogging Event, an idea created by the brilliant Princess Lasertron.  All through the month she'll be posting prompts for her own blog and other participants.  This will obviously be a real challenge for me considering I do not normally post with any regularity.  :)

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What were you doing five years ago today? As the holiday season began? Where were you? Who were you with? What did you want? What did you have?

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I have a terrible memory for these kinds of things.  In fact, I almost never remember gifts.  I can occasionally remember receiving an item from someone, but almost never remember when or even for what occasion.  I'm much better at remembering gifts I have given to others, but even still, the years blend together.  The point of course, is that I have no idea what I wanted for Christmas.  And I certainly don't remember what I received.  My wants and needs are definitely quite different this year than 2005.  Like I said, I have no idea what I received then or even what I asked for... maybe my iPod came that year.  Along with a bunch of new music/movies/video games.  but this year my "want" list is definitely more grown-up and includes some nice pots for the newly re-modeled kitchen, miscellaneous other articles for the home, jewelry and clothes, and magazine subscriptions.  :) 

December 2005... I was living in my little duplex (no roommate!), not far from the campus proper of the University of Illinois.  Gearing up for my last 6 months or so of my graduate career.  I had spent just over 2 years in the program at this point and things were ever so slowly coming to a close.  

I remember that it was a very strange time for me.  I didn't really feel connected to my high school friends back home anymore.  Mostly we had just fallen out of touch.  But I had made a small, but very close-knit group of new friends in my labs.  One of them was just getting ready to leave the lab and take a new position somewhere else.  She started the mass exodus, as over the course of the next year all of us would leave.  Of the 5 of us, 4 of us have remained in close contact and I have even attended 2 of their weddings and they all came to mine. 

Meanwhile, my boyfriend of 7 years (now husband) had a full time job back home.  We saw each other often enough, but there I was... still in school.  And with that (finally) ending I had a great unknown hanging in front of me: what in the world am I going to be with my Master's Degree?  Where will I go?  By then we at least knew that wherever we went, we would be together.

I also remember that this was the December that I attended the wedding of a guy that was a very good friend in high school.  And one that I had a major crush on for awhile.  It made me contemplate "what would have happened if..." for just a split second before realizing that things were just as they were meant to be.  :)

2005 was definitely a transitional year.  I was completing the first ever advanced degree in my family and feeling very "adult"!  But there was so much more to come...  In 2006 I would graduate and move back home.  To my parent's house.  Start and struggle with my first real job hunt.  2007 saw me moving in with my man, getting engaged, have a major health scare and purchasing our first home.  I can't wait to see what happens in the NEXT 5 years. 

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Start a new tradition with your family or friends this season to help you remember the beauty of NOW!

share a blog together * start a cookie swap * host a movie night * meet late for pancakes * invite your siblings to pick out a gift for your parents * get together with friends to make holiday decorations

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I'm cheating a little bit because technically we hosted our first holiday "Bon Pasco!" family gathering in 2007. But that was the first and last. This year, we're trying to revive the tradition. It's a small feat to get all of my and my husband's family together in the same place. 3 years ago we were actually missing some people so we'll see if we can manage to get everyone together this year! It will no doubt be stressful, but I'm looking forward to it. There will be holiday cheer, maybe some games, drinks all around and plenty of yumminess.

Bumps in the road.

Yeah, so... since my big "this is going to be the best year evah!" post, The Universe has been crapping on my parade. It has been one thing after another and I haven't been dealing with it very well. My poor husband has been riding a roller coaster and not knowing if he was going to get the "It's all going to be okay"-me or the "OMG! The Universe hates me!"-me.

Backtrack.

Shortly after my birthday we were slated to begin our kitchen remodel. As expected, we hit a few snags and got a bit delayed. We finally began the process with the removal of our cabinetry on October 1st. All in all, we are doing quite well with this whole thing. Once again, there have been a few snags. But we are doing a lot of the work ourselves (with help from my parents) and I'm so darn proud of us! Granted, even with things running relatively smoothly it's still stressful. We have a microwave in our office. A refrigerator in our living room. I'm washing dishes in our bathroom sink, while filling our water pitcher from the tub. We've been eating takeout pretty much every night. Some people may find that fun, but I don't. So it's been... a challenge.

Then, one day I came home to find that our precious pooch had eaten her leash. All 6 feet of her leather leash, devoured. Like, I found the clip from the leash still attached to her harness AND the clicker that is normally looped around the handle, but not a single scrap/piece/molecule of the leash, devoured. I took her to the vet that night and because we didn't know how long ago she had eaten it, they didn't want to induce vomiting. So, because she's a big girl, we were told to feed her Wonderbread and vaseline sandwiches and hope that it would pass. Yum. She loved them. She was doing well for several days... things were still moving, so to speak. Then three days after her big snack, she vomited breakfast. Not good. Back to the vet for more Xrays and an intended barium series. This was not in Lita's plan though because despite the fact that three people were assisting, she would not take the barium. One regular Xray taken before trying the barium clearly showed "stuff" in her stomach. Knowing that our dog definitely had eaten something and that it was the something that causing the issue, we opted for surgery. This was an extremely stressful situation for both my husband and myself. Now I have worked in this very animal hospital. I know that gastronomies, while not super-common, do happen and usual have good outcomes if the dogs are seen early enough. None of that mattered because it had never been my dog in the situation before! I was a wreck. But we signed the papers, refused a quote (it didn't matter to us what it cost at that point) and left our big furbaby in capable hands. After an agonizing 5 hour wait (thanks to an emergency spleen-ectomy), we finally heard that the surgery was finished and Lita Loo was in recovery. They removed MANY 3-4 inch pieces of leash from her stomach and the rest of her system was clear. And, oh yeah, they also spayed her while they were in there (refer to early posts for info on her mystery cycles--she was supposedly spayed when we adopted)! Oh boy, a 2-fer! She spent a night in the hospital and it pained me to think of her there, alone and scared. And probably stressed out simply due to the presence of other dogs. She did well the next day though. Ate in the late afternoon and kept her food down, so the doctor agreed to release her. When we picked her up we could tell that she was out of it, spacey, didn't even seem to recognize us. Poor girl! The first night she was home she cried the whole night. This is quite normal for dogs coming home from surgery, but it broke my heart and I cried right along with her. Thankfully, things improved quickly from there. She ate her liquidy food quite well. By the third day she was even playful and we had to try to keep her calm since she had about 25 stitches in her belly. Now, 15 days post-op, her stitches are out. She had a minor infection at the incision site and is still on antibiotics. Other than that though, she is eating well and is back to her regular self. The one major change is that she is now crated during the day when we aren't home. We hope to transition her back to her regular kitchen corner once that area isn't a construction zone anymore and realize that it is probably the destruction of her "bedroom" that stressed her out enough to eat her leash in the first place.

Meanwhile, I was dealing with a health issue of my own. I have known for awhile that my wisdom teeth were coming in and have been trying to ignore them if I'm being honest. But they would not be ignored for awhile there... For several days I was in severe pain, pain that would even wake me up at night. I had to suck it up and visit my dentist. From the Xray she said that I may have a cyst in my jaw that the tooth was pushing on as it was emerging from the gum. And it was partially impacted as well. Both of these are factors that indicated that it needed to be removed. And why not remove the others at the same time??? Gee, thanks! So I went to an oral surgeon recently to schedule the surgery. The good news is that I don't actually have a cyst, but that tooth has still got to go. It's not sideways or anything, but there's just not enough room for it so it will never entirely break the surface of my gum. It's still causing me some pain too. So, yeah. I get to have my first surgery too. I'm a chicken and am not looking forward to it at all. I'm not so much worried about the pain afterward because I'm pretty sure I can handle it. It's the actual anesthesia that has me freaked.

Since I started having issues, I've been trying to get this taken care of asap though. Since, as I've indicated, we have been fully intending on starting to expand our family in the near future... The surgeon's first available appointment is another month away. The Monday before Thanksgiving! ha! :) There may be no big dinner for me this year. So we are delayed another month. Which is NOT that big of a deal really. But this news on TOP of all the other stress... sent me into a bit of a tailspin that I have been fighting to pull out of.

Slowly, but surely.

The kitchen is looking awesome. And the tiles go down this weekend so I am super-excited about that. As I said, Lita is doing well and is returning to her walking schedule... AND although I can see we've lost A LOT of ground in her training during her time off, we are starting a new class next week that I am so thrilled to be taking--nosework! AND... well, I don't really have anything good to say on the wisdom tooth subject... other than it will be taken care of. :)

So, that's where I've been. I'm hoping that this year will now balance itself out and I'll have tons of goodness (or at least LESS STRESS) coming my way soon. We'll see!

30 and loving it.

Okay, disclaimer: I have only been 30 for approximately 48 hours now. But hitting this "milestone" hasn't bothered me one bit! I have been a bit embarrassed to admit that I have reached the three decade mark, but only because *other* people seem to make such a big deal of it!

I feel great. In the past several weeks, I have lost 6 pounds thanks to eating better and the fact that I've been working out again. Better yet, I feel more toned. :) Always a good thing.

I have a husband that I love. We have a home. And are about to start (yes, *start*, we hit quite a few snags along the way) our first major renovation project.

We have a fabulous dog, whose behavior is improving greatly.

And are discussing the addition of a two-legged family member in the near future. Which, in my mind, is WAY more of a milestone than turning 30.

Here's hoping that the next year is the best one yet.

Kitchen remodel

The long-awaited kitchen remodel is actually going to happen!!!

It has been in the planning stages for awhile, but we recently have made some actual decisions. *gasp* AND, over the weekend, signed a contract. *double gasp* Our demolition day has been set for August 25th!!!! I'm am unbelievably excited about this. I can't wait for nice new cabinets, pretty stainless appliances, an oven that doesn't leak heat everywhere and a non-portable dishwasher!!! Do you know what a portable dishwasher is? I didn't either until I moved into this house. It means that the dishwasher is not hooked up to a water line. So, anytime we want to run the dishwasher, we wheel it out of its cubby across the floor to the sink, hook up a hose to our faucet and run it. All while this enormous beast of a dishwasher sits in the middle of our floor. It's fun. If you like moving enormous, squeaky, heavy beasts across your floor multiple times a week. :) Can't wait for that thing to go.

We have a plan in place for decor. It took us a long time to come to these conclusions, but I am satisfied with them. The one disappointment I have is that we decided to go with the lighter stain on the cabinets. I LOVED the dark wood, but after much debate, we decided that was not the ideal choice for this particular kitchen. Mostly because we both loved the dark granite. Dark cabinet, dark granite, dark tiny kitchen... not really a good thing. So we went light. With stainless appliances. And a glass tile backsplash. With dark granite. And medium gray/green-toned ceramic tile.

Without further ado...

Our granite, Uba Tuba


Our cabinets, light honey


The closest representation of our glass tile backsplash that I could find


And, the flooring


All of which I think will look pretty sharp with our stainless appliances, including our new french door refrigerator! :)


I can't wait! We still need to decide on cabinet hardware and paint. We've narrowed our choices a bit... I'm leaning towards something in the orange family, but there really won't be much wall space at all, mostly just down the hallway.

Am I looking forward to the chaos and destruction that I have to survive to make it to my new kitchen? Absolutely not. But I've lived in dorms. And even a basement. It will be rough, but it will be worth it.

The start of something.

Well, here we go. Four weeks ago I finished my last pack of birth control pills. And I haven't re-filled the prescription!!!

No, we're not exactly what I would call "trying" yet... I guess we're preparing to try? If that makes any sense. :) Sounds silly, but it's the most accurate description. I need to make an appointment for my annual girly exam (fun) and have been on the hunt for a new doctor, specifically an OB/GYN to go to this time around. Figured I'd get a little pre-conception counseling out of the deal as well. Finding a new doctor is hard.

I had originally thought that I might consider going to a midwife for my appointments, but have found them surprisingly difficult to track down. I've also been trying to find a doctor that works out of a hospital that is supportive of a natural birth and alternative birthing methods. I haven't quite picked the place yet, but have narrowed it down. Once that's done, then I need to narrow down the list of doctors that work out of that hospital. It's been a slow process.

Thanks to the amount of reading and research that I've done, I know I want to at least try for a natural birth. This may change, I may end up asking for an epidural. I don't know. I'm just trying to keep an open mind. But I would like to have options. I want to be able to eat if I want to and not just ice chips. I want to be able to get up and walk around if that is going to make me more comfortable. At a lot of hospitals you just don't have those options.

I'm still waiting for the arrival of my first monthly visitor. Hurrah. It could be any time now. After that I will make my first doctor's visit. Should be interesting...

Here we go.

Lita: RAD class 2, session 4. Progressing in leaps!

We've made so much progress in the last 2 months!!!

Firstly, we "graduated" RAD Class 1. Well, kind of. The session was 6 weeks and we finished it. We weren't deemed ready to move on to a non-RAD class though (2 of our classmates were, WOO!), so we started Class 2 with two other pups from the group. Roo, a white male pit mix, who, I am fully convinced, should be Lita's boyfriend. And Moss, a male aussie. Just the 3 of us. Last week was our 4th session and it was a big one. BIG. Lita has come such a long way! Sometimes the progress is *very* difficult to recognize, but this time it was clearly apparent. Lita is much calmer in class. Not pulling nearly as much (sometimes not at all!!!). She is able to pay a lot more attention to us as well. We focused a lot last week on the Look at That! game, which she is clearly understanding since The Husband reports she is now offering the behavior on walks. !!! Also, not only was she able to respond to "downs" appropriately, she also offered one on her own for the first time in class. "Downs" are far more difficult than sits for reactive/stressed dogs because it puts them in a more vulnerable position. Roo was able to approach her while we played Look at That! and neither one of them reacted. He made it to about 10 feet away! This was HUGE for both of them. Outside of class, we still struggle with loose leash walking on walks. But we're working more on integrating games (at least touch for now) during walks to be able to get her attention.

In the house she is doing fantastic things...
~I can now get her to jump off her feet for a high touch.
~She will put her front feet on top of a large paint bucket for treats (achieved through shaping).
~She's learning "woof" (our version of "speak").
~She is becoming bilingual--her new release word instead of "okay" is "Vamos"!
~She has a new Nina Ottosson toy (the tornado) that she is learning to master.
~She has a baby size swimming pool for hot days that she will walk through/stand in and even sat a few times, but hasn't laid in yet.
~AND she had a head to head loose dog encounter with Ernie, a little terrier dude that lives near us. Thankfully, he didn't bark and Lita didn't react! So much happening!!!

Our trainer thinks that we will probably be able to advance to the FOCUS class next session, which is more traditional obedience in a group setting. For that we need to learn mat training and Lita's new mat arrived a few days ago. She has already laid down on it with no prompting. :)

This session I have also started assisting with the level 1 RAD class which meets right after us level 2ers. It is completely fascinating to watch and recognize all the little things that I'm not able to pay attention to when I'm trying to work with my own dog.

This is quite the change from the last gloom and doom update, huh? That's the way it goes, I guess! Our next class is tonight. *fingers crossed*