So, we've been in the Pacific NW for over a week now. The movers came on Wednesday and Thursday, then we moved in to our new house on Saturday after a final breakfast in Seattle at the Portage Bay Cafe. Man, that place is the bomb. I had bananas foster french toast, smothered in caramelized bananas, sauce, fresh strawberries and coconut. I could eat it every day and never get bored. Perhaps that's why when I weighed myself this morning for the first time since all this moving house business began, I saw that I've gained a massive 10lbs!!! Eeeek! My excuse is that we've been eating out for every meal, every day, over the last 2+ weeks, but I don't have an excuse any more, so it's time to get back on the healthy train.
The kids started school on Friday, just to get a feel for it before Spring Break. I'm happy to say that they loved it and are really excited to go back! Middle son is doing a UK Elite Soccer Camp all this week, and it's rained quite a bit. If we were still in Tennessee, the camp would for sure have been cancelled, but here, it's business as usual! It's the same at their school. If it rains, the kids still have outside recess. The only time they don't, is if there is thunder and lightning. Just like back home in Scotland really. Monday marked the husband's first day of commuting. He left pretty early and his drive was only 30 minutes, which is pretty good for driving into Seattle.
The funny thing is, although we've downsized quite substantially from our Tennessee McMansion, we still have to buy new furniture for our rental house. I thought we'd have way too much stuff, but turns out not so. Our house is lovely and has amazing views. There is a golf course out back, we can see Mount Si from the front, and beautiful tree covered hills to the side. Like the bananas foster french toast, I don't think I'll ever tire of such spectacular views! Another difference from Tennessee is that there is no air conditioning in most houses here and our rental doesn't even have ceiling fans. I can't complain yet because it's not summer, but we'll see how that goes...
I'm loving being able to buy beer AND wine in the grocery store, and even better, you don't get asked for your ID every time you do so! It's the small things! My freak magnet is still drawing them in though and I did have an encounter in the Safeway bathroom yesterday. I was waiting for my son and trying to avoid eye contact with some lady who was literally just staring at herself in the mirror and poking her forehead. She then asked me if I shopped at Safeway or QFC the most. I said Safeway to be polite, she then launched into an angry tirade about how people at the other grocery store are so much nicer. As soon as my son was done, we were out of there at top speed. I guess being approached by strange people isn't just a Tennessee phenomenon. Otherwise though, I'm happy to say that everybody I've met so far has been really friendly!
Anyway, sorry this was very mixed up and random, but I've been too busy to sit down and think about writing a proper blog post! Hopefully normal service will be resumed once the kiddos are back at school next week. Till then!
Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Letters From The Heart
Warning, this is an overly sentimental blog post, so continue at your own risk!
I've begun many posts over the last couple of weeks, but there is so much going on that it all sounded very disjointed. So instead, I decided to write small letters to my family, so that we can remember in the future, how this move felt to us all!
Dear L,
You have perhaps grown up the most since we've lived here. You started Kindergarten here and went from being a baby to being a boy. You are such a homebody and would be happy for us all to stay home together every day and snuggle on the sofa watching TV. You are so happy being with our family and your brother is really your best friend. Our neighbors' girls have also been a huge part of your life here (and all of ours). I love seeing you play with them and treating them so nicely and respectfully, I truly think they have made a mark on you that will last for your lifetime. You are not really a fan of the outdoors, but these girls always make you want to actually go outside and play, which is fabulous! You tried some sports, but are more interested in the snacks than in actually playing! But L, you are truly AMAZING at building lego and solving puzzles. Age recommendations are meaningless when it comes to you. Your concentration levels are incredible and you will sit down for as many hours as it takes to build something. You excelled at Robotic Lego Camp which you absolutely loved, your attention to detail is so much more than I could ever give. You are devoted to your big brother, as he is to you. When he cries, you cry. When he is upset, you are equally as upset, if not more. Your commitment to each other always makes me emotional, and again, I'm sure it will last for your lifetime. At 7 years old, you are already talking about when you and C will live together both during and after college! Although you have grown up a lot, you are still incomplete without your 'blankie' from Korea. That brown, furry thing grosses me out, but you are seldom without it. I love seeing you first thing in the morning, said blankie wrapped around your shoulders. It has traveled to so many different places with us, probably more places than the average person! And even though you're not too excited about outdoor activities, you like nothing more than to go camping as a family, and hang out by the campsite all weekend. It will be tough for you leaving your friends and your teacher here, and I know there will be tears shed, but L, I know that ultimately you will be fine because of your love of us all being together. xxx
Dear C,
My tender hearted boy! I think it's going to be the most difficult for you when we leave Tennessee. You have loved and enjoyed all our experiences here and have become a thoughtful, clever and sporty boy. You are so kind and considerate to everybody. When your brother hurts, you hurt more because you care about him so much. You are so concerned about the well being of others and you are equally as happy with your boy friends as you are with your girl friends - especially our neighbors' girls who you love like sisters. You are the sporty one of the family. It's true that you can fall over fresh air and are a wee bit clumsy sometimes, but when you're participating in any kind of sport, a change comes over you and you are one with whatever it is you are doing! Basketball, gymnastics, you name it. You excelled at soccer as soon as you started playing. So much so that we signed you up for Strikers last year, something that you love passionately and are totally committed to. You watch the Premier League on TV, you memorize the pages of the Match books and comics that Granny and Papa send to you, and you can answer any question about soccer players and teams worldwide. You practice constantly in the yard. You get so anxious before your games which kills me, as I know how much you actually love playing, but hopefully you will grow out of that! You absorb everything at school and I rarely have to help you with your homework. So much so, that your teacher wants to have you tested for being gifted. You are already sad that you will be leaving your friends, your teacher, your beloved Strikers and your amazing coaches, but I know you will quickly get used to life in Seattle. Your heart will break saying goodbye C, but you know that at least, you are moving with your best friend - your brother. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching every one of your soccer practices and games and look forward to more at our new home! xxx,
Dear A,
You have grown up so much since we moved to Tennessee, but thankfully, you are also still my little girl. You are sweet, helpful and always happy to help around the house. You love nothing more than to make everyone's beds and make us all breakfast. You took over responsibility for the dog here - feeding her and taking her outside - not once have you complained, even when it's raining! Although you do like to wind your brothers up sometimes, I know you love them and always look out for them. They don't know it yet but they're extremely lucky to have you as a big sister. I love watching you with our neighbors' little girls, you love them like sisters and are always happy to play with them, despite the age difference, which matters not a jot to you! You would play outside every minute of the day if you could and you just love hanging out with your friends. In fact, you experienced your first big girl sleepover here with another of our neighbors who you are also going to miss! We feel blessed that you are such a "go with the flow" girl. You admit that you're going to be sad leaving here, but you are also truly excited for our next adventure. You've matured so much since we've been here. You're very responsible and you actually love going to school - I sure hope that lasts! Your confidence has also grown here, firstly through gymnastics, and then you discovered something you are very passionate about and excel at - karate! I'm so proud when I watch you execute your katas and moves, and you pay such close attention to your sensei (unlike your brother)! You were selected for the Demonstration Team and loved performing your moves at various venues around town. We so enjoyed coming to watch you! You also began yoga classes which brought you to a love of yoga, just like your Mummy. You are definitely a rule follower and everyone you come in contact with, comments on your beautiful manners, your good behavior and your sweet nature. Daddy has been gone for most of this move and you've helped me out so much. I will be forever grateful for you A, thank you for everything you do, every day xxx
Dear J,
I'm not going to lie, I was very skeptical about moving here when you retired from the military and took a job with Amazon. I'd never even heard of Murfreesboro and didn't really know much about Tennessee apart from country music and Nashville! It was kind of scary that we were going to be miles away from the nearest base and there would be no more shopping at the commissary or the BX. But... I can't even begin to say how proud I am of you and how grateful and happy I am with our life together. You sucked up several months on night shift which was hard on all of us, but we managed and made the most of it. Daytime dates were actually fun! We had fantastic weekends exploring the countryside in and around Murfreesboro and took the kids on several hiking, boating, camping and mountain biking adventures. You would always surprise us with some new place you wanted us to visit, and we have had so much fun being tourists and exploring. You have worked your ass off (as usual) and you were promoted after your first year with Amazon. You then went on to be promoted again just before Christmas last year which led us to this move to Seattle. You are so committed to us, your family, that it still amazes me. We are truly a team and I love that our best friends are each other. Although I'm sad to be leaving our friends and our life here in Tennessee, I am also excited for our new adventure - and we have already been amazingly lucky to have had so many adventures in our life together! I've missed you over the last month and I'm so excited for us all to be together again and begin our new chapter. Love always xxx
So my friends, there you have it for this week. Yes, I'm an emotional wreck! Tennessee friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the amazing friendships and experiences we've had with you all. Not only have you made this place one of our most favorite places we've lived in, you also made our transition to life in the civilian world so very easy, thank you so much! We love you all and hope to see many of you again in the future. Till next time... xxx
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Thoughts on moving so far...
Thankfully I'm used to moving every couple of years from our time in the military. It's actually enjoyable for me to declutter and dejunk the house. Seattle is going to be a lot more expensive than here, and our new house will be half the size of our Tennessee McMansion, so Goodwill and the dump have had several visits already on my quest to have a minimal amount of 'stuff'. Our family of 5 fit into a 3 bedroom apartment when we lived in Korea, we managed fine and it was actually very liberating living in a smaller space than we were used to. Less crap means less cleaning and less stuff to tidy up which is never a bad thing!
Some places we've lived, it took several months before we truly settled. It was different here. It was so easy to settle down, get in a routine, make friends and get on with life. It could have been so much worse - this was the first place we lived when the husband retired from the military, so it was definitely a leap into the unknown, but it was totally painless, mostly thanks to the lovely people of Murfreesboro!
Seattle is a huge distance from here. Huge, as in it might as well be an international move (we've done a few of those too!) Plus, seeing as I'm not from America, it might as well be an international move because it will be very different from Middle Tennessee! So far in the US, we've lived in North Dakota (yes, it was freezing in the winter, but the people were lovely), South Dakota (one of my favorite places in the world), and Virginia (not one of my favorite places in the world) and here in Tennessee. The Pacific North West will be a complete change of scenery and pace from Murfreesboro for sure.
We were really worried about how the kids would react to moving, so we made them a power point presentation about Seattle (which most of you have probably already seen on Facebook), talking about beautiful scenery, wildlife, crab legs and camping in teepees! They watched it, were silent for a few seconds and then started screaming with excitement. Now the hard thing will be to live up to the hype we created!
Things are happening very quickly. The realtor has already taken the photos and put the "Coming Soon" sign up in the yard, the house has been inspected, the moving company have been to see how much crap we have and we've told pretty much everybody we know that we are moving. I'm not really looking forward to the day that the house goes on the market because it's not fun trying to hide all evidence of family life - 3 kids and a dog, at a moment's notice to make the house look good for showings. It's also going to be heartbreaking saying "see you later" to all of our friends here, but I'm not going to think about that until the day comes. And anyway, I do believe it will be "see you later" and not "goodbye"!
A lot of people can't believe we're still moving around after leaving the military, but we're not ready just yet to put down roots anywhere and we're fortunate that the husband's job has many opportunities for us in different locations. It's an adventure and we're very lucky we get to still do this in the civilian world. Without going into too much detail, it's been a lot easier to move as a civilian so far. Way less paperwork and chasing around after signatures!
So for now, we're house hunting in and around Seattle, trying to suss out good schools, karate clubs, soccer clubs and all that you need to know when you move with young children. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been looking at all the Hot Yoga studios for myself too :) We actually don't have too much time before we leave, so it's all a bit of a whirlwind, but I'm hopeful it will all turn out fine. I'll keep you posted!
Some places we've lived, it took several months before we truly settled. It was different here. It was so easy to settle down, get in a routine, make friends and get on with life. It could have been so much worse - this was the first place we lived when the husband retired from the military, so it was definitely a leap into the unknown, but it was totally painless, mostly thanks to the lovely people of Murfreesboro!
Seattle is a huge distance from here. Huge, as in it might as well be an international move (we've done a few of those too!) Plus, seeing as I'm not from America, it might as well be an international move because it will be very different from Middle Tennessee! So far in the US, we've lived in North Dakota (yes, it was freezing in the winter, but the people were lovely), South Dakota (one of my favorite places in the world), and Virginia (not one of my favorite places in the world) and here in Tennessee. The Pacific North West will be a complete change of scenery and pace from Murfreesboro for sure.
We were really worried about how the kids would react to moving, so we made them a power point presentation about Seattle (which most of you have probably already seen on Facebook), talking about beautiful scenery, wildlife, crab legs and camping in teepees! They watched it, were silent for a few seconds and then started screaming with excitement. Now the hard thing will be to live up to the hype we created!
Things are happening very quickly. The realtor has already taken the photos and put the "Coming Soon" sign up in the yard, the house has been inspected, the moving company have been to see how much crap we have and we've told pretty much everybody we know that we are moving. I'm not really looking forward to the day that the house goes on the market because it's not fun trying to hide all evidence of family life - 3 kids and a dog, at a moment's notice to make the house look good for showings. It's also going to be heartbreaking saying "see you later" to all of our friends here, but I'm not going to think about that until the day comes. And anyway, I do believe it will be "see you later" and not "goodbye"!
A lot of people can't believe we're still moving around after leaving the military, but we're not ready just yet to put down roots anywhere and we're fortunate that the husband's job has many opportunities for us in different locations. It's an adventure and we're very lucky we get to still do this in the civilian world. Without going into too much detail, it's been a lot easier to move as a civilian so far. Way less paperwork and chasing around after signatures!
So for now, we're house hunting in and around Seattle, trying to suss out good schools, karate clubs, soccer clubs and all that you need to know when you move with young children. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been looking at all the Hot Yoga studios for myself too :) We actually don't have too much time before we leave, so it's all a bit of a whirlwind, but I'm hopeful it will all turn out fine. I'll keep you posted!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Bits and Bobs
Wow, it sure has been a while since I blogged. Happy New Year y'all! Although I really must stop saying y'all because WE'RE MOVING TO SEATTLE IN MARCH!!!! What words will I pick up there? Happy New Year dude? Happy New Year man? Who knows, but I'm excited to find out. The next few weeks will probably be pretty busy, but it's not like we haven't moved before so it'll all work out fine. It's been interesting receiving different reactions to our news. Most of our friends are excited for our new adventure, but I've actually had a few people react in horror and tell me how awful it is! We have loved living here for sure, and have made many wonderful friends that we will be sad to leave, but we feel pretty lucky that we have this opportunity to move to the North West and live near the mountains and ocean again.
We had a lovely holiday with my parents who came over for Christmas and New Year. Lots of food and drink was consumed, and many walks taken to walk off the aforementioned calories. We visited Nashville, Franklin and went to the movies. My "lucky" Mum had the experience of seeing people shopping in their pajamas at 3pm in Walmart, an experience not to be missed I tell you!
Speaking of Walmart, I had yet another adventure in their parking lot. There I was, innocently packing away the weekly grocery haul when some bloke came up and asked if that was a German flag on the front of my van. I explained that it was actually a Scottish flag, but I guess he didn't believe me. I then had to listen to him talking nonsense about flags of the world while I hastily chucked the dog food in as fast as I could, before jumping in my van and driving off at top speed. I really must check the van to see if there is actually some kind of sign on there that attracts weirdos...
Driving here at night really freaks me out. There are no cat's eyes on the roads AT ALL! Is it the same all over America or is this just a Tennessee phenomenon? Please enlighten me! It's so hard to see where the road is in the dark, especially when it's raining, so I drive like an old lady peering over my steering wheel trying to see the edge of the road. You need to see the edge of the road here because sometimes it's a sheer drop, I kid you not! Cat's eyes America, google them, and more importantly, put them on the bloody roads!
So that's all I've got fory'all you dudes this week. I'm off to swot up on Seattle and the surrounding area and do a wee bit of house hunting while I'm at it. All whilst listening to some Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc, trying to get a feel for the Pacific North West. Ha, stereotyping at its finest...! Till next time!
We had a lovely holiday with my parents who came over for Christmas and New Year. Lots of food and drink was consumed, and many walks taken to walk off the aforementioned calories. We visited Nashville, Franklin and went to the movies. My "lucky" Mum had the experience of seeing people shopping in their pajamas at 3pm in Walmart, an experience not to be missed I tell you!
Speaking of Walmart, I had yet another adventure in their parking lot. There I was, innocently packing away the weekly grocery haul when some bloke came up and asked if that was a German flag on the front of my van. I explained that it was actually a Scottish flag, but I guess he didn't believe me. I then had to listen to him talking nonsense about flags of the world while I hastily chucked the dog food in as fast as I could, before jumping in my van and driving off at top speed. I really must check the van to see if there is actually some kind of sign on there that attracts weirdos...
Driving here at night really freaks me out. There are no cat's eyes on the roads AT ALL! Is it the same all over America or is this just a Tennessee phenomenon? Please enlighten me! It's so hard to see where the road is in the dark, especially when it's raining, so I drive like an old lady peering over my steering wheel trying to see the edge of the road. You need to see the edge of the road here because sometimes it's a sheer drop, I kid you not! Cat's eyes America, google them, and more importantly, put them on the bloody roads!
So that's all I've got for
Monday, December 1, 2014
Chives And Things
At the same time every year, the grass in our yard is suddenly full of patches of chives that grow ferociously throughout the winter. It must be a Tennessee thing because I never noticed any in our yards anywhere else we've lived in the States. The only chives in Scotland are in your herb garden (pronounced HERB in the UK, not URB), and every now and then you go snip some off to use in your soup or such. I don't think I'd want to snip some from my yard here - dog pee and all that, but I do find it strange that chives are so rampant at this time of year. Not even weedkiller seems to work. The smell in the air after you cut your grass just now definitely isn't the most pleasant of aromas.
St Patricks Day is celebrated here in the States with much gusto. But did you know that St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and that we celebrate St Andrews Day on the 30th of November each year as our official national day? St Andrew is also the patron saint of Poland, Greece, Romania and Ukraine. The saltire (St Andrews cross), the flag of Scotland is hung from all Scottish flagpoles on this day - the exception being Edinburgh Castle where the Union Jack is flown because of the presence of the British Army. While we don't normally do too much to celebrate St Andrews Day, there are usually parades and ceilidhs, and Scottish food is eaten just to celebrate being Scottish - which is, of course, the best nationality in the world ;)
I was surprised to see that the UK seems to have adopted the American Black Friday sales shopping frenzy. I do embrace most things American, but have never EVER gone Black Friday shopping. I'm not a fan of shopping on a normal day, never mind having to fight my way into a store and then fight with someone over some deal on something I don't need. I did, however, get some good deals online whilst sipping on a mimosa, which was rather more enjoyable, although mimosas do make most things enjoyable :)
Going to the doctor here in the States is so different from back home. When I was in recently for my annual physical, I joked that the change of season was making me permanently hungry for junk food. While I do like my doctor, I was shocked that she immediately asked me if I wanted medication for that! What??!! I was just kidding, and anyway who knew there was medication for plain old lack of willpower?
So, today is the 1st of December, and it's actually nice and warm here in Tennessee. Long may this last, although I know the chances are pretty minimal. Wishing you all a good week with temperatures as pleasant as they are here. Perhaps there's a medication for that...!
St Patricks Day is celebrated here in the States with much gusto. But did you know that St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and that we celebrate St Andrews Day on the 30th of November each year as our official national day? St Andrew is also the patron saint of Poland, Greece, Romania and Ukraine. The saltire (St Andrews cross), the flag of Scotland is hung from all Scottish flagpoles on this day - the exception being Edinburgh Castle where the Union Jack is flown because of the presence of the British Army. While we don't normally do too much to celebrate St Andrews Day, there are usually parades and ceilidhs, and Scottish food is eaten just to celebrate being Scottish - which is, of course, the best nationality in the world ;)
I was surprised to see that the UK seems to have adopted the American Black Friday sales shopping frenzy. I do embrace most things American, but have never EVER gone Black Friday shopping. I'm not a fan of shopping on a normal day, never mind having to fight my way into a store and then fight with someone over some deal on something I don't need. I did, however, get some good deals online whilst sipping on a mimosa, which was rather more enjoyable, although mimosas do make most things enjoyable :)
Going to the doctor here in the States is so different from back home. When I was in recently for my annual physical, I joked that the change of season was making me permanently hungry for junk food. While I do like my doctor, I was shocked that she immediately asked me if I wanted medication for that! What??!! I was just kidding, and anyway who knew there was medication for plain old lack of willpower?
So, today is the 1st of December, and it's actually nice and warm here in Tennessee. Long may this last, although I know the chances are pretty minimal. Wishing you all a good week with temperatures as pleasant as they are here. Perhaps there's a medication for that...!
Monday, September 29, 2014
This week in America-land...
As time goes by, I seem to be becoming more and more Americanized. Not that this is a bad thing though, and I guess after all this time being married to the Californian husband, not very surprising. I posted my ice bucket challenge on Facebook a while back, and a couple of my friends commented on how American I sounded. I listened to it and realized (with an American z) how true that actually is. I always thought I still had a strong Scottish accent, but I guess I was very wrong. I now spell color without a u, use z instead of s (see realized as used previously), say "awesome" several times a day, and routinely ask for the check instead of the bill at restaurants. One thing I cannot, however, bring myself to do is say aluminum the American way. Don't know why, just can't do it. I will always pronounce and spell it AL-U-MIN-IUM.
There are so many churches here in Tennessee, they seem to compete with each other as to what they write on their huge roadside signs. Some of them are hilarious. One of the most recent ones I spotted was "Don't run with the Devil if you want to walk with God". I love how creative and in your face some of these signs are. Only in America would you see "Go to Church or the Devil will get you" on a huge sign next to the road, or some of these beauties:
It was another quiet week at Walmart, but I did get panhandled by a lady in a car in the Target parking lot. This is the second time I've had this experience, but last time, my daughter was there, so I had to politely tell the person that I had nothing for them and usher my daughter quickly inside the car in case they got angry. This time, I realized that I was being followed, so when she stopped and told me pretty much the same story as the last lady, I was ready to tell her to get lost and that she shouldn't follow people to their cars. I then shakily jumped into the safety of my own car and drove off. Ugh. Not a fun experience at all and it seems to happen way more often than it should.
My blog overview shows what countries look at what I've written. While I do have lots of friends overseas, I've been been very surprised recently by some of the more unusual places I've been viewed from - Moldova, Tunisia, Micronesia, Ukraine, Israel, Romania and Croatia being but a few. I also get a lot of hits from Russia and China which to me, is quite surprising. Anyway, if you are reading this from one of those places, "Hi, and thanks for reading!"
So that's this week's round up of happenings in America-land folks, have a good week and watch out for those bloody panhandlers!
There are so many churches here in Tennessee, they seem to compete with each other as to what they write on their huge roadside signs. Some of them are hilarious. One of the most recent ones I spotted was "Don't run with the Devil if you want to walk with God". I love how creative and in your face some of these signs are. Only in America would you see "Go to Church or the Devil will get you" on a huge sign next to the road, or some of these beauties:
It was another quiet week at Walmart, but I did get panhandled by a lady in a car in the Target parking lot. This is the second time I've had this experience, but last time, my daughter was there, so I had to politely tell the person that I had nothing for them and usher my daughter quickly inside the car in case they got angry. This time, I realized that I was being followed, so when she stopped and told me pretty much the same story as the last lady, I was ready to tell her to get lost and that she shouldn't follow people to their cars. I then shakily jumped into the safety of my own car and drove off. Ugh. Not a fun experience at all and it seems to happen way more often than it should.
My blog overview shows what countries look at what I've written. While I do have lots of friends overseas, I've been been very surprised recently by some of the more unusual places I've been viewed from - Moldova, Tunisia, Micronesia, Ukraine, Israel, Romania and Croatia being but a few. I also get a lot of hits from Russia and China which to me, is quite surprising. Anyway, if you are reading this from one of those places, "Hi, and thanks for reading!"
So that's this week's round up of happenings in America-land folks, have a good week and watch out for those bloody panhandlers!
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Molly's story
This (ever so slightly sentimental) post is written by guest blogger Molly.
I've tried to forget my first few months on this earth, but I can still remember how cold I was, how scared I was and how hungry I was. I was born in North Dakota which is frigid in winter and I was never brought inside. I was scared. All I knew of humans was that they yelled and sometimes hit me. Occasionally he would feed me or give me water but then he would fire his gun which scared me even more. He wanted me to hunt but I hated the loudness of the gun which made him even angrier with me.
One day he'd had enough of me and tied me up outside the Humane Society. They took me inside, fed me and spoke nicely to me, but still I shivered. He'd ignored the sign outside that said animals abandoned will not be put up for adoption but put to sleep, but still he left me there. I was sitting in a kennel when a man came up and spoke to me. He told his wife (who was looking at cats) to turn around and look at me. She made a strange noise, came up to me and wouldn't stop talking. They both had kind voices and tried to pet me through the bars. The Humane Society told the couple that I was pretty wild and they left soon afterwards. I was sad. A couple of days later however, I was led into a small room. The couple had come back! I was so excited that I jumped and scratched and even bit them. Oops! They stayed for a while, talking and feeding me treats but then they left again. I was very naughty back then, I can't believe they still wanted me. They vet told the couple that he originally thought I was around 6 months old, but when he checked me out properly, he found I was closer to a year. I was so malnourished that I looked a lot smaller for my age.
The next time they came, I was put on a leash, led to their car and taken to their home! It was warm and quiet. I had a huge, soft bed, lots of toys, rawhides, a fancy kennel, a coat and my very own food and water bowls.
Even better, they had a fenced yard and I got to run around like crazy, chasing squirrels. It was so much fun! They took me for a walk on my leash. I'd never done this before and almost pulled my Mum off her feet several times but man, the smells out there were amazing. I was still scared of other people. I would hide behind my own people and sometimes growl if somebody tried to pet me or approach me. I didn't trust anybody apart from my own humans.
I guess they had been reading a few books on training dogs. They had a plan and went into action straight away. It was so nice to know what I had to do and when to do it. Every 4 hours, they would take me outside to go to the bathroom. I got used to it and learned quickly that I should go outside although I did have a few accidents before I got it down completely. They even got up in the middle of the night to do this for a few months, just in case. I slept in my kennel at night, I felt safe and secure in there and happily went in when they said "Go to your cave".
They taught me to ring a bell on the door handle to let them know I needed to go outside - sometimes I just did it to get their attention and hopefully get a treat but they soon wised up to this :) We would walk for miles. I loved it. They would take me to the store where we sat outside to get me used to people. I didn't love this quite so much. I still would try and hide, but after a while, I realized that nobody wanted to hurt me any more. I would sometimes let some people pet me and I would even lick them! Best of all, I had 2 meals a day, plus treats. Heaven!
One night we went for a drive. We went inside a building and into a big room where there were several other dogs and people. Scary! I tried to get out of there, pulling Mum over, but Dad took my leash and we stayed. The lady in charge of us had a lovely voice which made me want to listen to her. She told us what to do and helped us do it. I learned all sorts of things, sit, stay, heel, down, go to bed, it was great!! Mum and Dad enjoyed it too and the lady answered all their questions - they seemed to have a lot of questions about me. We went here a lot!
I still got freaked out sometimes. Every time they brought out the ironing board or a suitcase, I had to go to the bathroom right there on the floor. Balloons scared the crap out of me too. I did stop peeing in the house after a while and my people were really happy with this. They weren't so happy with me when I got my chew on though. I ate some carpet, my Dad's sock monkey from when he was a child, my Grandpa's golf shoe and several other things. But they're only things right?! And I am kind of cute :)
Life was good! we went fishing, did lots of training and walking and I finally started to relax and even like some of my people's friends. Just over a year later, they brought home a baby. The baby made strange noises and was very small but cute. I kept trying to get a proper look at her but I wasn't really allowed to get too close. One day, the baby was lying on her blanket on the floor. They let me sniff her more than usual. I put my paw out and scratched the baby on the head which made her cry. I felt horrible. My people obviously felt horrible too, my Mum was crying. I couldn't use words to tell them that I didn't mean to hurt their baby but they decided that they couldn't risk it happening again. They took me back to the Humane Society. I could tell they were both extremely upset, it was a horrible day. I felt sad that I was back where I'd started and moped in my kennel.
After 3 days, I was brought up to the front office. My Mum was there, crying and laughing. I was so excited to see her and jumped around like crazy! Apparently they'd been talking about me non stop, decided that I hadn't meant to hurt the baby and deserved another chance because I'd been working so hard to be a good dog. She didn't need to leash me. I ran out front and leaped up into the car to go home where I belonged. I was spoiled rotten when I got home, so much love and attention, it was fantastic! I settled back in and we were a happy family of 4 now.
A couple of weeks later, I found myself in the back of a VW Golf loaded up with bags, the baby and my people. We drove from North Dakota to California, almost 1700 miles, over a few days. I had more space than anybody in the car which was nice! We stayed in some strange hotels on the trip and I got to go to the bathroom in some weird places! We drove this mega distance because we were moving to Germany and the airline said it was too cold for me to fly from North Dakota. I love that my family did all this for me. We stayed in California for a few days and then I went on my first airplane. It was really scary and noisy and I hoped I wouldn't be in there for too long. The only good thing was that I felt pretty safe because I was in my own kennel.
After a 14 hour flight, I was unloaded from the plane and put on a baggage belt in my kennel. I lay there quietly, not knowing what was going to happen next. Then I saw my Dad. I screamed and leaped around until he let me out of the kennel, I licked him to death. I loved Germany. I could go to restaurants with my family where they would give me treats and make a fuss of me. I made lots of dog and human friends. Our neighbor would put all kinds of treats on the wall between our yards for me to jump up and grab. There were amazing walks to go on here too and fantastic trails everywhere, so much fun!
After Germany, we lived in South Dakota for 2 years. When we lived there, I got chased (and bitten) by 2 coyotes. My Dad saved me by yelling at the coyotes and running towards us. That wasn't a very nice day, but it made me love my Dad even more. We now had 2 extra babies in our family too!
Next up, I lived in CA for 2 years with my Dad's Mum while my family temporarily moved to South Korea. I was spoiled rotten and had a life of luxury there. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with mast cell cancer and had to have a couple of surgeries to remove my tumors. More on that later.
My family came back for me and our next home was in Virginia. I loved it there too, lots of squirrels to chase! I met a wonderful vet here who found out that if I took a human allergy pill every day, it may stop my cancer spreading. I've been on these little pink pills now for 3 years and am doing great. We weren't there for too long before we moved to Tennessee where we now live. I have had one more tumor removal surgery since then, but recovered completely and still love my walks, rawhides and horsing around, when I'm not sleeping that is :)
Now I'm almost 14 years old. I'm definitely a lot whiter than I was, my eyes are a little bit cloudy and I have a lot of lumps, bumps and scars but I can still pull my Mum off her feet if I see a rabbit :) I have 3 beds in rooms around the house but my favorite place to sleep is on one of the kids' beds. I like to steal food from the counter top whenever I can, it's great that my humans still haven't learned to keep it higher up out of my reach! My favorite treats that I get this way are homemade waffles and hash browns. I love my family, they take good care of me and I like to think I take good care of them too. Life is good :) Now I'm off for a snooze, I'm rather tired from writing all this down.
Regards, Molly LeBlanc, aged 13 & 3/4.
I've tried to forget my first few months on this earth, but I can still remember how cold I was, how scared I was and how hungry I was. I was born in North Dakota which is frigid in winter and I was never brought inside. I was scared. All I knew of humans was that they yelled and sometimes hit me. Occasionally he would feed me or give me water but then he would fire his gun which scared me even more. He wanted me to hunt but I hated the loudness of the gun which made him even angrier with me.
One day he'd had enough of me and tied me up outside the Humane Society. They took me inside, fed me and spoke nicely to me, but still I shivered. He'd ignored the sign outside that said animals abandoned will not be put up for adoption but put to sleep, but still he left me there. I was sitting in a kennel when a man came up and spoke to me. He told his wife (who was looking at cats) to turn around and look at me. She made a strange noise, came up to me and wouldn't stop talking. They both had kind voices and tried to pet me through the bars. The Humane Society told the couple that I was pretty wild and they left soon afterwards. I was sad. A couple of days later however, I was led into a small room. The couple had come back! I was so excited that I jumped and scratched and even bit them. Oops! They stayed for a while, talking and feeding me treats but then they left again. I was very naughty back then, I can't believe they still wanted me. They vet told the couple that he originally thought I was around 6 months old, but when he checked me out properly, he found I was closer to a year. I was so malnourished that I looked a lot smaller for my age.
The next time they came, I was put on a leash, led to their car and taken to their home! It was warm and quiet. I had a huge, soft bed, lots of toys, rawhides, a fancy kennel, a coat and my very own food and water bowls.
Even better, they had a fenced yard and I got to run around like crazy, chasing squirrels. It was so much fun! They took me for a walk on my leash. I'd never done this before and almost pulled my Mum off her feet several times but man, the smells out there were amazing. I was still scared of other people. I would hide behind my own people and sometimes growl if somebody tried to pet me or approach me. I didn't trust anybody apart from my own humans.
I guess they had been reading a few books on training dogs. They had a plan and went into action straight away. It was so nice to know what I had to do and when to do it. Every 4 hours, they would take me outside to go to the bathroom. I got used to it and learned quickly that I should go outside although I did have a few accidents before I got it down completely. They even got up in the middle of the night to do this for a few months, just in case. I slept in my kennel at night, I felt safe and secure in there and happily went in when they said "Go to your cave".
One night we went for a drive. We went inside a building and into a big room where there were several other dogs and people. Scary! I tried to get out of there, pulling Mum over, but Dad took my leash and we stayed. The lady in charge of us had a lovely voice which made me want to listen to her. She told us what to do and helped us do it. I learned all sorts of things, sit, stay, heel, down, go to bed, it was great!! Mum and Dad enjoyed it too and the lady answered all their questions - they seemed to have a lot of questions about me. We went here a lot!
I still got freaked out sometimes. Every time they brought out the ironing board or a suitcase, I had to go to the bathroom right there on the floor. Balloons scared the crap out of me too. I did stop peeing in the house after a while and my people were really happy with this. They weren't so happy with me when I got my chew on though. I ate some carpet, my Dad's sock monkey from when he was a child, my Grandpa's golf shoe and several other things. But they're only things right?! And I am kind of cute :)
Life was good! we went fishing, did lots of training and walking and I finally started to relax and even like some of my people's friends. Just over a year later, they brought home a baby. The baby made strange noises and was very small but cute. I kept trying to get a proper look at her but I wasn't really allowed to get too close. One day, the baby was lying on her blanket on the floor. They let me sniff her more than usual. I put my paw out and scratched the baby on the head which made her cry. I felt horrible. My people obviously felt horrible too, my Mum was crying. I couldn't use words to tell them that I didn't mean to hurt their baby but they decided that they couldn't risk it happening again. They took me back to the Humane Society. I could tell they were both extremely upset, it was a horrible day. I felt sad that I was back where I'd started and moped in my kennel.
After 3 days, I was brought up to the front office. My Mum was there, crying and laughing. I was so excited to see her and jumped around like crazy! Apparently they'd been talking about me non stop, decided that I hadn't meant to hurt the baby and deserved another chance because I'd been working so hard to be a good dog. She didn't need to leash me. I ran out front and leaped up into the car to go home where I belonged. I was spoiled rotten when I got home, so much love and attention, it was fantastic! I settled back in and we were a happy family of 4 now.
A couple of weeks later, I found myself in the back of a VW Golf loaded up with bags, the baby and my people. We drove from North Dakota to California, almost 1700 miles, over a few days. I had more space than anybody in the car which was nice! We stayed in some strange hotels on the trip and I got to go to the bathroom in some weird places! We drove this mega distance because we were moving to Germany and the airline said it was too cold for me to fly from North Dakota. I love that my family did all this for me. We stayed in California for a few days and then I went on my first airplane. It was really scary and noisy and I hoped I wouldn't be in there for too long. The only good thing was that I felt pretty safe because I was in my own kennel.
After a 14 hour flight, I was unloaded from the plane and put on a baggage belt in my kennel. I lay there quietly, not knowing what was going to happen next. Then I saw my Dad. I screamed and leaped around until he let me out of the kennel, I licked him to death. I loved Germany. I could go to restaurants with my family where they would give me treats and make a fuss of me. I made lots of dog and human friends. Our neighbor would put all kinds of treats on the wall between our yards for me to jump up and grab. There were amazing walks to go on here too and fantastic trails everywhere, so much fun!
After Germany, we lived in South Dakota for 2 years. When we lived there, I got chased (and bitten) by 2 coyotes. My Dad saved me by yelling at the coyotes and running towards us. That wasn't a very nice day, but it made me love my Dad even more. We now had 2 extra babies in our family too!
Next up, I lived in CA for 2 years with my Dad's Mum while my family temporarily moved to South Korea. I was spoiled rotten and had a life of luxury there. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with mast cell cancer and had to have a couple of surgeries to remove my tumors. More on that later.
My family came back for me and our next home was in Virginia. I loved it there too, lots of squirrels to chase! I met a wonderful vet here who found out that if I took a human allergy pill every day, it may stop my cancer spreading. I've been on these little pink pills now for 3 years and am doing great. We weren't there for too long before we moved to Tennessee where we now live. I have had one more tumor removal surgery since then, but recovered completely and still love my walks, rawhides and horsing around, when I'm not sleeping that is :)
Regards, Molly LeBlanc, aged 13 & 3/4.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Weak Sauce
Oh Tennessee. For what seems like the 20th time this school year (although it's probably really only more like the 5th) we just received a phone call saying that due to the forecast winter weather, school is cancelled for tomorrow. On every occasion this has happened in the past, there has simply been no weather to speak of at all. No ice, no snow, no NOTHING!!! They cancelled in January because it was a wee bit cold and they didn't want our poor little dears getting a chill whilst waiting for the bus. C'mon people. I've lived in both North and South Dakota. They have snow several times throughout the winter, cold temps, the whole shebang. School doesn't close unless there is 6 feet of snow and the buses simply cannot get through the roads. I'm quite happy to have my kiddos home for the day and I'm lucky that I stay home so it's not an issue (although it does interfere somewhat with my workouts ;) ) But what about all the working parents who have to scramble to get daycare sorted out for what usually turns out to be a non weather event? Apparently there are some parents out there who would send their children out to the bus stop in t shirts and shorts in wintry weather, so this is one of the reasons that the school district freaks out and closes school at the slightest chance of inclement weather. But why should the rest of us be penalized for this minority?
I could get started on the other issues I've had with the school here. Weekly, they send home information sheets advising us ignorant parents to feed our children healthy foods, lovely wee photos of the food pyramid and basically patronizing us with things that we already know. So why in the heck do they think it's okay to reward the children in school with things like hard candy and lollipops when they do well? I'm not a perfect parent, I do have chocolate in the house but I don't ever buy hard candy. My middle child was given a piece of hard candy in his class for doing well - unbeknownst to his teacher, his baby teeth have decalcification so they are very soft and prone to decay. He has already had a lot of dental work just on his baby teeth because of this. Anyway, said piece of hard candy (which I would never have given him at home) took off one of his crowns and resulted in a lot of time off school to repair the damage, not to mention the cost. Is this normal in schools? Or is it just a TN thing? They also give out gift cards to places like Zaxby's, Chuy's & McDonalds for good behaviour and if your kid gets an A on their report card, they get a Krispy Kreme Donut for each A. I looked hard but I didn't see Krispy Kreme anywhere on the Food Pyramid.
Anyway, time to go play with the kiddos. There's no rush to get them bathed and into bed early for school tomorrow. I will, however, probably be mean Mummy and get them up early-ish to go to the gym with me if the daycare is open. The gym is taking a sensible approach with a "wait and see" policy with the weather. Thank you Gold's Gym!! If the weather isn't crazy (and chances are, it won't be), the daycare will be open and the kiddos will have fun while I work out.
Have a good Sunday evening y'all!
I could get started on the other issues I've had with the school here. Weekly, they send home information sheets advising us ignorant parents to feed our children healthy foods, lovely wee photos of the food pyramid and basically patronizing us with things that we already know. So why in the heck do they think it's okay to reward the children in school with things like hard candy and lollipops when they do well? I'm not a perfect parent, I do have chocolate in the house but I don't ever buy hard candy. My middle child was given a piece of hard candy in his class for doing well - unbeknownst to his teacher, his baby teeth have decalcification so they are very soft and prone to decay. He has already had a lot of dental work just on his baby teeth because of this. Anyway, said piece of hard candy (which I would never have given him at home) took off one of his crowns and resulted in a lot of time off school to repair the damage, not to mention the cost. Is this normal in schools? Or is it just a TN thing? They also give out gift cards to places like Zaxby's, Chuy's & McDonalds for good behaviour and if your kid gets an A on their report card, they get a Krispy Kreme Donut for each A. I looked hard but I didn't see Krispy Kreme anywhere on the Food Pyramid.
Anyway, time to go play with the kiddos. There's no rush to get them bathed and into bed early for school tomorrow. I will, however, probably be mean Mummy and get them up early-ish to go to the gym with me if the daycare is open. The gym is taking a sensible approach with a "wait and see" policy with the weather. Thank you Gold's Gym!! If the weather isn't crazy (and chances are, it won't be), the daycare will be open and the kiddos will have fun while I work out.
Have a good Sunday evening y'all!
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