Going to the Dogs

Monday, the pups went to the groomer. They came home looking clean and handsome.

Very handsome indeed, but it doesn't last. They always get into the dirt before too long.

We took some walks and had some off-leash time...in the dirt.

The weather has been a lot warmer, so I wanted to be able to walk the dogs earlier in the day, which means I'm on my own, since Dr. Nightowl isn't usually available until after 10:00 AM. Lately I've been attaching the leashes to my fanny pack, because my back gets tired when I hold the leashes out in front of myself. I decided I needed one of those hands-free leashes that fasten to a belt. Some allow you to walk two dogs at once without getting tangled up, so we ordered one of those. I'm really liking it so far. The dogs don't get tangled up, because there's a swivel where they attach to the main leash.

While we were putting the shelves up in the R·Pod which is still in the RV driveway out in front, Dusty and Sandy watched us from the backyard.

Because it has been so much warmer lately, I took the dogs out for a walk before 8:00 AM on Sunday. We only had one problem, and that was when a dog barked at us on the other side of the fence as we were walking the Larkspur trail. Sandy ran to the fence to make friends, and when I dragged him back to the trail, he had a bunch of foxtails all over him, including his ears! We had to sit down and pick them out. I combed both dogs after we got home and got a few more. Note to self: Carry dog comb along with poopy bags this time of year. This was our route. We could have continued back along the trail in the other direction and completed another mile, but it was already getting too warm, and I hadn't brought water. I have a pouch on my leash belt, but I need a cup holder.

When we got back I made Banana Oat Waffles. Yum!

The waffle iron is still going great. It will probably outlive me, and it was a wedding present. They don't make things the way they used to.

This was a Madroña week, when we have our wine-drinking party. We always have a great bunch of people. The wine isn't bad, either. Charlie and I had pizza. I use the Costco frozen cheese pizza as the foundation. I sprinkle on Penzey's Frozen Pizza Seasoning. Then I top the pizza with whatever I have, like sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, avocados. We had my Easy (frozen) Corn Salad with it.

I made some progress on the Oregon Autumn Cardigan, working my way down the sleeve.

While I had the rolled oats out to make cookies last week, it occurred to me that I hadn't made granola in some time, so I looked to see what kind of ingredients I could put together and made a batch this week. The recipe made enough for four large cookie sheets, and I only have two now, so I cut it in half.

We've been eating it. It was tasty. On Friday I went to the store to get more nuts and seeds for the next batch. I have dried cranberries on the list, because I used up the last of them. We still have raisins, and dried apricots, which I cut up into small pieces.

This will be good to take when we go camping.

I have a lot of difficulty responding to comments to my blog posts because of technical issues beyond my control (my lack of understanding of how things work). Message me on Facebook, Ravelry or Spoutible if you need information.

If you have a few minutes and are willing, please go to Amazon and B&N and search for "Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart". Every click on the page for the book makes it more likely they will keep a good supply in their warehouse and stores. If you are outside the US, you may have a separate website for these retailers. If you have a copy of any of our books, including Emil, Mariah or Classic Tales Retold, please leave an honest review on the websites, especially if you bought from them.

Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.

What's on my needles: Still working on the Oregon Cardigan.

What's on my loom: Still in its corner under the windows, not warped, but dusted, at least.

What's on my sewing machine: Put away for now.

What's in The Doll's Storybook: This week's story is the first part of the story of how Emil came to join the family, How Emil Came to The Doll's Storybook, Part One. Charlotte figures out how you can tell if someone is honest by what they say in a letter.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished listening to The House on the Cliff by D. E. Stevenson. It made me realize how Stevenson's novels have influenced me over the years. Then I started On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service by Anthony Fauci. He narrates it himself, and he's good at it. He doesn't seem to have had a ghost writer, so he's a good writer, too. It's like listening to a novel. I also still have Elfen Königin by Holly Black, translated from English. Didn't get to open it up this week.

What's in my wine glass: FranckMassard Syrah, 2018, from Spain. Nice.

What's my tip of the week: Brown sugar as hard as a rock? If you're in a hurry, you can put it into a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, cover with a damp paper towel and zap for 20 seconds. Break up the lumps. Repeat until all of it is soft enough. If you have a few days before you need it, you can add a used (still damp) tea bag or two to a container of brown sugar and close tightly. Check in a couple of days. 

Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes. 

Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook is available from the BookBabyBookshop and other booksellers worldwide. Poems included are Valentine's Day, Keeping Pets, Back to School, Victor the Vulture, The Week Before Christmas, Insomnia and Veronika's Vocabulary Verses.

The stories in Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.

Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are also still available from booksellers. The link for Book Baby is here. The three stories in Emil are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.

The three stories in Mariah are Being Little, Besties, and Distraction.

If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less. 

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

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