In the Meantime

The transition back into STL life has been strange for me.   On my first day back I got word that I passed my qualifying exam and I can now officially be a clinical fellow in speech language pathology as soon as I get that M.A.!  That was most welcome news, and a huge relief.

On those first few days back at my internship, I felt like a zombie.  My body was there, but my mind and heart were back on the farm with my man, my pops, and my pup.

Thankfully, I ran into all three of the people I know at Children's that week, (Jordyn, Samantha, and Heather).  Just seeing their faces, and even getting to catch a couple lunches with Miss Jordyn made me feel so much better.  As the days go on, it gets a little easier for me there and at home.

We celebrated Kyle's birthday, but it was a rather pitiful celebration by my birthday standards.  This is the first year I can remember where I did a horrible job of making the day special for him.  I didn't even write a blog post about it! Honestly, I spent much of the day in tears because I did NOT want to be here.  By the weekend, however, I was able to pull it together and (I think) make up for a bit of the downer birthday.  Part of this was making a big dinner on Easter Sunday, including salad with romaine lettuce from my garden! I was pretty proud of that, and (I think) Kyle was, too.



Speaking of my garden, I have been spending a lot of time out there since we got home.  I am not sure if it was 10 days on the farm or just the general change in weather, but I got super motivated to clean out flower beds, plant more vegetables and flowers, and be outside as much as possible.  There is something seemingly healing about it to me.  There is a peace about it.  There is a simple assurance about it... about watching things grow, and about seeing the rewards of hard, dirty labor.  There is no other voice, nothing pulling me away from simply crying out to the Lord.  Well, nothing but an occasionally anxious, fussy puppy who wants to be tied up closer to where I'm working.



There are about 50 other things that I NEED to be doing. Things like keeping track of my internship hours, doing laundry, editing photos for friends, etc.  So many things that should be done, things that nag at me and make me feel horribly guilty for not doing them, and yet I'm finding it impossible to get them done.  *Sigh*  My dear friend, Aileen, told me to be easy on myself, so maybe that's what I'm doing.  The bad part is that all those things aren't going away and are most likely going to come back and bite me very soon.  Oh, well.  Tomorrow is another day.

The adventures of Watson, the farm dog.

Our sweet pup spends most of his days in our small flat with no real yard.  He gets long walks around the neighborhood, but he is always tethered to his mommy or daddy.  Whenever we go visit my mom or grandparents, Watson gets to run however he likes around their yards, and we love to watch him romp and play.

On the farm, however, his romping goes to a whole other level.  There aren't fences there, and my dad's "yard" is about 2 acres, which opens right up to the rest of the land they live on, about 35 acres.  The first time we took him there, we were a little nervous that he just might bolt out into the cornfields and we'd never see him again.



To our great surprise, he mostly stays right by our sides.  If he runs ahead, he'll often stop and wait for us, giving us a look like, "Are you people coming or what?" Sometimes he'll circle around us like he's herding us.  We really get to see how good of a dog he can be.

I've never seen him more happy or excited than when he's on the farm.  He's kind of like his mommy in that way.  I mean, look at that view, isn't it lovely?



He's always tracking something. Nose to the ground.

Trapesing through muddy ditches.



Getting clean from said mud and about a hundred burrs he got stuck in his fur from the fields.

He never stops moving or wanting to play.

He steps a little lighter.

Jumps a little higher.

Pants a little harder.



Snuggles a little sweeter.



Crashes a lot harder.  Please note the open door.  He went in on his own.



Watson loves being a farm dog.

Happy birthday, Watson!

Today, our puppy boy turned 1 year old.  Happy birthday to my favorite little puppy in the whole wide world!

Here are some things about our puppy who is no longer a puppy:

Watson will do just about anything you ask of him for the chance to chase a ball or eat a single piece of kibble.  Just wave one of the above in his face, and you will find yourself in command of a highly obedient pup.  If, however, you don't have one of the above, you might as well forget it.


He is a serious chewer.  He chews anything and everything.  We have to be very selective about the types of toys we give him or else they'll be gone in a flash.



His favorite everyday toy is definitely his green ball, but his favorite toy of all time is still Quacker.  We are now on Quacker #4, and we no longer let him play with it unless he has direct supervision.  He loves to eat the fur and tear it to shreds, so we keep it put away most of the time.

His favorite place to lounge is on the bed in our spare bedroom.  This provides him with a clear view of us in the living room and the opportunity to monitor the hallway for his kitty sister.  He really, really loves to chase his kitty sister.

He always knows when we're about to leave the house.  He lays on the floor next to my vanity and pouts while I do my hair and makeup.  It's just about the most pitiful thing I've ever seen.

Every day we give him one or two small carrot sticks to munch on.  They keep him occupied and out of trouble and they are good for his digestion.  Carrots = Winning.



Since the weather turned and the windows have been open, he now sees it his job to sit in the window and bark at watch the alley.  He is protecting our house from intruders and squirrels.  Mostly squirrels.

He loves, loves, loves his daddy and going on walks with his pack (that's us).  Despite his love for walks, he is a terrible walker.  He constantly pulls on the leash.  We've tried multiple collars and harnesses, walking sticks, reading two Dog Whisperer books to work on our "calm, assertive energy" as pack leaders, and puppy training classes.  He is still terrible on the leash.  We now walk him with a Halti.  It helps a lot to prevent him from pulling, but he constantly paws at his face and whimpers, even on hour-long walks.

We just can't believe this crazy little puppy we brought home from a dirty shelter is already a year old.  When we brought him home he was very calm and scared of everything.  Now he is affectionate, happy, and outgoing, and constantly battles to try and run the show.

He may never be the world's most obedient dog, but he is dearly beloved by us and so many others.  Happy birthday, Watson Bass!

Yeah, I'm that lady.

I'm the kind of lady who likes to put her animals in ridiculous costumes and take their pictures.  Why? Because it's FUNNY.  Sorry if you think it's stupid.  But seriously, how could you not like this?

Too bad Watson doesn't think it's quite as funny. He makes a brilliant Sherlock Holmes.

Watson and Quacker

Watson has quite a few toys already.  He likes to chase a tennis ball, romp and play with his bouncy Kong, and chew for hours on a raw hide bone.  But there is one toy that trumps every other toy.

Meet Quacker.

Watson has become... attached... nay, fixated on Quacker.   See, Quacker is a duck.  He quacks.

Watson is a spaniel.  Spaniels are bred to be gun dogs.  They have long noses and long, floppy ears that help sweep the scent up from the ground as they track fallen fowl.  They can flush out game and retrieve birds (especially quail and woodcock, hence Cocker Spaniels) with a gentle mouth.  Watson... well, he's working on the gentle.   Retrieving Quacker, though... he's a natural at that.  

Meet Watson!

Name: Watson Bass
Age: 4 months
Weight: 16lbs
Breed: Half Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, half Cocker Spaniel
Best Qualities: His calm, sweet demeanor and his silky, smooth fur.
Likes: Constant affection, being with his humans, eating plants, chewing on rugs and towels

Dislikes: Walking on the leash, pooping outside
How he came to be in our family: We adopted him today from a local rescue.  He was saved from a puppy mill.

So far, things are about as good as could be expected bringing Watson home.  He seems to really like Ellie and he clearly wants to romp and play with her.  Ellie, on the other hand, is very nervous around him.  She spends her time hiding or keeping constant watch.

It's darn near impossible to get a good picture of him because he's always moving, turning, or coming towards you.  If you back away to focus, he just follows you and wants lovin'. 

Potty training could be a challenge as he has no idea what to do on a leash.  He just freezes and goes limp.  We were told you're not supposed to walk dogs until they are 8-9 months old.  I've never heard that before, have you?  It sounds crazy!  How do we get out all that puppy energy?

Anyway, we'll see how it goes!  He's ours for good and I accepted him with tears this afternoon.

You are loved already, Watson Bass!