Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful.
Grateful for the people in our lives. Grateful for our home and the food on the table. Grateful for those that are no longer with us and how much they meant to us. It can be difficult remembering our loved ones, wishing we had more time with them, but life is so much better for having them as long as we did.
This year, we didn’t have any guests or additional family members around our Thanksgiving table, it was just the four of us and that is always very special. My daughter drove in from Michigan. She had to be back at work on Friday so it was a very quick trip for her, but wonderful all the same. My son drove in from Ohio and was here for five days which seemed to fly by just as quickly as the day and a half that my daughter was here. It doesn’t really matter to me, I just love and savor the times that we are all together. The house feels full again, as it should be, and I feel complete. I’m so very, very thankful that they both were able to come home for the holiday.
Wednesday was baking day and I made two pies and some dog cookies. I used a dog cookie mix that I discovered last spring. I usually keep a couple of jars on hand to supplement our huge assortment of dog treats. Whenever I’m in the kitchen the dogs are close by. Now and then, I actually cook for them and since they are always optimistic about getting an extra nibble they are underfoot as much as possible. Winn is particularly eager in the kitchen, always alert and ready to pounce on anything that might drop.
Somehow, they both knew that these cookies were for them and they watched my every move with anticipation. They knew that good things were coming and they simply needed to wait. They also thought it might help speed things along if they gave me a nudge now and then but their eager eyes usually do the trick.
Once the cookies were done, I moved on to the pumpkin pies. I gave them both a taste of the cooked pumpkin, which they loved, and decided to offer the pot to them for one or two licks. I should have known that Winn would stick her whole head into the pot and come up with pumpkin all over her! I pulled it away, gave Maisie the chance for a lick and decided that was enough. They get dirty enough on their own, I certainly don’t need to add to their need for a bath.
Thanksgiving morning we all (not including the dogs) participated in a 5K family fun run. We actually did a brisk walk since not all of us are runners. I had to do a fair amount of cajoling to get everyone to participate but they were up, dressed and ready to go at 8:15 just like I asked (despite my son’s raging hangover and my daughters aversion to races). It was bitterly cold but it was a very festive atmosphere. We were surrounded by families and it felt good (at least to my husband and I) to get some exercise before we sat down for a big meal.
I thought it was a great way to start the day and we then went on to cook, watch football, take naps and eat one of our favorite meals of the year.
Thanksgiving weekend is also a time of another tradition, doing the final clean-up of the yard. Our backyard is dominated by three huge old oak trees. They provide a vast canopy which is wonderful in the summer because our house stays very cool, even on the hottest days, but that also means we have to deal with a thick carpet of leaves every fall. Those leaves are also the last to drop in the neighborhood so even though we would like to get the job done while the weather is still mild, it seems like the trees need a prolonged cold snap before the leaves will descend.
The dogs were outside enjoying the cool weather while we did all of the work. It took several hours of blowing, raking and scooping but we got it most of it done with about 15 minutes to spare before the truck came down the alley to collect the bags. They come once a week so I was thrilled that we got all of the bags filled and taken away in the same day.
After getting the leaves taken care of (before a big storm was due to roll in), I moved on to getting the front porch ready for the season. This involved cleaning out all of the baskets and pots, removing the furniture cushions, storing the small furniture under the deck and then hanging the Christmas decorations. I’m glad I was able to get all of that done while it was still relatively warm out, the temperature was due to drop along with a big snow storm blowing through the area.
Sure enough, late Sunday night the snow started and when we all got up Monday there was a fresh, wet blanket of heavy white stuff to entertain Maisie and Winn. They are always so excited to go outside after a storm. They race around, plunge their faces into it and have expressions of pure joy on their faces. What a great way to end the Thanksgiving weekend and get into the holiday spirit!
I’ve known Lindsay for a long time. She helps me feel young by covering up my gray hair. We’ve had a standing appointment for years, the only thing that has changed is the frequency as I get a little older.
The space is light, bright and welcoming, and has a cool, relaxed vibe. Capone is the shop dog. He casually strolls around, sometimes greeting clients and sometimes sleeping through new arrivals. He has his bed situated by the window and may occasionally be found sprawled out on the couch. Linmay Studio is at the top of my favorites list as a place to sit back and relax. The mood is always friendly and I feel so pampered when I’m there.
A few weeks ago, Lindsey had a special event to introduce Chad, her newly hired stylist, to her clients and she invited Maisie and me to stop by. I have never brought Maisie with me to one of my appointments, I respect the fact that this is Capone’s place and when I’m there, it’s my time for me, I enjoy the break from keeping a well behaved dog by my side. Since Maisie is always eager to check out a new place and meet new friends, I brought her along as my sidekick for the event.
Maisie and Capone got along beautifully, although he did try to claim me as one of HIS people which was pretty funny. We had a nice time sipping Mimosa’s (just for me of course) and Maisie made herself right at home. I admire Lindsay for following her dream and creating this space. She had a vision, and took a leap of faith to make it happen! I look forward to many more years of “me” time with Lindsay and her shop dog Capone.
Winn and I have been doing a different kind of training. We’ve enjoyed Rally Obedience and she has earned her Rally Novice and Rally Intermediate titles. We are at a stopping point with it for now because the next levels all include a jump and that is not good for her until she’s about two years old.
On Sunday we entered 1 Rally Intermediate trial and 1 Obedience trial. Day 2 has proven to be more difficult for us as a team in the past and we were definitely more sloppy. We scored an 85 in Rally which I think is our worst score ever, but I really didn’t care because I was just using it as a warm up for our Obedience trial. The Figure Eight was a challenge, Winn actually stopped to stare at one of the stewards and I had to give her a quick tug to get her going again. Our heeling didn’t feel as crisp as it should have and I bobbed my head again on the recall, but we did qualify along with one other dog. We scored somewhere in the low 180’s and got second place. I forgot the score because all I really focused on was that we qualified and got the title (3 qualifying scores under 2 different judges)!
I have to say, I really enjoyed the Obedience work. It’s a new challenge and Winn and I have a good time working together. We hung out with some friends who we’ve seen at previous trials and I connected with someone to start training with for Obedience. I’ve haven’t found someone in my area and this woman told me she teaches at a dog club not too far from my house so I’m planning on checking that out next month. She and her Doberman had such a perfect Figure Eight that the judge complimented her. She gave me a couple of tips but I know that we need a lot more practice to better master the timing, pace and focus that it requires.
maisiethenewfieandcompany 