Earth Pet Grand Opening and Cancer Walk!

Double post day again!

If you are local you might be interested in this cancer walk and Earth Pet celebrations.

2milliondogs.org should be updating their site soon with Issaquah, WA specific information. This walk will correspond to the Grand Opening celebrations for Earth Pet.

Earth Pet has just moved locations. Great group of people who has always taken really good care of my pups.

Please Rain...(just a little)

I can't believe I am wishing this, but for once I NEED rain. These photos don't show it well, but I am pretty sure we are polluted from the eastern forest fires. I was pretty sick last night and today hasn't gone much better.

The only other time I remember feeling this bad from air quality was a trip to Denver, CO and even then I had the similar throat burning rawness, but I don't remember the queasy.

I seriously can't imagine what it is like for people that have been told it is "safe" to return home in Wenatchee. I don't know how they are doing it.

In the meantime I am trying to keep my packing and prep life on track.

Three dogs later (and facing several obedience shows) I have finally broken down and got a collapsible kennel (the large one, in case you were wondering):

I find it ironic I have purchased it for the one dog that has done the single most extensive destruction of any of the past 3 dogs that have lived with me combined.

Note three little kennels all in a row: Emile (cat), Leela (cat), Pascal (chinchilla). Somehow I need to catch them all tomorrow at one time. You have no idea how hard that is. I actually don't schedule the cat appointments at the same time because I know I am going to be the owner that calls in prior the appointment, having to cancel because I can't catch one...probably Emile.

The second I get back into town I have to deal with Nim's diet. I have finally managed to put weight on him by switching pretty much to the more "carby" Wellness but the cost to his digestive system and my related well-being have been great. Above is a dehydrated raw diet that is prohibitively expensive to become his full diet, but I will take along on the trip to hopefully balance things out.

These boxes currently live in my microwave. We all know exactly who will hunt them down otherwise and eat through the boxes:

I am glad Emile is going to live with my sister for a week or so. In the past 48 hours he has killed me a mouse, found a box that I had hid from him and ripped it up, and then went to work on all the packaging for the new kennels I have had to get in prep for this trip.

I am pretty sure the only one not trying to sabotage me right now is Pascal:

While elaborate planning has gone into preparing all my pet's diets for the upcoming adventure I have only gone as far as making STUFT Mama Green Goblin and Zucchini Muffins for me.

The Green Goblins are new to me. I did try one single serving version that involved banana and coconut flour which was fantastic. Coconut flour and I currently have a love-hate relationship but that was probably the best use of it by me so far. I didn't do this full batch with coconut flour. I was too afraid to try after a huge coconut flour failure last week.

Anyway, Nim will be eating the most expensive dog food in the world and I will be on the all muffin diet at the rate I am going. :)

Learning Shows

Good morning!

We had a single day of rain yesterday and now I thankful the sun is returning. I am holding out to the bitter end for buying my pellets, but I did have to use the electric blanket last night.

I am in the final stretch of getting ready to leave town and at the same time trying to register before deadlines for Rally obedience competitions in the near future. All I have to say is that understanding the show forms and requirements is boggling stuff. I finally crashed a form and called my rally instructor. Today is a new day and it is on my list of things that must get done today.

I hope this week is going well for everyone. I have a laundry list to get done, but yesterday was heavy work day and I accomplished most goals for work already so not a bad start to the week.

Have a great day!

A Littler Serger Work

Yesterday I think it surprised just about everyone (myself included) in how warm it got around here. The mornings are so cold already that it is nice to have the day still heat up.

Yesterday was all about getting the inset into the front. The sew-a-long is nice because then I can read all the comments of people that also found the corner surprisingly difficult. Especially if you are not an expert clothing maker.

I am also not an expert at using a serger. In fact, every few years or so in which I turn it on for projects like this I kind of hold my breath that nothing breaks or goes horrible wrong. This fabric likes to fray so it is helping clean things up and hopefully stabilize.

The side seams and shoulders were a relief after the corner. Maybe the sleeves will go in today.

Have a great Friday and hopefully a really nice weekend. No rain or cool weather in the forecast out here so we will be outside for sure.

Tova Progress

Good morning. I don't know why yesterday was so darn hard but it really was. Fortunately there was this beautiful sunset at the end of it that actually made me feel a lot better. I think I have too much that I am worrying about right now, and some of it is stuff I can't even really control.

I won't even mention this small Issaquah "park" because it is was such a pain to get into it isn't worth mentioning and Nim was super naughty in it as well. :)

So we moved on to Taylor Mountain for about 20 minutes instead.

On labor day I did a ton of baking. This time it was for the Baking Angels of our local Wounded Warrior Project (I think that is what it is called). Anyway, I love that it is local which eliminates shipping and you have less to worry about for ingredients surviving the shipping and conditions.

I guess there is more and more gluten free requests (I only had one recipe) so I might play with that more.

Two recipes that are new and worth mentioning.

STUFT Mama Peanut Butter Doughtzel Balls. Holy smokes. It is a miracle any of these survived me and were even donated.

Joy of Vegan Baking: Pineapple Walnut Bars:

What surprised me most about the bars is that they were really cake-y. The batter itself didn't make me think that is how they were going to turn out. I would actually like to change them up a little bit for me, but they were very good. First time working with an apricot puree as well. Apparently that can sub for oil sometimes.

In addition to gluten free, the second most comment request I get is diabetic friendly. Actually, at the last bake sales I have stood at there was more than one type II diabetics that wanted to know the "lowest sugar option." I often will cut sugar when I can, but I hardly consider anything I make diabetic friendly. I have been trying to read up and understand sugar levels more but admittedly I am pretty uneducated on it.

I think the smartest thing I did for myself yesterday was take a little time and start on that Tova shirt. I am so out of practice on clothing making so it really refocused my brain.

I only got a little done on the placket and inset (I had never heard those terms either) but it felt good to even start. I have been following along the verykerryberry: Tova Sew-a-long for any parts that are confusing.

Have a great Thursday!

Labor Day and Squak State Park

Re-quote from The FCPA Blog: A Labor of Love:

"It sounded like a warning when the general counsel said it: 'If you're always working long hours and at weird times, there's something wrong with the job or with you. Either way, I'll fix it.'"


Yesterday I went to Squak State Park off May Valley Road. This is another approach towards Central Peak which I did a few weeks ago. 

Loose roosters at state parks definitely bum me out. This is a more rural area, so it is possible he is close to home, but I worry that a lot of them are dumped. If you live in the urban limits there is something like a 3 chicken limit, no roosters. As I understand it, you can't generally tell when they are babies who is the rooster and who isn't.

When I got back from hiking, 3 girls exercising very calming patience were working on catching him. I had full faith in their abilities. I wished them good luck. This was unfortunately before I got the full story that although they had horses, mom didn't really want a rooster. I think their mom shot mental darts at me.

Our route was from the May Valley trail head was far prettier than the Issaquah city side in my opinion. But once you started to cross the Bullitt Gorge boundary it reminded me a lot of the other approach - somewhat overgrown and ugly. Central Peak isn't THAT exciting, I was hungry, and I was having more fun in the lower loop.

This is a very family friendly and new hiker friendly side of the mountain.

Have a relaxing Monday! I hope most of you can avoid long hours. Today I am planning on baking and reading mostly. We will see. First I have to go to the store...

Try To Embrace Fall

It is a sunny September 1st afternoon which is nice considering it was actually cold this morning.I am trying to remember the things about fall I like as opposed to the thing I don't like: its proximity to winter.

Yesterday I had no power all day so I started out early with the car loaded to be gone all day. This means I went to Pacific Fabric before the Labor Day Sale, but that is OK.

Orange sashing choice. I am just going to say it: this quilt pains me in its ugliness. :)

I bought enough to mix with 6 fat quarters I got years ago for another planned quilt.

The end of our very long Friday was Rally class. Nim is still recovering.

It was a great class however. It was just Nim, this really neat female doberman, and a terrier (which you can hear barking at one point in our video). The terrier was often working outside the ring at the same time Nim was working which was good distraction work for us.

This is our video from three runs last night. The first two are a beginning course, the last one advanced. Truth be told, unless you are my mom and learning Rally Obedience (or in my case trying to fix my handling) this will be painfully boring.

Things we are working on:

• Tension on the lead. This is a no-no.
• Changing my hand signal for heel side sit so it looks less like luring
• Cuing the sit before I come to a complete stop (worked on run #3 - you probably can't see it, but it makes a huge difference).

Mom, that sign you are starting next week:

On the first two runs you will see us performing it. It happens in the 3rd corner to turn us back on ourselves so we can do one more sign before the spiral. You possibly can hear me say "around." He is going around me on the outside while I am turning into him.

Have a great Saturday!