The Dog

Those of you who know me also know about my dog. November 2nd he turned 16 yrs old - that is the same age I was when I first brought him home. He was a 3 yr old ridiculously crazy labrador who for his first three years was raised in kennel. When he was turned loose on my parent's 13 acres with a pond he could not control his enthusiasm. He would knock adults over in his excitement, steal food from unsuspecting children, and always be underfoot.

When we left for college big changes were in store for him. We lived in a tiny apartment and since we now lived in town we abided by the leash laws. He was a trooper - content anywhere I was. He has changed a lot over the years but one thing remains the same. He loves the snow. Two nights ago a blizzard went though our area and when I let Kilo outside he was in heaven.

One of his most frustrating qualities when I was in college has become one of his most endearing. During the winter months I hated taking him for walks. No matter how much snow, how cold or icy, during a walk he would always flop his head in the slow and push his body along with his back feet. I would walk very slowly leash in hand and watch passersby gawk or laugh. Very frustrating when you are late for class.

Now that we have both slowed down quite a bit, I look forward to taking him for those walks. As I let him out the other night the first thing he did was stick his head in the snow and push with his back feet. Adorable.

Boston

In November P and I took a trip to Boston - I for work and P for vacation :) We had a wonderful time. The conference was fun as usual. We spend a few extra days so that we could take in the sights. We stayed at the beautiful Copley Square Hotel (one of Boston's oldest hotels). We also spent some of our time walking around the Harvard area including the Harvard Yard. Boston was so beautiful, the weather was wonderful. We visited several beer bars in the area including: Cambridge Brewing Co., Bukowski Tavern, and Atwood's Tavern. We also visited a very interesting place called The Salty Pig. Very interesting - not sure I would go to another place that has Trotters on the menu. What a fun trip!

Landscaping

Another project started - not yet complete. Landscaping has been a job this spring summer and now as we move into the fall. This project I dedicate to my neighbor. She has been patiently waiting all year for this project along her fence line to be completed. Many hints have been dropped as far as what needs to be done. Well, it is almost complete and looks a lot better than when I started. We'll see if she notices!

The Garden

I am anxiously awaiting the first tomato in my garden. Much to my delight I have two Green Zebra tomatos that are about the size of a grape. I have stalked them repeatedly this weekend. The pepper and tomato plants I started from seed, with any luck, will be ready by December. Thank goodness for professional green houses! The swiss chard and soybeans I planted earlier this year did not have much success so today I replanted one row of each and green onions and basil. The peas and beans are doing quite well and the lettuce will be ready in a few days.

Our CSA Simply Wisconsin has been wonderful in the early weeks of the year. We have had a wide variety of fresh produce including: radishes, garlic scapes, spinach, lettuce, and my personal favorite snap peas. Looking forward to the produce the rest of this summer!

Busy Weekend

This is the first of many house projects P and I will work on this summer. Saturdays project was getting the vegetable garden up and running. P and I carried the garden boarders and tons (not really) of soil and compost to the back yard. I spent most of my day cutting sod and making sure the soil was just right. Today I planted many of the vegetables I was so excited to get into the ground.

We also tackled another eye sore in the yard. This area is over grown with weeds and Hostas. I do enjoy the variety of Hostas in the yard, however they were not landscaped the way I enjoy them. So P and I tackled this project in the heat of the day. I am so pleased with how the new Hosta garden looks!

Half Marathon Finished

Today was success in my mind. I completed my first half marathon! The training process was rigorous and challenging and the race was no different. The night before the race I got the best advice I could have been given - "No matter what, enjoy the experience!" I completed that without a problem. I struggled through the race at times, but knowing that no matter what I would finish.

Goal number 1 - finish the race - no matter what it will be a personal record :)

Goal number 2 - enjoy it enough to prepare for t

he next one

In my mind I am ready for that second race. With a some experience gained from this first race and fine tuning my training schedule the second one will be as good as (hopefully better) than the first!

"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding."

A year of running!

This year I am working on staying shape by running. In early January I signed myself up to run a half-marathon on Memorial Day Weekend. Because I am not a runner I decided to ease my way into running by training for a 10k race. All of January and part of February I trained to run this 6 mile "race." I was feeling great. The snow, wind and cold did not keep me from running. Mid February I began the journey to the half marathon. Today I finished running 11 miles! As the weather becomes more and more nice outside and the sun is shining down on me I try to remember back to the morning I ran in 3 miles in 11 degree weather or the days of running in wind and rain. You would think the running would get easier. I have learned running is a mind game. If you have your lungs and your legs nothing can stop you - except for your mind. Wish me luck these last three weeks of training! Hopefully I will be happy at the finish line.