What's Been Going On

It has been a while since I've posted. I apologize for that, but life has a habit of getting in the way of my good intentions. So today's post will be one to catch you up on what's been going on.

The primary focus this past week has been family. My mom's 77th birthday was Tuesday so I traveled to Nebraska to help her celebrate. The trip generally takes 8.5 hours or so but the above-speed-limit traffic on Iowa's stretch of I-80 reduced the trip time by quite a bit. Hey...I was just keeping up with traffic!!

We had a surprise lined up for Mom and it went as planned. In June of 2008, my daughter and her boyfriend moved to Miami. She's a labor and delivery nurse. He is a resident (ear-nose-throat). They decided to come to Nebraska as a surprise and, even though everyone except Mom knew about it, nobody let anything slip. Mom was totally shocked and so very happy to see the kids! I was also...even though I visited them in Miami in July. I miss my daughter so much and it was great to see her again.

I totally blew my diet. Mom's great home cooking and all the desserts laying around whispering my name created havoc with my eating habits. I decided to go with the flow, yield to temptation, and get back on track this week.

On Friday, we drove from my hometown to David City, Nebraska, where we'd lived for 16 years. I taught English at Aquinas High School in David City and had been back for short visits only a couple times in the past 20 years since we moved to Macomb. On our way to Omaha to the airport, we stopped in David City to visit friends. Among them was our next door neighbor who was not only a wonderful friend but also the daycare provider for all three of my kids, as well as the godmother of my youngest. We also met my daughter's godmother, who was a close friend and colleague when I was teaching at Aquinas and now is principal of the grade school. She took us to the high school so I could meet the few people whom I taught with who are still there as well as see some former students who are now teachers there. One of them grabbed my hand and looked at my fingernails. She wanted to make sure that I'd kept them long as she remembered them. She said she recalled my habit of rolling a pen or piece of chalk between my hands as I lectured and the clicking sound it made against my rings. She said she catches herself doing that sometimes! Oh dear. I had no idea I did that! My classroom is now a computer lab and the school building has 3 new additions. The school has a really cool construction program. The students actually build a house that is then auctioned off. They build all the cabinets and everything. I was impressed. The instructor told us that for the last few years the house has been purchased before the students started building so no auction was necessary. The students involved in that project are learning great skills!

Saturday the kids flew back to Miami, and I drove home with a couple stops along the way for shopping at malls in Iowa. I seldom get out of town except for a dog show and then shopping is not possible because the weather is always too hot or too cold to leave the dogs in the car for long, and the hotels generally do not want dogs left alone in the room, even if they are crated. I hit some good sales and came home with a bunch of clothes that will be fun to wear.

On the home front, Lynn was busy while I was away. He and our oldest son tiled the floor of the dogs' room. It looks great! I really appreciated all their hard work! To tell the truth, I'd been doing a lot of nagging about it lately!! In July 2008, we had a contractor pour a new concrete floor for the dogs' room. The next month we bought the tiles, which have been SITTING in those boxes since then! It was time to get the job done!

This week's challenge will be getting the dogs ready for a show on Sunday. All three (Breaker, Mira, and Belle) are entered. There is a major so we could come home with a new champion if things go well. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!

I've also got to start getting things packed and ready for the trip to the Lhasa specialty in PA. We'll be leaving on October 11. As fast as the days are flying by, it will be here before I know it. I organize by list...and my list is getting very very long!

I'm also setting up the whelping pen for Dancer. I want her to get used to being in it so it becomes "home" for her while she is waiting for the puppies to be born. I admit that I'm having serious doubts about a pregnancy. She just is not "showing" as much as I think she should be for as far along as she is. Perhaps the litter will be a small one. I'll be so disappointed if we don't have puppies. I've waited so long for this litter! But I'm not giving up...time will tell!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa (and a great family) to love you!

Cheers!

Joyce