Five Months Gone

Today marks five months since Hubby officially left home on his journey to the sandbox. What has happened and changed over the past month?

- Number of meals cooked this month: 0 
  Running total for deployment: 0 
  (Note that I do not count frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets or baking a hamburger in the oven as cooking.)

- Scrapalooza saw the completion of 50 pages. I've officially finished with 2003 and crept into 2004. You would think that I wouldn't have as much to scrap for 2004, since Hubby was deployed to the desert during that year. Not so! I still managed to get out and take lots of trips without him! And pity me when I get to scrapping our Reunion Tour in 2005. A whole week of Garmisch, Italy and London…I'll probably have to do an album just for that week!

- I turned another year older. 31 this year. Do I feel any different than I did when I claimed 30 as my magic number? No. I was proud to be 30, and feel no different now that another year has passed. My age is indicative of my experience. I'm living a full and happy life. I'm proud of where I am ~ physically, mentally and chronologically. My age is a badge of honor - a testament of what I have seen and done, and where I have been. It shows my experience and maturity, and I gladly bear that badge. And speaking of birthdays, I got the best gift ever this year…

- Sadie Marie Sullivan was welcomed into our clan with open arms and paws. Who would have thunk that I would find myself in love with another dog? Well, it happened…I fell in love with a sweet and demure black lab at the shelter - someone had released custody of her to the city and she was promptly put up for adoption. It truly was love at first sight, and I brought her into our clan a few days later. She's an absolute wonderful addition to the family. Loyal and true, she follows me around the house like a shadow. I'll probably never have cold feet again. J And she's become a permanent fixture in the office at work - laying under my desk all day and basking in the well deserved attention of my coworkers. My brother and sister-in-law share my excitement ~ they have a lab farm of their own. Although they don't think it's fair that I seem to find all the sweet ones. Right now, they've got an "alpha female" that is an absolute handful. Perhaps I'll rename our little villa "The Home of Unwanted Labs."

- Body Count. Having two labs in the house, tug-of-war has become a new favorite game. While I've always had the power to limit the stuffed-animal carnage in the past, my pups don't seem to understand that we don't play tug-of-war with the things that tear easily. This month has seen the disembowelment of the red and white pig, both of the rats, the gray cat, Sylvester, the beaver, and the yellow lab. Just to name a few. As I type this, Sadie is gnawing on the rear end of the formerly stuffed lab, Fred is gnawing on the front end, and the stuffing is all over the floor. *sigh* In addition, the tennis-ball-on-the-rope is no longer welcome in the house (relegated to the "backyard toy" status), and the rope Frisbee is a goner. Perhaps I should look into some more indestructible toys…

- Mechanical emergency number three. The power went out, causing a hiccup in the internet service to the house. My computer registered that it was online, but none of the programs registered that they were connected! Somehow, with a lot of button-pushing I fixed it. How exactly? I don't know. Lots of looking over Hubby's shoulder while he worked on the computer helped. See, Honey…in addition to spending all that time with you, I'm also paying attention andlearning.

- Additions to the garden this month include the planting of seeds! I've planted lavendery-blue sweet pea vines and four-o-clocks in a gorgeous sky blue. And they're peeking through the soil - I can't wait to see them grow tall and blossom! I've also sprinkled an assortment of strawflower seeds in the patio bed - gorgeous flowers that are sure to produce a show pleasing to the eye. And an assortment of California Poppy seeds were just planted, and I'm looking forward to seeing them sprout up as well. I've also got a few sunflower seeds sprouting. Proving that they have a rightful spot as the birth flower of March, my daffodils are in full bloom, and are beautiful! My tulips and anemones are in bloom as well - I'm so pleased! I'm anxiously awaiting my freesia blooms. I'm so pleased with the success of my bulbs, considering that I had never planted them before! My strawberry plants are producing berries - I'm genuinely hoping that I get to enjoy the fruits of this labor. I've also planted a groundcover of gazanias under my tree - hoping that they will fill in the area at the edge of my front garden and blossom forth with gorgeous and funky flowers. Ranunculus, Columbine, Pincusion Flowers, Jasmine(!), Salvia, Lamb's Ear, Ivy, Asparagus Fern, East Indian Holly Fern and African Daisies add to the riot of color as well. I finally decided that I am brave enough to try a Hibiscus, too. My impulse buy for the month is an Alaskan Azalea - fragrant white blooms added to my container garden!

- Reports from the Front...The great dane returned! Wildlife ran rampant this month - we had a little blackbird trapped in a dumpster, baby squirrels and a hawk-in-a-box all in one day! Another day of insanity ensued…we had an opossum in a pit (of the hole-in-the-ground, not bull variety), an oversized pigeon trapped in a yard unable to fly, goats running loose and a German Shepherd with a giant hole in it all in one day…and all before 10am! Crazy phone calls seem to have brought out all the loons - and I had the joy of actually hanging up on someone. I found myself with another black lab. On another note, I'm forever grateful to my furry companions for the love and loyalty they share, and the light and warmth they bring into my life. Having seen some of the things I've seen this month, I'm grateful that these wonderful creatures are in my life, where they will be forever cherished. My heart breaks for all those furry critters out there that don't have such a loving home. My heart goes out to my fellow employees - we truly are a family all our own, and we've been through a lot of crap this month. When it rains, it pours, and somehow we all seem to be without umbrellas. But we're in it for each other, and for the animals…and that's truly what matters.