Dear Friends,

Just a quick post tonight to say thank you for checking in on my blog. I really appreciate you making time in your day to visit!

I just would like to ask your patience with me for a couple of days. I am working on a massive project at work and I am putting in quite a few extra hours at my office to accomplish everything I need to get done. As a result, I have not had much time left when I get home to stitch or blog. I am hoping to be home at a reasonable hour in the next couple of days. In the meantime, it does feel really good to work really, really hard and to see the project come together.

Please know that I will be back in a couple of days, so please bear with me. Also, please know that Liesl is coming up with plenty of ongoing antics for me to write about. She is her usual silly self but wonders why we are leaving work when it is so dark at night. She sends tail wags and puppy kisses to you all!

Thank you again for your patience.

Patti

Liesl and the Space Continuum...

Okay, I am not really good at the whole quantum physics thing, so I have to wonder how does a small dog, under 20 lbs, and less than a foot tall, become four feet long when she is on the bed? (Note the outstretched legs behind her. ) It really does defy all of the laws of time and space. LOL Therefore and thusly, I will sleep like a pretzel tonight, so I do not disturb her. LOL She does look rather comfy. N'est-ce pas?

As we are now innudated with advertisements to buy, shop, and cyber shop, I was thinking about the true gifts in my life. Liesl for one, who makes me laugh, puts her little self in front of me to guard me, and seems to know to provide comfort when I have been sick or hurt in the past year. Or my friends, who are true blue, amazing women, who serve as an inspiration to me of courage, wisdom, integrity and love. Or the amazing books that I have had a chance to read this year. My Goodreads list shows that I have read over 30 books this year. Most have been amazing and the stories have stayed with me. It has been a really good year for books. Another gift has been a job, a place to live, and enough to eat. Like for many, funds are tight, but I am grateful to have enough. I have a church home that I adore with people in my church family that I truly love and respect. These are just the items as the top of the list of the gifts that I have been grateful to receive.

Well, I would love to write more tonight. However, my computer is being uncooperative and keeps locking up. I will take this as a sign that I should run a scan and go to sleep.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Almost done!

Willie is almost done! I am finishing up the backstitch and still have to do all of the french knots for all of the eyes on the little woodland creatures.. After that I have to iron it, then put all of the embellishments and beads on it. Bada-bing, bada-boom it will be done! Those little cardinals are so precious!

It is cold with a capital C here. We have had a freeze for the last couple of nights. I lost a couple of plants, but it could be worse. We are expecting another freeze here tonight. I have every blanket possible on the bed. Liesl has been snuggling alot in the past couple of nights, too

With as cold as it was last night, it was hard to believe anyone would be in line at the stores to shop at 4 am. It must have been really brutal. I was crazy enough to try at 7:30am only to try to see what the hubbub was all about. I wrapped Liesl up in a blanket and out the door we went. I went to Target but turned around and left pretty much immediately. The shelves were empty and it was loud and overly crowded. I trotted over to Kohl's afterward. Being the glamorous, livin' la vita loca kind of girl that I am I bought a shower curtain for half price. Glamor, glamor...

After leaving Kohl's I decided the best use of time would be to take Liesl to the dog beach in Carmel. She ran the whole beach for an hour, smiling. I love seeing all of the happy dogs on the beach. My little furgirl looked like the happiest of them all and kept stopping and jumping up on me as if to say, "This is SO great!" She came home a sandy, wet mess, took her bath, then slept all afteroon. She was a happy girl and it was way more fun than going to any more stores. It is true about the holidays really being about time spent with the ones you love.

Patti's Favorite Things

I think I have shared before that I work for a large non-profit organization. We have the most wonderful, hard-working and devoted volunteers. Today one of our wonderful volunteers brought each of the employees one of these adorable little turkeys that she made. Isn't this one of the cutest, most creative things you have ever seen? It tickles my heart to look at it.

Last week, Oprah had her annual Favorite Things show. Some of the stuff was way over the top. I was thinking about the favorite items that I have around my house which are a bit more simple. Things that people have given me, that have a memory attached, and/or that are just adorable. A filet crocheted dresser scarf that my friend brought me from Norway this year, the sight of Liesl's little blue elephant that she carries around the house, a pair of socks my daughter knit for me, and my coffee mug with Van Gogh's Starry Night painting on it, to mention just a few. Here are a few more things that I love:

A clock from Target. It is both retro and red! I got it on a big back to school sale for about $6. It is from the dorm room section (they still have them!) It is regular priced $7.99. So cute.

A mother of pearl mosaic box that I bought at Marshalls for $9.99. I keep it on my nightstand to hold my pens, sticky notes and book light. It is luminescent and is just pretty. It also keeps all of the clutter out of sight.

Lastly, one of my very favorite things ever. There are times I carry it with me because it has become really important to me. In late July, I was going through a really difficult time and was just feeling really sad. I took a walk on the beach with Liesl. As I walked, I prayed. I asked God for a sign of assurance, a sign of His love just to see me through. I immediately felt badly for asking for such a thing that because I felt I had no right to do so. But I heard almost a whisper that said to follow Liesl and then look down. So I followed her until she stopped and then looked down, and this is what I saw in the sand:

A heart shaped beach rock! (I showed it to my Pastor and she smiled and said, "God hearts you!" I carry it with me sometimes because it makes me feel peaceful, and is a reminder that God is always with me, particularly in hard times. I also keep this on my nightstand so that I see it when I go to bed and when I wake up. He sends us miracles when we need them, and signs of His love are around us all of the time!

Stitching Night! Whoohoo!

I got to stitch for a while this evening. I worked on Willie, although I am thinking of putting him to the side and working on Ellie May for a while, to break it up a bit. I try not to do that but thought that since they are part of a set that it would be okay.

I had to be at work at 6:30am so I was up at 4:30 this morning. I still stayed late working on some projects. It is just a busy time of year at work, which is actually kind of exciting. It was cold and rainy today and I was tired when I got home. I just sat down on the sofa in my coat and work clothes and stared at the news for a while. Liesl was really tired from the long day and went right to sleep on the sofa next to me. We both got up about an hour later and had our dinner. I felt a bit better, changed into my sweats, set up camp in my stitching corner and stitched away. I am not even feeling guilty about not washing my dinner dishes. They can wait until tomorrow morning.

I have been thinking the past few days about all of the things that I have to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am grateful for God's unconditional love. He has walked with me through both pain and joy. I am so thankful for my faith.

As I stitch this week, I am reflecting on my blessings. I am also grateful that I have a hobby that I love, that gives me joy and relaxes me. I am also grateful for the blessing I received tonight in the form of a phone call from an old friend. It was so wonderful to hear her voice. She is also a woman of tremendous faith. We both reflected on our blessings and our faith, and the fact that God brought us together as friends. She has gone through the worst, most horrible year that a person can go through, yet she is a pillar of strength and an inspiration of dignity and grace in the face of these things, including a some of the saddest events you can imagine. I am so fortunate to have her as my friend.

One more thing I have to share for the evening. If you live near a Trader Joe's, you simply have to try the Sipping Chocolate. It is really superior hot cocoa. And if you have superior hot cocoa you should probably have a superior marshmallow, as well. Homemade marshmallows are divine and until you have had one, you have not had a marshmallow. The best part, they are so easy peazy to make! Here is the best recipe ever, courtesy of Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/vanilla-marshmallows?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/marshmallow-recipes#slide_1

Happy Stitching!

A Really Good Day

First of all I have to share my news: Shock. Total and utter shock is what I felt tonight as I read my email. We got the notice that the mid-term exam that I was stressing about last weekend, was graded and up on the class website. As I went to sign in to the class to get my grade, my stomach did flip flops. It was a hard test with a two hour time limit. In addition to the multiple choice there were three essay questions. One essay had eleven parts that had to be addressed. I finished with three minutes to spare and did not even have time to proof read. This is something I have worried about and regretted all week...

So I signed in, hoping the whole time that I got at least a B, but worrying that it would be less than that. I looked at the grade, and it was an A. Not only that but my professor had written several notes throughout saying that it was the best exam in the class and that my answers were excellent. He went on to say that I think like an economist, and have I considered going on to be an economist? What an honor. I am just amazed. I had stressed so much over this exam, and to have such over the top results is a bit overwhelming.

What is really funny in all of this, is if you would have told me while I was growing up that I would end up being an accountant and in the field of finance, I would never have believed it. Math was not my strong suit and caused me to mentally beat myself up and cry when I could not grasp some of the concepts. I loved reading, composition, art and music and thought I would end up in a creative field. I was far more creative and right brained. It is funny how life turns out.

In general, today was a really good day. I have a really busy week with long hours ahead of me this week. Tomorrow I have to be at work at 6:30 am to process payroll. So today, I felt it was important to stay home and get some rest. It stormed most of the morning, so it was good to be inside. I finished cleaning up the house, vacuumed, gave Liesl her bath, etc. In the afternoon, it was cold and gloomy. Rather than turn the heat on, I got back under all of my blankets and read a book cover to cover. It was "A Thousand Splendid Suns" which is a totally amazing, brilliant and beautiful book. It was nice to sit and read all afternoon. Liesl thought it was a magnificent idea and napped all afternoon on the bed next to me. It was comforting hearing her little puppy snores...

I am planning on stitching this evening. I have a homework assignment to finish, but after that I will be stitching. I have to go to bed early so I can wake up early and go off to work before it is light. It is still suppose to rain for the next couple of days, so I have to dig Liesl's raincoat out. (She will be thrilled. Not.) So I better get started on it all.

Hope you have a happy Monday!

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night...

Whoa, Nelly, it rained hard tonight. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing hard. At times Liesl got up from her nap to bark at the noise on the roof because the rain was coming down so hard. Luckily, it was still nice when I went out and had lunch with my friend. I came home and took Liesie for a walk thinking I would beat the rain. At one point Liesl decided that she did not want to walk anymore, and gave me a look that suggested that we should turn around. (Mini schnauzers are master communicators.) I tend to trust the looks she has in her eyes so we turned around. Within a minute or so the wind kicked up, the temperature dropped, and the rain started. She is amazing with what she knows. We ran home, she got a cookie and some warm hugs, and we both relaxed and watch the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

It was so nice to putter around the house while it rained outside. My kitchen is all sparkly clean, my stitching corner is all organized, and the furniture is dusted. I have a few things to straighten up tomorrow, but nothing huge. In addition to my puttering around, I had put my dinner in the crockpot. It was the first time I made beef stroganoff in the crockpot and it was so delicious! Plus it smelled good all afternoon. I absolutely love my crockpot. Plus I have lots of leftovers for the week. It really helps how it stretches food and it is so delicious. Yum!

I am looking forward to stitching tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day I finally finish Willie. I have to finish my chores first, but that will go quickly. Then I will cuddle up to a small, cute dog and stitch away while it rains outside.

An Ordinary Thursday Night

I have shared before, my love of an ordinary evening at home. God has blessed me with a truly extraordinary life, so I truly treasure an ordinary, boring night when I can come home, eat dinner in my jammies, and be cozy in my little bitty house. Tonight I did have to take a quiz for my class and do an assignment, but I was feeling pretty relaxed so it went quickly. I also finished my book while I waited for my dinner to finish cooking. So, now I am bookless again.

We have a storm coming our way from the Arctic, so it is cold here. The rain will start early Saturday. It will be a good weekend to stay in as much as possible. I have my Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate, which is truly like little sips of Heaven. Oh my goodness. So I have my comfy blanket throw, little dog, books, stitching, hot cocoa... Sounds perfect. I am having lunch with a friend on Saturday, but other than that I will be cozied in.

Well, I am off to stitch for a little while before bed.

Have a happy Friday!

So Sleepy...

I am so tired. I wanted so badly to come home and stitch but I am so tired. I got up a bit early and was at work at 6:45 this morning to work on a large project. I did not get out of work until around 5:30 pm, so I am dragging. God bless Liesl, she was a total trouper today and went along with the plan with no complaints. It was a long day for both of us, but I did get my project done as well as a couple others that have been on my plate. I will sleep well tonight. My sidekick ate her dinner and went to her bed a little before 7 pm.

We also had drama today. I was rubbing Liesl's sweet little head when I stopped at a stoplight on the way to work this morning. I felt a tick on the side of her face, near her ear. I remembered that you are supposed to use a match head, but I am concerned about an accident, so I asked someone who is knowledgable and experienced at work to help. She asked another person to hold onto Liesl (and said I should not be present.) They got the tick out immediately, not using a match head, and are my heroes today. They said that Liesl was so good and so accomodating and did not try to resist or nip at them. However, Liesl had her mad on for a while after that and would not look at me. The price of her forgiveness was a piece of string cheese. Another friend at work told me that there is a little tick removal tool you can buy at Petsmart, so I am going to get one so I can be prepared in the future. The world is a dangerous place for puppies.

We are supposed to have a weekend of rain. We are supposed to get an Arctic storm so it is supposed to be cold, too. This is okay with me. I will stay in and putter, stitch and read. It is really cold at night right now. It was 37F degrees this morning as I drove to work. It takes a while for the car to warm up so one of these days I will have to take a photo of Miss Liesl on the way to work. I keep a blanket throw in the car and she gets all wrapped up and tucked in for the commute. She looks like she is royalty. Cracks me up.

Well, I am off to dreamland...

It was really good to have that midterm exam behind me. I did not realize how much stress it was causing me and how many of my thoughts were occupied by it last week. Now that it is passed, I feel so much relief. I was able to read a novel at lunchtime, go to church choir practice, and now I am getting ready to stitch with a light heart. My nerves were still a little to jangled to sleep right away last night, so I am looking forward to sleeping well tonight.

It was so much fun at church tonight. I got to see my friends and we have such a good time together. I came home and was greeted with more puppy kisses than usual, which was an extra special treat.

I have had a few conversations with different people in the last couple of days that were able to stay home for the weekend. We have talked about what a special treat it is to spend one weekend day at home and not getting into the car for anything. It is special to be able to get up leisurely, drink a cup of tea, putter around the house, work on a craft, and just be in in your sanctuary. It regenerates the soul and recharges the batteries. I remember once hearing Oprah describe the home as "the artful expression of who you are". Whether it is a studio apartment or four bedroom house, it is your space, where you invite in people who love you back, where you create and rejoice, where you can be totally at home with who you are. And like Dorothy said, there's no place like it.

Sunday Night

My brain is mushy. Really, really mushy. I studied much of the weekend for a Microeconomics mid-term that I had to take online tonight. When I finally saw the test, I realized that I had probably over-studied, but it was a lot of formulas and really tough subjects. I am glad to have it behind me.

It was a beautiful day today. The sun was shining and the air was warm. I took a break from the books in the mid-afternoon and took Liesl for a walk down to the beach. The beach is her very favorite place on earth. We walked up and down the beach until she was way too tired. She cleared the beach of birds, too. I think they learned a lesson about landing on her beach. LOL. She had way too much fun. I saw that she was pretty tired so we headed home. Since schnauzers have really sensitive skin, I had to put her right into a bath to get all of the sand and salt water off of her. (She will play in the surf, but won't go out in the rain. Go figure...) She did not even seem to mind the bath too much. I wrapped her up in a towel and she fell asleep. She is very spoiled.

I did not get to do my gardening like I planned due to my anxiety over this test, but that is okay. There is next weekend and this way I can plan the space a bit better. I will have some time to think it all through. I did not get to stitch either. But I did get to talk to my friends at church and on the phone. I did get to take a beautiful walk on the beach. I did get to cuddle a sweet little dog. I also got to be thankful for all of my blessings.

I think I have shared my love of Trader Joe's products on many occasions. They have a sipping hot chocolate that is a dark chocolate that is very rich and decadent. It is my special treat to myself for cold evenings. (I believe that you have to have special little treats for yourself. I look forward to my cup of hot cocoa.) Anyway, the cashier told me that she stocks up on it because it is only available seasonally, so she makes sure she has enough to get through the year. She said that it is truly incredible. So if you have a chance to pick one up, it is only $3.99 a canister. Yum.

Have a happy work week.

Gratitude

This morning I was on my way to work, listening to our local classical station. There was the most beautiful music on, including an amazing piece by my favorite composer, Bach. I was suddenly struck by the thought that life truly is a banquet. There are so many beautiful things available to us for free. I started thinking about all of the things in that wide spectrum in life's banquet. Beautiful music, composed by the great master's and a big selection, right there on my radio. Books, also written by the great writers, over several centuries, available at the public library. Calling a friend, or getting a call from a friend. Taking a walk in the fresh air with the dog and/or a friend. Looking at the stars at night. Cuddling with the dog. Indulging in a cup of hot cocoa while snuggling on the sofa with a really good book. And best of all, talking to God in the form of prayer. The most beautiful things in life truly are free.

Today was a busy day. I had so much to do at work, and as a result the day flew by. I ended up working late again, and did not get home until about 6:15. I could not believe how cold and clear the night was at that hour. The stars were out and so bright. The sky was quite beautiful I came in and made a cup of tea to take the chill off, while Liesl trotted off to play with her toys. She loves her toys and amuses herself quite well with them. She is a happy dog.

It is nice that the house is already clean. I will clean my closet tomorrow and then work on my gardening. I have to fill the hummingbird feeders, too. We still have them visiting the yard. They kind of buzz Liesl as they fly by. It will be nice to be outside, but I have to wait until it warms up. So I will be able to have a cup of tea and ease into the day.

Veteran's Day

First of all, I want to say thank you to all of the people who have served this country so unselfishly and have sacrificed so much. Today we recognize your hard work and commitment, and honor you for your service. Thank you for everything you have done on this country's behalf! May God Bless You.

Last week while I was at work, I showed some of my favorite beads to my colleague who makes jewelry. She had remarked that she really liked the red, flowery beads pictured above. So I cut half of the beads off of the strand and shared them with her. The other day she came into my office and told me she made the bracelet and earrings for me. They are so pretty and look so happy. I can't wait to wear them tomorrow. She does such beautiful work (and is a really nice person, too!)

Today was really good. I was off for the holiday. It was pretty neat to have a day off in the middle of the week. I had big plans of staying up late, watching late night television, stitching until the wee hours. But alas, I was asleep by about 9. sigh. But I woke up around eight with a little dog snuggled up to me. Today was my big spring cleaning extravaganza. I cleaned out cabinets, moved furniture to vacuum, wiped down cupboards and baseboards, and cleaned out the fridge. The heater repair person was supposed to come fix the heat, but there is a part on order, so it will be another day instead. I was able to tear apart the house then put it back together. This weekend I have to clean out my closet. I have lost alot of weight, so I have some things I need to box up and bring to one of the charitable organizations. It will be nice to have the space in my tiny closet. I also need to clean off my desk, but that will only take a few minutes.

Other than the closet clearing, Saturday is winter gardening day! I have kind of let the gardening go, because I thought that I was done for the season. So I have some major weeding to do. Then I will plant my purple potatoes followed by the seeds that are in my collection. I hope it will be warm so that Liesl and I can get lots of fresh air.

Busy Tuesday!

Today is Tuesday, you know what that means, we're gonna have a special guest...To this day, whenever I hear someone say, "Today is Tuesday" I still think of that song on the Mickey Mouse Club.

Anyway, today was a good, albeit busy Tuesday. The work was coming in in piles onto my desk. It felt good though to work through a lot of it, and I am proud to say the mound on my desk is only about a foot high now.

I think I have mentioned on quite a few occasions that I work with really wonderful people, that I really respect. They have allowed me to go on and on about my winter garden enthusiasm this week. I was talking with another friend at work yesterday who also winter gardens. Today, my friend brought me a small bucket filled with purple potatoes and purple potato seeds. What a wonderful treasure! It totally made my day! Apparently they make really groovy looking mashed potatoes but are extra delicious. My friend also had the two adorable little bitty pumpkins above in the bucket, too as an extra treat. What a kind thing to do.

I have to share a funny Liesl story. Schnauzers are really smart and really motivated by fun. I am used to watching her make up games with her toys, which is actually interesting to watch. Well, last night she decided she was going the play the game we all played as kids. It was some form of "The floor is lava." She would only walk some silly paths on the furniture, while she was playing. She thought the whole thing was hilarious, because she was smiling pretty hard while she was doing it. She really is like having a small child...

The nights and mornings are really cold here now. I have every blanket possible on the bed. Liesl was shivering yesterday morning in the car on the way to work, so I put a warm throw in the car for her and tucked her in for the commute this morning. She loves being all snuggled in. She is fun to spoil.

Progress!

Here is Willie and the progress that I made over the weekend. He is such a cutie. I think I am going to have to find another carrot button though. I do not like the one that came in the kit. I am working on the backstitching and the mittens that hang from the little tree branch arms. So cute. I really love the colors.

Sadly, I was not able to work on it tonight. I got out of work really late and had to come home and study for my mid-term this weekend. It is going to be a really hard test and I am sort of biting my nails over it. As a result, I am taking every spare moment to study. I am a bit stressed. I need chocolate.

The time change is a bit interesting. It was nice and light this morning. Last week when Liesl and I took our walks early in the morning, it was dark and the stars and moon were out. This morning was light as day and pleasant to walk in. After work though, it was weird to come out when it was dark.

I am looking forward to Thursday, as our company observes Veteran's Day and gives us that day off. It is kind of cool to get the day off in the middle of the week. I have a repair person coming to repair the heat, but other than that I plan on doing some spring cleaning. I need to move the furniture and vacuum under it, clean the baseboards, wipe down the cabinets and wash the floors really well. It would be nice to stitch that day as well, but any down time will probably be spent studying Microeconomics. I may have to make a chocolate run on Wednesday night...

What a lovely day. I had church first thing this morning. It was All Saint's day at church and we had a beautiful service to honor those who have gone before us. It was so meaningful and beautiful.

After church, I finally made it to Home Depot on my way home. I bought $11 worth of seeds. I bought seeds for radishes, lettuce, herbs, and carrots. I thought about planting onions and garlic, but since it is poisonous to dogs, I did not want to take a chance of Liesl getting into it and digging it up, and possibly ingesting it. It rained all day today so I was not able to get them into the ground, but I will get to it this week. I am excited.

I have gotten to stitch quite a bit this weekend. While I did not get to finish it, I did get a lot done. It felt really good to get so much work in on it.

It has been a good weekend. My house is all sparkly clean, Liesl had her bath, my assignment is done for my class. I have read, stitched, eaten healthy foods and gotten an extra hour of sleep. It has been a good, healthy weekend.

Friday, Whoooohoooooo!

This has been such a busy week and I am feeling a bit tired. I got a lot done at work so I feel good about that, but I am still really ready for some rest. It is supposed to rain this weekend, which is good. I am hoping to get a hike in with little Miss Liesl, but other than that I have to write a paper, study for a mid-term, and of course, stitch my heart out.

I ran my errands after work. I really wanted to go to Home Depot to look for seeds, but I was out of energy. I thought it best to come home after picking up the essentials, like shampoo and a new puppy toy. Mini schnauzers are highly toy motivated. Liesl loves to get a new toy. She will generally do a victory lap around the house with her new treasure. She has way more toys than the average dog, but I have to say that she does not mess with my stuff, like shoes. I can totally leave my shoes laying around the house. Her toys are way more interesting to her.

So I stitched tonight. I am almost done. It just looks so cute. I will miss stitching him, but luckily there is a cutie behind this one. I will post a pic this weekend!

The Weekend Is Almost Upon Us!

Tomorrow is Friday already. I have been pretty busy this week at work, so I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation this weekend. I am hoping to finish Willie and start Ellie May this weekend. Tomorrow I have a couple of errands after work, but after that it is stitching marathon time! Whoohoo! Plus it is suppose to rain tomorrow so it will be a perfect cozy evening. Sweet.

I had an awesome evening. I got to have dinner with one of my wise friends. It was so nice to have a nice dinner, talk about books, politics, and faith. I really value the time that I get to spend with my friends. I stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home, and was strong and resisted the temptation to buy more of those dark chocolate covered caramels. Oh, my gosh, they were so good. I still have a few, as you can really eat only one a day, because they are so rich and decadent. I am holding the ones I have in reserve.

After my wonderful dinner,and shopping at TJ's I got to come home to my little furry best friend. I always get such a big welcome and lots of kisses when I come home. She was in one of her comic moods and had me laughing out loud. Miniature Schnauzers are known for their sense of humor and what makes their people laugh. My friend says it is funny to watch Liesl, because she knows when she is being funny and will get a big grin that says, "Get it?!" My friend says that she would giggle if she could.

I am going to try to stop at Home Depot to look at seeds for my winter gardening. I will pass on what I decide to grow. I am so excited about this!

Cozy Evening At Home

I was working on a project at work and had to stay a bit late tonight. That was okay because I think I am on my way to solving a puzzle, which feels good. Liesl ate her dinner then went right to sleep. I had to work on an assignment for my class but it went really fast. I even got in some stitching time. Yay!

Thank you for the sweet comments about my little furgirl. I think you can see that she is a really big ham. I never realized until she trotted into my life how much you could love a dog. For those of you who also love dogs, I want to share a tip that I got in my daily email from dogster.com today. I did not realize that acorns are really dangerous and potentially deadly to dogs. Apparently, they can cause renal failure. Liesl is always really interested in the squashed ones, but she is hearing "leave it" ever since I read that. The world can be a dangerous place for puppies...so do keep your dogs from eating acorns. Oh, and the other email they sent me yesterday said that dogs can actually eat dried cranberries. Raisins are an absolute no no. But the cranberries, in moderation, are actually good for the whole urinary tract. I might try mixing a little spoonful from time to time with Liesl's food.

I was walking dogs today with one of my friends from work who also likes to garden. She was telling me about her winter garden. I was blown away. I have lived in Northern California for like, ever, and I did not know about this. She said that since the ground on the Central Coast does not freeze that we can garden year round. So she said that she will pass on some potato seeds. I can also grow radishes, lettuces, garlic, carrots, and peas. Best of all, she grows these things from seeds and she said that I do not even have to start them inside. This is awesome news to me. I will be looking at seeds this weekend at Home Depot, a wonderland of delightful, inspiring products! For $10 of seeds I can have winter fun and yummy things to eat. Yay!

This Makes Me Happy!

I think this may be my favorite photo of Liesl now. It makes me smile when I look at it. My friend at work took it at the Halloween party on Friday. As you can see, she is wearing her Dracula cape and having way too much fun. She is such a happy little dog. This is the way she looks to me most of the time. You can tell from the photo that she is a little less than a foot tall. A big dog in a small outfit and a total character.