Blogging by iPhone!!

Well this is just too cool! Now there is an ap that let's you post from iPhone, instead of transferring pics to computer which is a major pain. Here is my past few weeks in review...

Gretel doing her favorite past time that doesn't involve a tennis ball - staring at the birdies.

I am getting ready to serve on the music team for a Journey to Damascus. At one of our meetings, an artist came. He gave a brief talk and then began to paint. Had no idea what it would be. About 3/4 of way through he flipped the canvas upside down and this was the result. IT WAS AMAZING.

I got engaged to Ron! The ring and the set...it was his Mother's and is now 65 years old. He had it beautifully refurbished at the jewelers. It is simply lovely - and means so much to me.

One of my favorite hymns we sing during Lent. Though sad, it really is a beautiful part of the Catholic Liturgical Season.

Nothing is more beautiful in the Catholic Liturgy than Easter!!!!

Gretel stealing soap from the shower...yes. The shower. Look at that guilty face!!

Audrey turned 7 in March! So sorry I could not be there, but I will be traveling there to see them and my new grandson to be soon!!!

The highlight of any day in Gretel's life - playing ball!

Got to see Jen as we met in Washington DC in March!!! A dark picture that doesn't do justice to the happy glow of being able to visit my daughter! 

Shortcut to Fun!

There is a HUGE empty field behind my house. Part of it is plowed and planted with corn or sorghum every year, the other part is left empty. Gretel LOVES to play ball back there - I can throw it as far as I want with the chucker and she runs at full speed and brings it back. She will do this as long as you let her -- to the point when she had heat stroke this week. It was scary. She was wheezing as we walked home, then, in front of the garage, her legs locked up, eyes glazed over and she started to whimper. I carried her in and got her water and fans and she cooled down and was fine in an hour. But, it was scary. Very scary.

So, my thought was - a shortcut to the field where there wasn't a long walk involved to get there and return and where I could get water when needed. My solution?? Ron came to the rescue -- and built a fence between my yard and the field. We went to the hardware store and got lumber and supplies. He came by the next morning and got to work. SO SO SO exciting!!!!!

Measuring...I reminded him to measure twice and cut once. He said he's heard this before :)

 

He brought his tools over - like saws and stuff. It was pretty impressive...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Installing the gate...

 

 

 

 

 

A certain brown and white dog was sooo inquisitive....

 

 

 

Finally, it was time to check it out...

 

 

 

THE Gate!

 

 

 

And the best part -- the view!!!!!

 

 

 

Perfect for playing ball and running around without a long hike from home. Great job Ron Scott!! I am so thankful - and Gretel too :)

"It starts as a hobby and becomes a lifestyle."

I saw that as a line in a blog about someone who raises German Shorthaired Pointers. Yes, having one of these dogs is exactly that - something that starts as a hobby and becomes a lifestyle. I am so glad to have Gretel in my life, and will tell you, she has definitely changed my lifestyle.

Used to - stay at work all day, not really caring what time I got home. Now? I can't wait to leave and see her, walk her, or just hang out. Used to - leave stuff on counters and on the floor like people usually do. Now? Hide the remotes, the shoes, the contact lens cases, the books, the magazines, the guitar tuner...anything within reach (and that includes countertops and end tables) is game for a good chew. Used to - have an immaculate back yard with the rocks arranged just so, plants in containers, vegetables growing peacefully in the back, birds at the feeder. Now? I wouldn't know where to begin to describe the changes except NOTHING has been untouched. It's all rearranged, and looks nothing like it did when I moved in. Semi-controlled chaos all over. Used to - read a book or watch a TV show alone. Now? Never alone - she's at my side, my "velcro" dog.
See the picture up there? That was taken the morning she was watching the birds at the feeder from the window. Only that morning, she decided she would jump THROUGH the window to get the birds.


Sometimes I wonder how it is that, with all the above, I love her so much. But I do. Tomorrow she will try my patience for the millioneth time and I will smile and pet her suede-soft ears and tell her she's a good girl and get a sloppy kiss in return.  She does get a little better every day, but at 10 months I thought she would be finished with the puppy stage. I read it lasts till about 2 years. I hope I have enough shoes and contact cases to last me until then....

Wishing...

Seems that things are kinda busy...like usual, but now, it's the end of the semester and a whole new level of busy is taking place. Case in point - I carry a small notebook where I jot my 'to do' list and the due date next to each item. I noted that the book I started in April 2009 was filled by the following Sept. So, the next one was started in April 2010. Then 2011, 2012, and yes, today a new one. What is it about April!? Yup, end of spring semester. So I'm wishing I could put things in the book that aren't about work or hum-drum crap. Things like...
*Take Gretel to the beach.
*Play/practice the guitar.
*Clean out the garage (yeah, I love cleaning out stuff :)
*Ride your bicycle.
*Download more music on the IPod.
*Go to the mall and stay for more than 10 minutes.
*Cook a REAL meal.
*Make dessert - like, from scratch.
*Win the lottery so I could buy unlimited airfare to go see my kids...and Audrey.
*Take Gretel to the beach (again).
*Brush Ella.
*Spend more time with Ron.
*Get a pedicure.
*Plant tomatoes.
*Sit outside and read a book.
*Go see my Mom and go shopping.
*Go fishing.
*Go with Ron and Ella to the beach and go fishing :)
*Buy a kayak.
*Take Gretel swimming in the boat channel.

I could keep wishing but now I gotta teach class.... hopefully I can check some of these things off SOON!

Musing...again.

I can't believe I haven't posted since October! I'm not sure why, but people are still reading this blog. And some people have asked me - several times - why I stopped posting. No particular reason. I'm not going to say, "I got busy" as I'm always busy. No tragedies (thank you Lord!) or anything terrible. I just...got out of the habit. So, there you are. It's time to restart and dive back in...but where???? Maybe that's why it's been so long...it's hard to know where to start.

So, just a re-cap of highlights since October. Gretel is now 9.5 months old. She is an awesome dog, and has taken A LOT of time to train, but that time is paying off. Ella is about 10 years old and tolerates Gretel quite well. We walk every morning, but now Gretel has learned to HEEL as she is almost 50 pounds and can very much pick her own direction!  Here is Gretel at two weeks:

And here is pic at about 6 months:

 Yes, that's a spoon. She loves to "çounter surf"and steal things. More on that later.

Here she is today:

Ella is in full coat now, and will get that clipped when our warm Texas weather returns:

There was diving trip to Roatan, and a business trip (with much leisure time thrown in) to Costa Rica. Audrey is soon turning 7, Annie is having a baby boy in July (Lemoore, CA), Scott is surviving in medical school (Lewisburg, WV)  and Jen got out of the Navy and is graduating from law school in May (San Diego, CA). My kids are awesome - truly blessed! One more thing...I got engaged! Yes, it's been awesomely happy around these parts. There's a guitar in my life, projects at work, choir is better than ever, and ... yeah...a very special person.

Come back soon!!! I promise to update more frequently :)

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Willie, Charlie, Winnie, Brandy, Abby, Rags, Barney, Mac, Buster, and Gracie. Gracie will be at the front of the line...my neighbors in Austin called her The Mayor. She was the official greeter at my apartment community when I was learning to live on my own....she was the best friend I ever had.  The rest I loved very much as well...some from Childhood, some from Early Married, others from Life With Kids. Then we get older and adopt the dogs that didn't work out with roommates at college (Ella) or, when even older, ones that we pick out because we love the breed and some spaces in the heart need to be filled (read: Granddaughter and family move to California, or a relationship doesn't work out). Or maybe because there is a bit of a lull in our lives and we need a new project (read: get a puppy) - Gretel. I love all of them. So much, like a person. And, I figure if they aren't there, I'm in the wrong place.

Ideas and opportunities.

I know there's a plan, and I guess sometimes I'm not very good at seeing it. So, I try to stay out the of way. Like when a grant opportunity came across my desk. Kinda interesting, private funder (not a big conglomerate like NSF or NIH - read: may be easier to get this one) and having to do with wildlife conservation. I don't know how many times students tell me they want to get an eastern screech owl study here like I had in the past. So, what the heck...I put a proposal together. It's a pretty cool proposal if I do say so myself. There will be enough money to build 20 boxes like the ones before, pay for a plant expert to help me identify all the goodies at all the nest sites, some instruments for measuring stuff and money to transport students so they can participate when appropriate in data collection. It's the latter part that excites me - getting my future teachers in the field so they can see how it's REALLY done. Not like the movies. Hopefully it will get funded. I'd like that. A lot. For some reason, this idea just won't go away.

Remember the Alaska opportunity? It's back. Yup, the scientist person is again interested in me helping with the Inuits and having some American students go to school in Alaska so they can experience the culture and see the wildlife, including the whales he researches. We kind of hatched a plan a year or so ago, and then I didn't hear anything. But, he reappeared and so did the possibility of working there. Yes, I'd like that.  A lot. Another opportunity that won't go away.

And there is an NSF grant that is ending as we finish up our 6th year, so am writing another. It involves recruiting and mentoring and retaining (the 'r' word I seldom hear) really good math and science teachers. We're wonderful at talking them into going into teaching, but half leave within 3 years of working in the schools. All that time and energy and training...out the door. I've been advocating retention and mentoring programs for years, and now it looks like I have a shot at getting some money to put a real program in place. I'd like that. A lot. A great opportunity that will not be allowed to get away.

In the meantime there's a dog that needs more training, fish that need catching, some time scuba diving in blue water coming up and a job that can be quite demanding. Did I mention Gretel? She is very busy right now barking at herself in the mirror. Seriously. Ya gotta love the puppy in the dog. I like that.