Amazing Day Potpourri

What a glorious, amazing, wonderful day!  The day started out at church.  I was the assistant minister and cantor today, which always makes me feel happy.  I got to see people I love and spend time in worship.  It always centers me for the week ahead.  I am a lifelong Lutheran, and the first thing we do in worship is taking time for confession collectively, silently to God.  It is very cleansing before you enter into worship.  Some weeks are better than others. However, I know that when I am silently confessing to the one who knows my thoughts, that I am very aware of my words and deeds as I do my inner reflection.  It is during these times that I remember that I may have thought mean thoughts about someone, or said something unkind during the week that I really need to make atonement for.  

I will tell you that I love SuperBowl Sunday.  I am not a fan at all of football though.  I love SuperBowl Sunday because it means that all of the stores that are normally crowded are empty enough for me to run down the aisles with my arms wide open.  Today after church I headed to Target because I needed one of those corkscrewy hoses.  I hate coiling a hose, but it also bugs me when it is laying all over the yard. So I wanted one that would go SPROING, back into shape. I have been needing one for a while but the paradise that is Home Depot does not carry them.  I know, I was totally shocked, too.  So I have been going to Target once a week to see if they had them in yet.  Today was my lucky day and I could have done cartwheels through the semi-empty store, but with my luck I would have pulled something and would have just looked pitiful.

I got so much done at the cozy cottage today.  I found all of my packed dishtowels.  This was a happy day for me.  I do not buy paper towels for environmental reasons, so my dishtowels are precious to me.  I had plenty of back up to get me through.  I also found my other pair of glasses, which are way cuter than the ones I have been wearing.  They make me look a little bit cool.  I also got my car cleaned out, a monumental task in and of itself.  Whoa, doggie!  It was a tangle of dog leashes, tote bags (I love me some tote bags), papers, dog blankets, dog balls for the beach, and various dog treats. (Are you seeing a theme here?)  In a moment of what I can only describe as sheer brilliance, I took one of the tote bags and looped it over the headrest of the furry girl's seat.  In it I put her leashes, and stuff I need to get to quickly.  This cleaned up the floor and made everything more easily accessible.  

Speaking of the furry girl, she learned a new trick today.  She learned to speak on command.  She is so proud of herself.  When the behaviorist was in the other day, she told us that it is easier for a dog to learn the quiet or no talking command after they learn the speak command.  Now Liesl can't just woof on command.  No, no, no, she has to vary her speaking experience because that is how she rolls.  Schnauzers as a general rule are very verbal, so she tends to walk around the house muttering to herself, or telling me a story, or complaining about the neighborhood kids who have the audacity to walk down her street. (And she always has to have the last word with a closed mouth bark.) So when I had the treats in my hand, I would tell her to speak, and she would either woof or start a very dramatic and inspiring monologue.  She was just changing it up and keepin' it real.  She was very proud of herself.  We also worked on the knocking, which is going well.  I love the connection you feel with your dog when you are training them.  She was obviously happy too, because she spent the rest of the evening trotting around with her tail wagging.  (Schnauzers are energetic, busy dogs.) She also did not like the way her toys were looking at her and felt the need to pounce on her favorites and toss them in the air with her tail wagging.  She is a total character.  

So now, I am doing several countdowns.  Ten more workdays till vacation.  Twelve more days until the NASCAR Budweiser Shoot Out.  Eighteen more days until my birthday. Seventeen days to Ash Wednesday.  Nine days to Valentine's Day.  Fifteen more days until I paint and re-do my kitchen.  I am so excited.  I love February.