Wine O

So. newell asked me if I thought I could give up drinking wine. Why in the world would I want to do that? Well, I guess he thought I couldn't. Well, I did.. I asked him if he noticed that I hadn't had any wine all week, he said that he had and asked me how I felt. I said, no shakes, no blackouts, just my old self without wine. See. I like wine like some like ice cream.

Bad Puppy

So,.. Newell and I worked all day on Saturday cleaning out the porch for the holidays. We washed the windows and scrubbed the floor. I went to the store to buy a new rug. We belong to the "rug of the month club".. No sense in getting nice rugs.. You'll find out in a few. Yesterday, I am busy doing something in the other part of the house and when I come back the baby puppy has got a mouth full of green fuzz. She has eaten the carpet. Why? Om what planet is my green fuzzy carpet food? Now. she has chew toys galore. You would think I have a toddler living here with all the toys strewn all over. But Noooo. My shoes and my carpet that is what she wants. She is such a bad puppy. Darn cute, but bad..

swimming with the sharks

So.. Tanner is back out full swing. And so far we have an a pretty easy time of it. He has been the only male special and has won.. This weekend was quite a different story. We were down in Salisbury MD and there were 5 dog specials and 1 bitch special entered. WOW... I can't even name 5 dog specials.. Well I can if you add the two #1 dogs in the country Leo and Nick into the mix. So here we were for 5 days competing with the #1 All breed dog Leo and the #1 breed dog Nick. Well, Tanner held his own. We won the Breed one day and we won Select another.. Not too shabby considering he has not been out for 5 months. He looks like a million dollars and I was so happy with the way he showed.

shopping with Newell

So.. any of us who have just lost 20 pounds would love to go a buy a new wardrobe. Well, not Newell. He has been walking around in clothes that are literally falling off of him. He looks rather pathetic. I have asked him repeatedly, "why don't we go and buy you some new clothes?" His response is "Christmas is just a few weeks away, just get me some them". Well, what size? He doesn't know. So, yesterday we decide that at least we would go and buy some new jeans, so I would have an idea of size. Well, that is what we did.. We bought 1 pair of jeans. Nothing else. It was like he couldn't get out of the store quick enough. While he was in the dressing room, I wandered into the ladies department, because I am always willing to see what is new, he came out didn't see me and was ready to walk out of the store mad at me for not being right there. It was such a lovely time, that we bought the jeans and left. Now I know what size he is, and I will do the rest of his clothes shopping without him.. Thank goodness.

the long ride home

Well, out to New Stanton PA yesterday. 3 plus hours to get there. Ann and I met and now he is gone. I had the long 3 hour drive home by myself yesterday to contemplate these maddening dogs. When we picked Echo up from Natalie, I had no intention of bringing home a boy puppy. I wanted a girl. When we went out there, I just couldn't take my eyes off that big boy puppy. He was great. It took me nearly 2 hours to decided that I could do a boy. He was the first dog in 20 years that I finished from the puppy class. He was always willing to please me. With Tanner being his dad, he was always in the shadows, so he looked for ways to stand out. Well, he was also the only Bernese we have ever had to fetch. Newell always tries to toss the ball with the dogs, and year after year, dog after dog they watch Newell toss the ball, and they just don't get it. Oh. some will go after it, but they never bring it back. Well, Echo did. He ran after the ball and brought it back to Newell. The ball quickly became a small tire. When Newell would go out, Echo was beside himself. A quick question, "where is your tire" would send him over the edge. He would locate it and they would play.. It was great to see. I told Ann and Phil to play fetch with him, I am sure they will. She texted me last night that he crawled up into the couch with Phil and tried to lay completely on top of him. That is Echo. And before she went to sleep she texted again and said he was sound asleep on the floor next to the bed. He will be fine. Its me I am worried about..

It doesn't get any easier

Several months ago, my dear friend called me to tell me that her Berner was diagnosed with cancer. That is so hard.. He was a young dog, only 6 and she was heartbroken. I made up my mind at that time that when Rudy left, my Echo would go to live with them. I have known Ann and Phil for years and her first Bernese was brother to my second one Grey. Anyway, that day has arrived today. Last weekend Rudy died and now Friday morning I make the long trip west to meet them. I gave him his bath and his tire is packed up and he begins his new great life with Ann and Phil. But...even though my head is saying this is so right for him. When Tanner is here, Echo and him fight and we have to keep them separated. My heart says differently. He is such a neat dog. We will miss him. Have a wonderful life dear Echo... Don't forget me

Staying committed

So.. Newell has lost 20 pounds.. How did he do it? I would like to say that he just gave up cookies at night, and trust me he did that before and did indeed lose weight.. But this time is different.. Starting last January he has religiously been working out and slowly but surely the weight has come off. His clothes are falling off of him, and he really does look great. So me.. UM.. what do to do. I have always been the one to work out. But of late, not so much. I have begun the morning ritual again. But it has been a slow process and I am not as regular as I should be. My joke is that I work my butt off to be 10 pounds overweight, but now I am a bit more than that. So each morning, for the last two weeks I have taken myself down the steps and have worked out. Mere says if I give up wine than the weight will come off easier.. Why in the world would I need to lose weight if I can't have wine.. I wouldn't have any reason to get out of bed...