tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76330835460248187672024-03-12T22:27:12.058-06:00Corgi TalesBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-61643105219863936062021-06-20T12:53:00.001-06:002021-06-20T12:55:23.762-06:00Swimming on a Sticky Day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRfO7JwF__wJMJKRRn25r3iGRAQljDod9DYt_FfSkszXKuso89kH9k7_IwlckCQdF3kVgMjNGHHu2qCtoo5QtX-NuKttF_qobWiZzZyiMptSdpaucg7kf2yuZLJdVF_7GYDrmzAgKZQoE/s2015/daf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="1613" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRfO7JwF__wJMJKRRn25r3iGRAQljDod9DYt_FfSkszXKuso89kH9k7_IwlckCQdF3kVgMjNGHHu2qCtoo5QtX-NuKttF_qobWiZzZyiMptSdpaucg7kf2yuZLJdVF_7GYDrmzAgKZQoE/w360-h450/daf.jpg" width="360" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;"><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Scarlett was born in southern Alabama to experienced breeders who saved her out of a litter because of her stunning beauty. However, by the time she was 8 months old, they discovered that she did not tolerate the heat well and began looking to rehome her in a northern climate. That is how I (living in northern MN at the time) found her. I give them credit for finding her a home where she could thrive. Hot, sticky days in Indiana are hard to take, and she really doesn't want to do anything. Except swim. She LOVES to swim. We went to the park yesterday to play frisbee and she lasted about ten minutes. This morning when I talked about going to the park, she looked at me like I was crazy. She wasn't going to fall for that again. She likes the coolest place in the house - the linoleum floor in the basement bathroom. And that's where she intended to spend the day. I had to do some hard coaxing to convince her we were going to go SWIMMING. She didn't know if she could trust me. But finally did. So thankful for a little swimming hole at Oxbow Park where we go probably 4 times a week. She squealed with delight when we pulled into the park and tore down the trail and into the water. Zak has a love/hate relationship with water but on a hot day, he enjoys it too. After a good hour there, I decided we needed to go home and Zak and I started walking to the car. Not Scarlett. She firmly planted herself on the trail by the water, refused to come, and ran back into the water when I went down to get her. She is the sweetest girl, but she CAN be very stubborn.</span><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> <br /></span></span><p></p><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t buofh1pr l9j0dhe7" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; position: relative;"><div class="cwj9ozl2 i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 lpgh02oy j9ispegn" style="background-color: var(--card-background); bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; position: sticky; right: 0px;"><div class="cxgpxx05 hv4rvrfc sj5x9vvc dati1w0a j83agx80 btwxx1t3 lzcic4wl" style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding: 8px 16px;"><div class="rj1gh0hx buofh1pr ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs rz4wbd8a" style="flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 0px;"><form class="o6r2urh6 l9j0dhe7 b3i9ofy5 e72ty7fz qlfml3jp inkptoze qmr60zad rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 j83agx80 bkfpd7mw" role="presentation" style="background-color: var(--comment-background); border-radius: 18px; border-width: 0px; cursor: text; display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><ul class="fop5sh7t cgat1ltu tv7at329 j83agx80 c4hnarmi bp9cbjyn" style="align-items: center; align-self: flex-end; display: flex; height: 36px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 4px 0px -8px; padding: 0px;"><li class="ggphbty4 fv0vnmcu q9uorilb" style="display: inline-block; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="Comment with a Sticker" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 pq6dq46d mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l dwo3fsh8 pzggbiyp pkj7ub1o bqnlxs5p kkg9azqs c24pa1uk ln9iyx3p fe6kdd0r ar1oviwq l10q8mi9 sq40qgkc s8quxz6p pdjglbur" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; vertical-align: bottom; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="s45kfl79 emlxlaya bkmhp75w spb7xbtv i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s rnr61an3" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="background-color: var(--hover-overlay); border-radius: 50%; font-family: inherit; inset: -8px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></span></div></span></li></ul></form><div class="buofh1pr" style="flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></div><div class="buofh1pr" style="flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"></div></div></div></div></div>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-73691624062792347762020-09-12T07:27:00.000-06:002021-05-31T07:31:02.893-06:00It's Great to turn Eight <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A Corgi Tales post is LONG overdue, but like everyone else, my life has been upended by the COVID pandemic. I work in health care in an office of 40+ people. Since late March, I have been the ONLY person who is there in the office 40 hours a week. We have three managers who rotate weeks, and one other half time office person who is a tremendous help and oversees much of the hospice caseload. I work in a supportive role to all who are working from home as well as our clinicians in the field. Our county has the second highest number of cases of COVID in Indiana and we have had many patients die in our care. So no one gets to tell me that anything about the pandemic is overblown. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The HUGE silver lining in pandemic was that my brother Dan (who has lived in China 29 years - exactly half his life) spent four months with me this Spring and Summer. It was a delight to have him; the dogs adored him; he did all of my yard work and much of the cooking and we had some walks in the evening and trips to various Indiana state parks on the weekends. At some point I hope to write about those, and share pictures. In the midst of it all, we experienced unspeakable tragedy in relationship to Dan's closest friends in the Twin Cities. It was good for us to be together as all of that was playing out. He made a trip out to MN the end of July and is with his friends again now for a few weeks. He is now on a year of home assignment, traveling and recruitng in the US, and hopes to return to China next August. <img alt="Pretty typical late after work scene at our house when all the neighborhood kidscome over to play with the dogs." border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKh0XZ_wN-f5i4mRGqvFfTOo9WYXpRyjmio-s8RMfdjFK3rwgK_H9p8sVqVKXoFl7n0dXLEfsEXLFxkbgmxg836s8WwBiWdZVoBIv5805349kLuHutFJ-fgpyDY_707yIp2TOCFLjMnXm/w320-h240/118421132_10160333880954202_9175843011703459325_o.jpg" width="320" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Though I don't have time or energy to go back and share stories of 2020, I <i>had</i> to stop and take time to write a post in honor of Scarlett's 8th birthday - which was yesterday. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span> </span><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;">It was 7 years ago this month that my friend Betty and I drove to the Ozarks to pick her up after the breeders (from southern Alabama) realized she did not tolerate the heat and needed a home in a northern climate. Northern MN fit the bill. We moved a few years later, but she still loves the snow more than anything. She's mellow and compliant and very sweet, although she gets VERY upset at those BIG BIG dogs that pull the Amish buggies. She was the unofficial fastest runner at a corgi meet up in the Twin Cities when she was 3 years old and still LOVES to run, swim (!!) and eat (!!!!). She loves to show off her rolling gymnastics for anyone who will watch. When we were in the Upper Peninsula in August, she scratched her cornea while digging in the sand, and we have been doctoring with several different antibiotics and types of treatment, hoping to avoid eye flap surgery, which would take a small flap of tissue to cover the ulcer on the cornea. She's been a trooper through it all. The drops sting, and unlike Zak, who would run to the furthest corner of the house to avoid them, Scarlett comes right to me and willingly allows me to put them in; then burying her head in my lap for a few minutes until the stinging stops. It's been a strange but real bonding time for us. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c0RqtOB5RAtGQfTQUxgEyhGYSCp03WLLM5cnzaQID9rNOFRlM43gAWeL8PXlhfpTM0lnYpBP7HDR-qENmKswt_ew-NFM3F6WDIQoGSrR7ireF6315YCCMQMHz292LzmJEE_pXTpV09Jp/s1440/116109022_10160203907084202_437461172725002876_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7c0RqtOB5RAtGQfTQUxgEyhGYSCp03WLLM5cnzaQID9rNOFRlM43gAWeL8PXlhfpTM0lnYpBP7HDR-qENmKswt_ew-NFM3F6WDIQoGSrR7ireF6315YCCMQMHz292LzmJEE_pXTpV09Jp/w320-h240/116109022_10160203907084202_437461172725002876_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Zak and were enjoying a little nap until someone else decided she didn't want to be left out. She's only 24# but when she suddenly pounces on your back, it kind of knocks the wind out of you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MQsv6X38fCu0jhxoB1YIfhNm-5obCrpmS63Vg5CG1EYLsS_RJTU7pB4eY9z1sgiappLvjOftEibCR7wMRXpkCO97qH8Iu1ZZ9IHj5V93ImqTfq_ISAtlMgRGArMnZZ55TkdJpmisETSd/s960/117165707_10160253770669202_2782437401069392872_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MQsv6X38fCu0jhxoB1YIfhNm-5obCrpmS63Vg5CG1EYLsS_RJTU7pB4eY9z1sgiappLvjOftEibCR7wMRXpkCO97qH8Iu1ZZ9IHj5V93ImqTfq_ISAtlMgRGArMnZZ55TkdJpmisETSd/w320-h180/117165707_10160253770669202_2782437401069392872_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvM1kvgrCd-Uwe8q3tiSjekmpj1rX5qtMXkrnOxLkvL9sHT6SIMYT_j3YV1Pu1ZuIrcnvby0rx0auKGH5kX35MEBEw0yeZvejULGfzaXmI8shkzR8a0q38BND5JNnePsXIUkF-aaf5hKK/s960/119042275_10160366109659202_9149118945584730712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvM1kvgrCd-Uwe8q3tiSjekmpj1rX5qtMXkrnOxLkvL9sHT6SIMYT_j3YV1Pu1ZuIrcnvby0rx0auKGH5kX35MEBEw0yeZvejULGfzaXmI8shkzR8a0q38BND5JNnePsXIUkF-aaf5hKK/s320/119042275_10160366109659202_9149118945584730712_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_NbsCmlk-U8vUVxwEHse1L5zXBCsK2Z9SsG7qAHcN3ua1xOeguh2OfCv_mtt4nOOxZeUVpudaamANM5atXFsvzltin50aZBXeb8bphnKN-0jcAG7igcFTaJSLFeMpZuP5HIl1vgG8rcK/s960/119205386_10160366109604202_1355504203666863671_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_NbsCmlk-U8vUVxwEHse1L5zXBCsK2Z9SsG7qAHcN3ua1xOeguh2OfCv_mtt4nOOxZeUVpudaamANM5atXFsvzltin50aZBXeb8bphnKN-0jcAG7igcFTaJSLFeMpZuP5HIl1vgG8rcK/s320/119205386_10160366109604202_1355504203666863671_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">We have visited lots and <i>lots</i> of area parks this year, exploring the region in more depth than we have in the now-almost-three-years since we moved to Indiana. Today after church, we went to Powatami Park in South Bend for some squirrell chasing fun. It was a beautiful early Fall day after a hot and humid summer. Bring on the cooler temperatures! In a few weeks we will take a camping trip south to Brown County and Kentucky, redoing portions of last year's trip (which was a total rain-out event) and picking up a few new places as well. </span></span></div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-67747331007004913152020-02-09T19:08:00.003-06:002020-07-24T07:50:08.248-06:00Six Month Update <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy4MZjS4NVO90o-CDFefDYsHuFGE4_P_VS0KKIPgp5nlytV12efmBigxGv9VVQaEOS26DeIXl8HyHFkvlJm3sKGeo8SVochMeBV6zyWnwC9O4o1F62EPsjY6w7J_kW6rmclw02cmgMUi4/s1600/20191027_122308.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy4MZjS4NVO90o-CDFefDYsHuFGE4_P_VS0KKIPgp5nlytV12efmBigxGv9VVQaEOS26DeIXl8HyHFkvlJm3sKGeo8SVochMeBV6zyWnwC9O4o1F62EPsjY6w7J_kW6rmclw02cmgMUi4/s320/20191027_122308.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love our back yard in the Fall </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHlAXtJlpJQsfd_9F24IELsAVULYJJRcYaNMJLtc2ttD4PuxsZYXp43XmICDbKhK9OrTatpU_ndXemaSOpbxQtCad00n8WXWD9uCtSDBMb1fmw5KcTgEI7ZVUAbl8R0-V-yM3qrZfqH67/s1600/20191009_130316.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHlAXtJlpJQsfd_9F24IELsAVULYJJRcYaNMJLtc2ttD4PuxsZYXp43XmICDbKhK9OrTatpU_ndXemaSOpbxQtCad00n8WXWD9uCtSDBMb1fmw5KcTgEI7ZVUAbl8R0-V-yM3qrZfqH67/s200/20191009_130316.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Scarlett got the worst<br />
of the Rottweiler attack<br />
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It's been a long time since I've posted an update. In October, we took a week long camping trip to southern Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. It rained every day but one and my dogs were attacked by a Rottweiler on a hiking trail in Brown County State Park, so it was far from a perfect trip but we still had fun. </div><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVjUHSvNkrQFPXreWt1NC8zhQP2-gDEvz0Ml6MjHgg5sV4dAfjmlkkJhCQqrJVVM0zkICjER5G7UnyLiO071P7TNCVkTBjaAYyqMRH3lekTg1C3fk6zOeurV4Ipg_Duh931sVgPGKlbId/s1600/20191009_143323.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVjUHSvNkrQFPXreWt1NC8zhQP2-gDEvz0Ml6MjHgg5sV4dAfjmlkkJhCQqrJVVM0zkICjER5G7UnyLiO071P7TNCVkTBjaAYyqMRH3lekTg1C3fk6zOeurV4Ipg_Duh931sVgPGKlbId/s400/20191009_143323.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blowing Rock, NC</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QjNJX0nziPISxEd1OcQXQwBcPW88mYH2DpJwxU8OyiEAAPjCYZLZeH8nNePSVMG7FsrtPbD32D-hfQa0D8HEqkLBFdzL5FsZY408FW0IxtEC40cpwhlWJX4OydmzL9lef1UDNAQkqOFy/s1600/th.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="474" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QjNJX0nziPISxEd1OcQXQwBcPW88mYH2DpJwxU8OyiEAAPjCYZLZeH8nNePSVMG7FsrtPbD32D-hfQa0D8HEqkLBFdzL5FsZY408FW0IxtEC40cpwhlWJX4OydmzL9lef1UDNAQkqOFy/s400/th.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown County, IN - Vibrant Color even in the rain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgk-KijevoEUrAcqEBFO32bDbYD6EC7zf-HqlHxJZJvbL-EoKApir0bl3GpdWmE0zDH19CL_OLGr5ohg-3VC7K2UNkNj7RLCilW_ayZiL_X7wboG8eZ8xHOi9QJBRcs51u9Hqfwl-lDaE/s1600/20191010_171057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgk-KijevoEUrAcqEBFO32bDbYD6EC7zf-HqlHxJZJvbL-EoKApir0bl3GpdWmE0zDH19CL_OLGr5ohg-3VC7K2UNkNj7RLCilW_ayZiL_X7wboG8eZ8xHOi9QJBRcs51u9Hqfwl-lDaE/s320/20191010_171057.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cumberland Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">On December 14 my brother Tim had a serious heart attack that required quadruple bypass surgery. It was a rough ending to a year in which I had hoped to find some peace.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December 14, 2019<br />
Meier Heart Center, Grand Rapids </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl22Jh7LbC0rQgW3_z1Frjvf2jlUnjCK9Lg5tmEln8YAxLajpHH_7flbWcSOdVvG0sRwlQINkbInXW9fViCsETMkQ9yTXaks837mfelLEHaAPHuQ0v_zwapnaG1djT0jVdHY86HUr_eiT/s1600/20191214_153520_resized+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsl22Jh7LbC0rQgW3_z1Frjvf2jlUnjCK9Lg5tmEln8YAxLajpHH_7flbWcSOdVvG0sRwlQINkbInXW9fViCsETMkQ9yTXaks837mfelLEHaAPHuQ0v_zwapnaG1djT0jVdHY86HUr_eiT/s320/20191214_153520_resized+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUePAXRO0tW9Q81_8lODl-2LfbwfC3j-NfO6H4lqb-FZgiC0gKzqg9CxtXvUs7IvUp-IIza7z5i-wVGRm2Tv7gDsBhop4NyaOS-GrxYxfMSwv2ZGqQeOD13KVbv-2sEt4bf9K-hBJJ98Q/s1600/20191224_162506_resized+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUePAXRO0tW9Q81_8lODl-2LfbwfC3j-NfO6H4lqb-FZgiC0gKzqg9CxtXvUs7IvUp-IIza7z5i-wVGRm2Tv7gDsBhop4NyaOS-GrxYxfMSwv2ZGqQeOD13KVbv-2sEt4bf9K-hBJJ98Q/s320/20191224_162506_resized+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One week after surgery - Christmas Eve and a<br />
group of Tim's friends & kids came to give us<br />
a little violin concert. Tim couldn't help but<br />
pick up his director's baton even though he had been<br />
home less than 24 hours. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjussYg9KTvxdK3gRr8A3B9xt-2j-GLy_rFvxtRZOHk9GwLrsaIwT4p_5INHMqgKRwb3HgYKn8QC_7huPkcW5ZuvuGk3sbS5gVe4kpzf2Ln795lawhL9qWY-3u4foSamK4GXAon1jQRsm/s1600/20200101_104258_resized.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjussYg9KTvxdK3gRr8A3B9xt-2j-GLy_rFvxtRZOHk9GwLrsaIwT4p_5INHMqgKRwb3HgYKn8QC_7huPkcW5ZuvuGk3sbS5gVe4kpzf2Ln795lawhL9qWY-3u4foSamK4GXAon1jQRsm/s320/20200101_104258_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two never cease to bring love and laughter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CwgaIuP4Dx6h7sfTJ308ATfBxyAiBOLTxMfzft88_9K1vqX27B-RKMwqgXuv0ppBLq1ALhYC3fjyiwvQpu6ObqzZhBkPAzdJjMcfBaN-CAksHToArZfvhYUPEACzXkhhx7wDOBe-reC1/s1600/10270.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CwgaIuP4Dx6h7sfTJ308ATfBxyAiBOLTxMfzft88_9K1vqX27B-RKMwqgXuv0ppBLq1ALhYC3fjyiwvQpu6ObqzZhBkPAzdJjMcfBaN-CAksHToArZfvhYUPEACzXkhhx7wDOBe-reC1/s320/10270.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same department - new location - new position </td></tr>
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I began 2020 - a new decade - DETERMINED to make this a turn-around year and so far, it has been. I am more content and peaceful right now than I've been in 4 years. I have let go and distanced myself from the source of judgment and pain, and am off social media for a year. I absolutely love my new job and live close enough that I am able to come home for lunch every day which I (and the dogs) love! Indiana has become home, and my 'home' is a quiet and peaceful place to isolate, rest and heal. I am reading a lot, taking a class on line and enjoy nothing more than sitting by the fireplace watching the cardinals at my feeder and the dogs play in the snow. We haven't had much, but it is finally white and crisp again, and I was actually very grateful for calm weather and good roads during the 4 weeks I was commuting to Holland to help care for Tim after his surgery.</div>
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The silver lining in Tim's heart attack is that it has caused me to make some lifestyle changes, since cardiovascular disease is very prevalent in my family. We inherited it from both sides and having already had a stroke which turned my life upside down, I got serious about ramping up the exercise and taking the time to make healtheir meals. I'm learning to make some really wonderful meals with fish, quinoa, fresh vegetables and cutting back on dairy (my weakness.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5HEBGf9tiqnTSXq1al8nIdOWNuM5O_h7gwjNmUASGSKQt9A4xWbBqvluQp5H15NHrnI7gBNqZA_gxBYRGd02_ySj2HhyphenhyphenZLJVTql8e2BGJmgn2ZBCIZ-y5pu1pOYd-7hRN9IbEGcgTSSg/s1600/20191223_151744_resized.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5HEBGf9tiqnTSXq1al8nIdOWNuM5O_h7gwjNmUASGSKQt9A4xWbBqvluQp5H15NHrnI7gBNqZA_gxBYRGd02_ySj2HhyphenhyphenZLJVTql8e2BGJmgn2ZBCIZ-y5pu1pOYd-7hRN9IbEGcgTSSg/s320/20191223_151744_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun group to work with </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVFvRtCtpyYZtfZtSWpGbhZ_8JpWGaduLIZ6mC6LYPAwEDMzN8yId_SQlE8O3WR54vrSy8jSiOINrgXnThP65teTglKNXibqocIWTM6mQ_YIk94PJsunUdSJwjdZzz_AQxOViNDLLGj-1/s1600/20191022_105410.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVFvRtCtpyYZtfZtSWpGbhZ_8JpWGaduLIZ6mC6LYPAwEDMzN8yId_SQlE8O3WR54vrSy8jSiOINrgXnThP65teTglKNXibqocIWTM6mQ_YIk94PJsunUdSJwjdZzz_AQxOViNDLLGj-1/s320/20191022_105410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our director (L) and my direct report (R) </td></tr>
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As I managed Tim's schedule, meeting his many, many friends and keeping them updated on his progress, I received appreciation and affirmation I hadn't experienced in four years. I found out that the person I thought was gone forever, is still there - right under the surface - just needing to back away from those who were toxic and convincing me that I was without worth and outside of God's love. I had difficulty backing away from them because 1) they were in my face constantly and 2) I believed them. Tim's friends and the distraction that his illness brought, showed me that my strength is still there! Stronger than ever, for I have learned so much! I finally walked away, and am finding rest and healing in solitude. The one solid connection I have is a small group I joined last summer - a group that meets weekly, <i>year round</i> (consistency is something that is very important to me), and has embraced and loved me as I am. I am so grateful for them - and the bonus is that several of them live in my neighborhood. My work colleagues are great fun and very affirming too. I feel like I am starting to find solid ground again. I had friends from MN stop on their way to Florida a few weeks ago, and that was a wonderful time of sharing and affirmation as well. I feel like my "old self" is slowly returning as I let "church" go for now - and am focused on staying safe in my own home, reading and listening to messages on line.<br />
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This afternoon has been pure delight as I have had a steady stream of cardinals at my feeder ... sometimes 7-8 at a time or waiting their turn in the bushes. The beauty and diversity of God's creation never ceases to move me. I had a long talk with my brother Dan this morning (the second this week) as he is currently evacuated on a beach in southern Thailand (hard to feel TOO sorry for him) and teaching his classes on line, while waiting out the coronovirus crisis in China. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9z4uxhJN0gDUYgkZCxVphwfOYXGYfUUh69LMLmcB1D5LUfhMerMq_LT6BDR_ql6L0GAsZcr4WCEQj5Hqc3xjsLtNKDmXu95esnrDpNW0a5KBmoFEJiyXCeF51-PB1c7Mh1EVLkq6DCC6/s1600/20200209_170520_resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1008" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9z4uxhJN0gDUYgkZCxVphwfOYXGYfUUh69LMLmcB1D5LUfhMerMq_LT6BDR_ql6L0GAsZcr4WCEQj5Hqc3xjsLtNKDmXu95esnrDpNW0a5KBmoFEJiyXCeF51-PB1c7Mh1EVLkq6DCC6/s320/20200209_170520_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqDYZIyRRGLT-SfwmVJ_U1-SJQOU3JcXhov68xtHpBW-as2Uh9xSLMC_HXlCTc5dU7BdaK5e0-LMsY03brwp8Vz22HY4BhI-xd5XOo1sdflPzZZbSTy9D9ZscZJ3vGRvlqlJ1CkrLWiBM/s1600/20200206_215646+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqDYZIyRRGLT-SfwmVJ_U1-SJQOU3JcXhov68xtHpBW-as2Uh9xSLMC_HXlCTc5dU7BdaK5e0-LMsY03brwp8Vz22HY4BhI-xd5XOo1sdflPzZZbSTy9D9ZscZJ3vGRvlqlJ1CkrLWiBM/s320/20200206_215646+%25281%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a>A friend from the Triumph stamp group in MN reminded me of a verse from Philippians 4 recently. Remember the old Sunday School song, "I've got the joy, joy, joy ....down in my heart." That joy has eluded me since May 4, 2016 - almost four years! The second verse says, "I have the <i>peace that passes understanding </i>down in my heart." I have come to realize, more than ever, that I had to let go of the need to <i>understand</i> those who are cruel and condemning. There IS no understanding. So I bought myself a gift to start this new decade with - and wear it nearly every day, along with my semi colon ring. I'm never going to understand - and I no longer need to. I have the peace that PASSES understanding - down in my heart. </div><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3-lzyqwacr_zxMRVrQET_CKPyU26LXCadZGtxn-Y-XpayRQ3fDBGurv3W02a2drc9bRQx6IUQYbnstMMiyfzlZ4gxOF1AT4yBq2snZ40HJ2jBi4_CJg8BQFf4GL_abbC-_N3T_nn1ahK/s1600/20200209_175757_resized.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1479" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3-lzyqwacr_zxMRVrQET_CKPyU26LXCadZGtxn-Y-XpayRQ3fDBGurv3W02a2drc9bRQx6IUQYbnstMMiyfzlZ4gxOF1AT4yBq2snZ40HJ2jBi4_CJg8BQFf4GL_abbC-_N3T_nn1ahK/s320/20200209_175757_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philippians 4:7<br />
And the peace of God, which transcends<br />
all understanding, will guard your hearts and<br />
your minds in Christ Jesus.</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-14431086332116370612019-09-02T08:28:00.001-06:002019-09-02T08:41:59.502-06:00Summer Getaway! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdtWOGaXR3QMgMKeEnxbESQad5e6OyakiSKpyXfT4F1oLm1yIMs4mXwEywo_uJeHl3y0QDSz3SVFRprNytUnRlQ8y69jIZNHgnuBnzHEXHZjlldB-MltWgyHy7ONdbz-PzJDP2ai8gT_b/s1600/68288304_10158854810354202_5013619370203545600_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1298" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdtWOGaXR3QMgMKeEnxbESQad5e6OyakiSKpyXfT4F1oLm1yIMs4mXwEywo_uJeHl3y0QDSz3SVFRprNytUnRlQ8y69jIZNHgnuBnzHEXHZjlldB-MltWgyHy7ONdbz-PzJDP2ai8gT_b/s320/68288304_10158854810354202_5013619370203545600_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never get tired of viewing the Mackinac Bridge</td></tr>
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It was supposed to be a week of vacation. I've been working some pretty crazy hours since last December, and had only had one vacation day since LAST August. So I was really looking forward to a week at the cabin. But alas, a crisis the weekend before we were to leave turned our week into a long weekend. I learned, however, that a vacation doesn't have to be long to be refreshing. <br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We had just three full days at the cabin but managed to pack a lot into it. I left home with a migraine that lingered for a week, but whenever I was at the beach or in the kayak, it was barely noticable. We were blessed with perfect weather and capped the trip off with a stop in Plainwell, MI (an hour from home) for ice cream on our way home. Yum!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidwXaqRWqZTbr-bU9aSv-EGM72ueg_o_hWBcm4Z-4tQJkJ2mlom9H7KBH872YdeyIJo55SZW6HJNsjhvc1v2_MFy8w6UWAmTP2auU8jXg4g84mbSs5JHEXG7OIavs0t3gPm3u14Yclwke/s1600/67806875_10158847828519202_294764395798462464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidwXaqRWqZTbr-bU9aSv-EGM72ueg_o_hWBcm4Z-4tQJkJ2mlom9H7KBH872YdeyIJo55SZW6HJNsjhvc1v2_MFy8w6UWAmTP2auU8jXg4g84mbSs5JHEXG7OIavs0t3gPm3u14Yclwke/s200/67806875_10158847828519202_294764395798462464_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Grand Marais (MI) music festival<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Enfv6z3mghIqCb10z2OiubqdHo6xesUiy3KXcxU_kCxDSdzkI8QI0SeZCyYfCdld9SEHtIGpmHCALqkamoTv6t3kDPecM1ac2g1aOUF3XTzveO85N2myHQHhHXUJ0MJGHUFYRKAC58OL/s1600/20190810_140620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Enfv6z3mghIqCb10z2OiubqdHo6xesUiy3KXcxU_kCxDSdzkI8QI0SeZCyYfCdld9SEHtIGpmHCALqkamoTv6t3kDPecM1ac2g1aOUF3XTzveO85N2myHQHhHXUJ0MJGHUFYRKAC58OL/s200/20190810_140620.jpg" width="200" /></a>For the many years we've been vacationing in the Michigan UP, I have always wanted to take in the Grand Marais Music Festival but somehow, we've always missed it. We finally managed to get there! Dogs weren't allowed so we found a spot just outside the gated area where we could see and hear well, and save the $35 entrance fee, to boot! It used to be called a FOLK Music festival and I was a little disappointed that it is no longer strictly folk and acoustic groups, but we did hear a couple that I enjoyed very much. When the metal bands took the stage, we wandered off to the gorgeous beach, and found a wonderful new pizza place. Can't wait to go back there next year! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBtiNJ9Sg_a2jg1Rrwy6m7Ont_UnzXo-LwFjvrkAf7wxDfs76mwFqqXiqBgrU7JrRthHOde1XUR559k5c3sWN3q-f23vdVuQtGFfWuLoKJrZ55CVaX_ny9jjZf2kXcw1EpNQU9cQUsLaW/s1600/68427578_10158856329269202_2268140008172945408_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBtiNJ9Sg_a2jg1Rrwy6m7Ont_UnzXo-LwFjvrkAf7wxDfs76mwFqqXiqBgrU7JrRthHOde1XUR559k5c3sWN3q-f23vdVuQtGFfWuLoKJrZ55CVaX_ny9jjZf2kXcw1EpNQU9cQUsLaW/s320/68427578_10158856329269202_2268140008172945408_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have to credit Tim with this amazing picture along the<br />
Au Train River. </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEerTBz2oV5wVQKWh2VGbSw_tJoERKS1TKKnqaYo1UXVf64_QmBhXf9_IL5GiG7k4w2vJ-hAUb9tE4JqZhs723HLkloQhkoWzzIe_XmRzuogvy7_89kXPO8dNDXxmzUt6oxEifDrZ-YXlQ/s1600/20190811_211223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEerTBz2oV5wVQKWh2VGbSw_tJoERKS1TKKnqaYo1UXVf64_QmBhXf9_IL5GiG7k4w2vJ-hAUb9tE4JqZhs723HLkloQhkoWzzIe_XmRzuogvy7_89kXPO8dNDXxmzUt6oxEifDrZ-YXlQ/s320/20190811_211223.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">We dismantled a fire pit at Tim's property near Grand Marais,<br />
carried the rocks in 5 gallon buckets to the car, made three trips<br />
out to the main road to prevent the car from bottoming out and<br />
rebuilt the firepit at Au Train. My back hurt for days!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpi31razWXg2wJywkAIVamXUIgh9-iA7DFnhq0yEAZ068iebGfdHb-_G58qmf_2dujO4c6X1qFVE7kNkYHEk2ph_72CoVH0uBRJktEzU8jlhc3Fx8O5gSFnB1-ZrJBOCCkDXba0CGWVSs/s1600/67955754_10158856329254202_3643892078317928448_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpi31razWXg2wJywkAIVamXUIgh9-iA7DFnhq0yEAZ068iebGfdHb-_G58qmf_2dujO4c6X1qFVE7kNkYHEk2ph_72CoVH0uBRJktEzU8jlhc3Fx8O5gSFnB1-ZrJBOCCkDXba0CGWVSs/s320/67955754_10158856329254202_3643892078317928448_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking the Au Train River with my best bud </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbzbWL_LljxT2ctsGPEMlRPVrmTtSMRwlhKH5LfWwPmGtzHWD5DdVouqTW3X2gkZjuJnpEJQ6B1nMRYZBBJNRb4_HXEGZJfOlGVHWFBn7VjQxYfdYzhW1R3AcN3h5wJMBW6OTRTNMm0Jq/s1600/20190812_201825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbzbWL_LljxT2ctsGPEMlRPVrmTtSMRwlhKH5LfWwPmGtzHWD5DdVouqTW3X2gkZjuJnpEJQ6B1nMRYZBBJNRb4_HXEGZJfOlGVHWFBn7VjQxYfdYzhW1R3AcN3h5wJMBW6OTRTNMm0Jq/s200/20190812_201825.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jam session at the Falling Rock</td></tr>
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The other two days consisted of raspberry picking, kayaking (with my brand new 12 foot Punto ..... it is awesome!), a jam session at the Falling Rock Cafe that Tim plays in, and a LOT of beach time. The water was warm and the dogs had an absolute blast retrieving sticks and crashing into the waves. Zak - who is always tentative at first - finally realized that he REALLY CAN swim and just loved the water. When it was time to go home, I knew I needed to CARRY him to the car. Tim was a little skeptical. I said, "No - he sees me packing up and he's not going to want to go home." I was right. In fact, I had trouble catching him in the CABIN - a small cabin at that. He was under the bed, behind every piece of furniture he could find, cowering with pleading eyes, "Mom - we've only been here three days. We can't go home YET!" It was hard to leave, but Tim told me that Oval Beach in Saugatuck opens to dogs (it's called "local season") after Labor Day so we plan to meet there next weekend for one last rendevous in the water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxCkbp5jng5P47llypMsYycYS_87yfIULzfSk5hwr3Qf5sSHWoIQQixthd6fNUY-agOka1BeiBE7pQBnCU0WyhY5P5NgtP-Wyq9_d_2BhXZ1DmWSWcxUg1udyO3ymk9hLVrqHnKrIRB19/s1600/67873848_10158851625694202_2670588910643445760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxCkbp5jng5P47llypMsYycYS_87yfIULzfSk5hwr3Qf5sSHWoIQQixthd6fNUY-agOka1BeiBE7pQBnCU0WyhY5P5NgtP-Wyq9_d_2BhXZ1DmWSWcxUg1udyO3ymk9hLVrqHnKrIRB19/s320/67873848_10158851625694202_2670588910643445760_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcs-_t0-LmpC9dcUdeIHrS1z8TclJw4myfKL7pk-rqDjCkUZR7VvN4dnB6WLL8oUtBrAAzjj3EPdWDie0T7DdfA0i37JJSQEMsfjzn5Z7cd_DrBTta1xMLPtujoTPkHeGlz-tuu6Vu0E8/s1600/20190815_173849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcs-_t0-LmpC9dcUdeIHrS1z8TclJw4myfKL7pk-rqDjCkUZR7VvN4dnB6WLL8oUtBrAAzjj3EPdWDie0T7DdfA0i37JJSQEMsfjzn5Z7cd_DrBTta1xMLPtujoTPkHeGlz-tuu6Vu0E8/s320/20190815_173849.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After some serious swimming and stick-chasing, Scarlett<br />
dug herself a bed in the warm sand, crawled in and went<br />
right to sleep. Have to say - I love this picture. It<br />
captures my girl so well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw_Tg6fzw0Y0nY9bhiHktPPXF7uei1HRyHdMakO7hO4WIwNwNUHcNfGd_ss9q7JP0csbcxMKRt-T7fzIZR8gZJBxGQoTo5Kx7_lujXmiAEDC9J7mCnptmP5mmcChNE6xO_fq3UG4UdgQX/s1600/68868587_10158851625829202_8403720731489206272_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfw_Tg6fzw0Y0nY9bhiHktPPXF7uei1HRyHdMakO7hO4WIwNwNUHcNfGd_ss9q7JP0csbcxMKRt-T7fzIZR8gZJBxGQoTo5Kx7_lujXmiAEDC9J7mCnptmP5mmcChNE6xO_fq3UG4UdgQX/s320/68868587_10158851625829202_8403720731489206272_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This boy had fun! </td></tr>
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It's a 425 mile trip up there, but I was so desperate for a weekend of refreshment that it was well worth it and fit the bill. I have another week off to look forward to in October. Those plans have changed somewhat too, but with all my reservations made, we're going to take a swing down to Brown County, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee anyway and hopefully see some dazzling fall colors. That will be our next post!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfjQVHwR0HtTeVUj7-yKMyZYbLBRXL2sTSh3dotRUKHJGXfbR20DH9I6YYAiVTv1j6GlgBESH1OBeMasFY7QmKdDwkkyWZaHlChkgQlQ2I0VSspNbPblixZZ12r4MwskHTYkl4z-uem2p/s1600/67790696_10158851626149202_669475171110748160_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="960" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfjQVHwR0HtTeVUj7-yKMyZYbLBRXL2sTSh3dotRUKHJGXfbR20DH9I6YYAiVTv1j6GlgBESH1OBeMasFY7QmKdDwkkyWZaHlChkgQlQ2I0VSspNbPblixZZ12r4MwskHTYkl4z-uem2p/s320/67790696_10158851626149202_669475171110748160_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming in the big waves of Lake Superior! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Au Train Beach</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-44132398338604898392019-07-30T18:10:00.001-06:002019-07-31T20:28:24.717-06:00Zacchaeus at Six <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Can it really be six years since I brought home a 3 lb, squawking fur ball who cried all night? Who charmed the neighborhood and everyone who saw him? Who caused cars traveling down 8th Street to turn onto the frontage road and ask if they could PLEASE see the puppy? Who followed his big sister, Princess, EVERYWHERE for the first three weeks - convinced she was his new mama, even though she had zero tolerance for him? And who, after three weeks, got a new 'big sister' who absolutely ADORED him and claimed him as her own. The love affair between those two goes on, and though there are jealous moments, it always warms my heart to see Zak groom Scarlett - licking her face, her eyes, her ears .... she, on her back, soaking it up and then rewarding him by jumping up and giving chase. He has long since passed her up in speed, but they still have a ton of fun together.<br />
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Huge shout out to Betty Boersma, Mike and Gina Wander, and Emma Baardson for all the help, advice and encouragement they gave me in those early months. For 16 months I had three dogs - a puppy, a one year old and a very elderly senior who spent a good bit of the last year of her life at the neighbors!<br />
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HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY Zacchaeus Robert; aka Zak, Zakki, or Zackaroni. You are still convinced that every person on the planet is here to play with you and you manage to convince them of the same. You have comforted me in dark times, made me laugh - along with your sister - every single day, tested my patience at times and brought so much joy into my life. You are a good boy. And there is nothing you like better than hearing that!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">SIX WEEKS </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">SIX YEARS</span></b></td></tr>
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Summer is going fast. Other than one horribly, miserable hot spell that lasted about five days, July was pretty nice, after a very wet May and June. A good friend from MN, Joan Groothuis, came for a weekend, and we've found a few inland lakes to cool off. But I've been working some pretty crazy long hours since the first of the year, and when I finally get home at night, I enjoy nothing more than sitting in my hammock (my happy place) while the dogs play in the yard. I have had only one vacation day since last August, so we're looking forward to getting away to the cabin next week. </div>
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<br />Zak will lie in the front yard for hours at a time, waiting for his neighborhood friends to come play. No one seemed to be around this particular day. He's very patient and loves to watch the traffic - which we had lots of in MN and almost NONE of here. But once in a great while, a car will come by or someone will be out in their yard. And he's happy as a lark.<br />
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THIS is what he lives for. A crowd of kids gathered all around him, petting him, loving on him, playing with him. He's the center of the universe. Scarlett enjoys it to a point, but a little goes a long way. For Zak, it never gets old. The extrovert of all extroverts. He couldn't care less about playing with other dogs. He wants to play with people.<br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-15416194283327736662019-05-25T08:45:00.001-06:002019-05-25T08:53:55.341-06:00Tulip Time 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been a long time since we've posted. Life is hard and I don't have much energy for writing fun posts about my dogs' antics anymore. I hope to get back to it someday. But a few weeks ago we did make a trip to Holland for Tulip Time (annual tradition). Actually I missed the official festival and parade due a funeral, but we went up the next day and even though it was raining on and off all day, the tulips were gorgeous - as always. I think the colors this year were the most vibrant I can ever remember. Here are a few pictures.<br />
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And last weekend, we held a neighborhood garage sale. Didn't make much money but the dogs sure had fun. Zak was his usual charming self, welcoming all who were willing to show him a little attention. He's all about that! Scarlett got in a on a little of it too, although she retreated to the back deck for much of the day. </div>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-26965884805351923572018-10-28T16:27:00.001-06:002018-10-28T16:47:52.169-06:00Midwest Corgi Picnic and Corgis in the Park! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was just the last two years that we lived in Minnesota, that some state and region wide corgi events were planned. Because they were new, they weren't real big - but I hear they are growing in numbers. A former friend of mine was very involved in the HUGE semi annual corgi beach days in California, and I think it was because of the wild success (and national exposure) of those events, that other states are following suit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi86AFhkfbruqdGLeXjqCZPckzxOlyjrsWyey9WcBxFx9UOzPoaBteSUm5erFUomopO4JFtpSbDiVWEX7pDvHBsD9pDk3C9UsSgzqGk8OIMFQGV5WkrZY5VduPl2UZSU8z9QSLNw8FB7Gy/s1600/43260386_10157935030399202_2625537589926428672_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi86AFhkfbruqdGLeXjqCZPckzxOlyjrsWyey9WcBxFx9UOzPoaBteSUm5erFUomopO4JFtpSbDiVWEX7pDvHBsD9pDk3C9UsSgzqGk8OIMFQGV5WkrZY5VduPl2UZSU8z9QSLNw8FB7Gy/s200/43260386_10157935030399202_2625537589926428672_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Tim and I were commenting that you never hear of a "Dachsund Picnic" or a "Golden Retriever Beach Party". Maybe they exist, but I've never heard of them. But corgis are such an incredibly social breed - and, let's face it, - their humans are kind of a subculture, too, that more and more corgi events are popping up around the country. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl0zzBn7EO42NaHnOLP0ZJaj0M2K7eUFGLOQfzR0M1j3oRqqwN1Sz56A_WpApACZrzNCMygggh8FmBQLgenDqh9TcMvMB2k6f4ueh_BLbcqKBvYo_UQ_SyEWEHjVgXZHS7zSCntLFFWtK/s1600/43248157_10157933699024202_1525309565900423168_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl0zzBn7EO42NaHnOLP0ZJaj0M2K7eUFGLOQfzR0M1j3oRqqwN1Sz56A_WpApACZrzNCMygggh8FmBQLgenDqh9TcMvMB2k6f4ueh_BLbcqKBvYo_UQ_SyEWEHjVgXZHS7zSCntLFFWtK/s200/43248157_10157933699024202_1525309565900423168_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here in Indiana, the "Midwest Corgi Picnic" is held in early October. That is a three hour trip from Goshen, and we went this year mainly to check it out. It's a fundraising event, so there are entrance fees, dog park fees, even fees to participate in some of the contests and games. And it wasn't particularly well attended. Still, we had a fun day there and might go back sometime. </div>
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There were two Cardigans there and you can see them both in this picture; the blue merle in the foreground (beautiful dog!!!) and the white one with grey markings is a double merle, which is a big no-no in the breeding world. They are usually deaf and/or blind; a genetic aberration that comes from inheriting the merle gene twice. This one was a rescue dog - deaf and an eye that is deformed. But a sweet temperament and much loved by his family. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQY8P23xLYwvHYE1fbrmE4IksHNqlpmg4ESALWsgdhDCHJljRpjciRopC9zzEQ80sVZxBtzKB_OnbShWQEDXHg124EEy5kx2ur3geoqvt2qYbkeG1pvU4Lufrf_UR1QDz_wPclxFZyp8g/s1600/43199563_10157933699189202_4498752657992712192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQY8P23xLYwvHYE1fbrmE4IksHNqlpmg4ESALWsgdhDCHJljRpjciRopC9zzEQ80sVZxBtzKB_OnbShWQEDXHg124EEy5kx2ur3geoqvt2qYbkeG1pvU4Lufrf_UR1QDz_wPclxFZyp8g/s320/43199563_10157933699189202_4498752657992712192_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Cj3uPefjj8ZUD2Se_pz6koBrVSbvWgcZPtQBE7V2W89DoKXXAJ6Cxg6VFbr9aE1L7uBAKa3X2S2PfoHmpR3ftfS4vxys1qHkgWw3ghVFoTLlS32IihNIUlAybrsIHz3NqognZEJRDcy/s1600/44913682_10157996383724202_4249859011131736064_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="960" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0Cj3uPefjj8ZUD2Se_pz6koBrVSbvWgcZPtQBE7V2W89DoKXXAJ6Cxg6VFbr9aE1L7uBAKa3X2S2PfoHmpR3ftfS4vxys1qHkgWw3ghVFoTLlS32IihNIUlAybrsIHz3NqognZEJRDcy/s320/44913682_10157996383724202_4249859011131736064_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Corgis in the Park - held yesterday in Grand Rapids - is a huge event and we had a blast! We went last year but it rained almost all day which decreased both the size of the crowd and the enjoyment. Yesterday was cool and damp, but not raining and there had to have been around 300 corgis there! As the pictures will clearly show, while most of the dogs were playing with each other, Zak was working the crowd for some lovin' and cuddlin'. (Poor boy never gets that at home!) I'm sure he was the most photographed dog there because of the way he goes up to people, plops down right in front and waits for them to pet him .... then beams for the camera when they want a picture. What a boy! Scarlett had a LOT of fun running and playing with the other dogs, but made sure she never got TOO far away from me. It was pretty overwhelming! I had a meeting later that afternoon and attended a concert that Tim sang in, in the evening and then drove home, getting back very late. Needless to say, we were ALL tired and have had a pretty lazy Sunday just resting and not doing much else. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workin' the crowd</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will be more than happy to sit here quietly while you love on me.<br />
(And oh - by the way - my sister is right behind you ..... you can ignore her.) </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello ....</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-44482372906516919242018-10-02T19:51:00.002-06:002018-10-03T10:01:16.448-06:00One Year! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can hardly believe it has been a year since we left our home in Minnesota for our new home in Indiana. It has been QUITE a year. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October 2017</td></tr>
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Tiny, baby steps forward - only to be followed by a huge setback last Spring made me wonder if we would be moving again. For a time, it looked like we would. But just within the past 4-5 weeks, things have started to turn around and I am hopeful that the coming year is going to be one of larger strides and real healing. Because of the ongoing trauma, I haven't done a good job at updating our blog. But we have a couple of fun corgi events coming up this month, that I'll want to share pictures from. So I thought I should first give a brief update on our summer. In spite of the challenges, we did have some fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE2f0JwJRmgGEYETRxZvF9K69d64Pd_I32V0C_I-hldfQPXsqWlSDKo8kouFWvhoURoK3feBYT2ifdSfc_a8yXtIzpObg9fQh6mS-STLeMU-AUr45bIHFrt4v1PQTVR8J43Lkc3PYaTJg/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE2f0JwJRmgGEYETRxZvF9K69d64Pd_I32V0C_I-hldfQPXsqWlSDKo8kouFWvhoURoK3feBYT2ifdSfc_a8yXtIzpObg9fQh6mS-STLeMU-AUr45bIHFrt4v1PQTVR8J43Lkc3PYaTJg/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="214" /></a>Much of the fun involved company! We had a lot of it! My brother Dan came home from China for five weeks. He spent a weekend with us in Indiana (Zak still goes and sleeps by "Dan's" bed) and then we celebrated my Aunt Wanda's 90th birthday on July 22nd. I saw cousins and other extended family and friends I hadn't seen in years. It was a wonderful day celebrating a truly remarkable woman who is still taking college classes, drives and makes calls on the 'elderly'!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping late every morning was a treat for all of us!</td></tr>
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Tim, Dan and I spent a wonderful week together at the cabin, hanging out on Au Train Beach, kayaking the Au Train River and spending a day in Marquette. Zak and Scarlett loved the beach and Dan was wonderful about taking them over there every chance he had. <br />
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We stopped at the Mackinac Bridge both coming and going .... I never tire of the view of the beautiful bridge that connects Upper and Lower Michigan. <br />
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The two weeks after returning from the cabin brought more company! My best highschool friends (sisters), Betty and Ardis were here for a long weekend and we enjoyed seeing the Mennohof Museum at Shipshewana together. The following day was a HORRIBLY hot day but I really wanted them to see DeFries Gardens so we went over there for a short walk and headed home. The dogs were with us, but I was so preoccupied with trying to find a cool place to sit that I didn't pay much attention to them. A couple days later, I developed a HORRIBLE rash on my chest, up and over my left shoulder and down that arm. I could not imagine what it was! I went to the doctor and she said it looked like poison ivy but since I hadn't been walking through any wooded areas, we ruled that out. <span style="text-align: center;"> Over the next several days a couple other people mentioned that it ALSO looked like poison ivy. To make a long story short, we found out that DeFries Gardens has an abundance of poison ivy and Zak apparently got into it. Because he has a double layer of fur protecting his skin, he had no symptoms, but he transmitted the toxic oil to me when he slept next to me - right up against my left side! What a crazy ordeal that was!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySAwlGW_5OCLiAXXHY42s-uJRDkOeKtpCIQmKx6efbEWbDEHAq3EcEUn2NPFYS4jxy7brwxIn6JlRANpzuy8Dw1ynffxeZDTht_L3nRTU8OFqh_jWpNzw2iaEWFMYpCHIecSHI6mgMIPC/s1600/40547566_10157833232939202_1290295969144897536_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySAwlGW_5OCLiAXXHY42s-uJRDkOeKtpCIQmKx6efbEWbDEHAq3EcEUn2NPFYS4jxy7brwxIn6JlRANpzuy8Dw1ynffxeZDTht_L3nRTU8OFqh_jWpNzw2iaEWFMYpCHIecSHI6mgMIPC/s320/40547566_10157833232939202_1290295969144897536_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: center;">The weekend after <i>that</i>, my friends the Kidders came to visit from North Carolina and Tim came down to join us on Saturday. On Sunday, we met Kelly & Brian and Dan's parents in Plymouth for the Blueberry Festival, that I'd heard so much about. I have several things to say about that. 1) It was HOT. 2) It was HUGE. 3) It was CROWDED! 4) We had fun anyway, mostly because of 3 year old Elsie who loved the kiddie rides and everything else that makes life through the eyes of a 3 year old so much fun. <br /><br /><br /><br />Now we are more or less into our Fall routine. Scarlett and Zak both had their teeth professionally cleaned yesterday. I'm becoming very involved in my church in South Bend and loving it there, and also am starting to get back into stamping. I volunteer Sunday evenings at a homeless shelter and have found that to be meaningful and rewarding. I am on a long road of healing from traumatic loss, but when I compare my life to that of the men and women who do not even have a place of their own to call home, along with the many other challenges they are facing, it is a good place for me to gain perspective. Life is STARTING to turn around, and for the friends who have hung with me for the past 2-1/2 years plus a group of four people in ministry who have accepted me, are committed to walking this journey with me and are supporting me in many ways, I am immensely grateful. </span></div>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-79211567749111116242018-06-26T19:12:00.000-06:002018-06-26T19:20:47.261-06:00Festivals!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzQI1bdoafHJS-BJqIngebDztgWFKa9uA4vW50jNxLZrYLRE3YrbSoie8Pi3O89qo4VlkNTpY3cp_Z8ohnSZRqpSrTav_dFSc-5Y29EIi0A8KBK8CyZ1SeLtwUFpX3TAMaHNvr-WDeQsX/s1600/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1d215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1086" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzQI1bdoafHJS-BJqIngebDztgWFKa9uA4vW50jNxLZrYLRE3YrbSoie8Pi3O89qo4VlkNTpY3cp_Z8ohnSZRqpSrTav_dFSc-5Y29EIi0A8KBK8CyZ1SeLtwUFpX3TAMaHNvr-WDeQsX/s320/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_1d215.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've always loved outdoor summer festivals. Craft shows, music festivals, farmers markets .... you name it; if it's outdoors and there are people around, I love to take Scarlett and Zak and mingle. I'm naturally introverted, and the greatest gift my dogs have given me is the opportunity to meet people who want to pet them, are curious about the breed or have questions specifically about Scarlett and Zak. "What are their names?", "How old are they?" and "Do they shed a lot?" (Yes!!!!!) are the most common ones. I love to talk about corgis and especially love to share the antics of mine.</div>
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Holland Tulip Time Festival</div>
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In Minnesota, I looked forward to several festivals every summer. The Fargo Street Fair, the Island Park Fair and the Phelps Mill Festival were the main ones. There was a little "Taste of Dorset" that we went to a few times as well. But Indiana!?!?!? My goodness ..... there is a festival going on somewhere in the area<i> </i><b style="font-style: italic;">every single weekend, and I'm not kidding! </b> Of course, since it's our first summer here, we've had to check them all out. </div>
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Tulip Time Parade May 12, 2018</div>
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I was born in Holland, but we moved from there when I was just a baby and I haven't had a chance to take in many of the Tulip Time festivals there over the years. I <i>have</i> been to the Iowa ones (Pella and Orange City) which are smaller, but the one in Holland is one of the largest festivals in the country. I <i>heard</i> that it is second only to the Mardi Gras but I have a hard time believing that. It's big though! It's nice when your brother lives 1/2 mile from the parade route so that you can park in his driveway and not have to come 4 hours early - like everyone else - to find a place to park! I loved the bands, the costumes, the floats .... all of it. I really enjoy parades.<br />
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The little town of Wakarusa hosts the Maple Sugar Festival in May and the Wakarusa Bluegrass Festival in June. We enjoyed them both! The charming little village of Winona Lake, about 30 miles to the south, is a picturesque setting nestled between three lakes with a canal that runs through the tourist area. Great eateries, ice cream shops, and upscale gift shops remind me of some of the Minnesota resort towns that I have enjoyed for years. We've been to Winona Lake three weekends already .... the Fat & Skinny Bike Festival and two craft shows. It's a fun town.<br />
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We've had a couple of very hot weekends and found several dog beaches along Lake Michigan near St. Joseph. This past weekend we took in the Elkhart Jazz Festival which was a lot of fun. Scarlett and Zak, as usual, were big hits with kids and adults alike.<br />
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Summer is just getting started. There's a lot more to come ..... the Elkhart County Fair, the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth, the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne. Other than a week at the cabin with my brothers in August, I'm not getting a vacation this summer, so these weekend festivals are little 'mini vacations' every weekend. Lots of fun and something to keep me going when life continues to be pretty unsettled.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Beach on a 96 degree afternoon!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJUbtItL6zNCf6vnLq7QWsRECWQOP7N14-Scjb-V93C9F-sNcLxUe0EsZY_JiY4j-qJGJ8ZPaeNpoXGy3CkNVZw0NzrDbjQpuF6DrxZ1qsjLC0X9HSzMel1mn2aK5bXJYwyRF6juc5MOA/s1600/20180624_135227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJUbtItL6zNCf6vnLq7QWsRECWQOP7N14-Scjb-V93C9F-sNcLxUe0EsZY_JiY4j-qJGJ8ZPaeNpoXGy3CkNVZw0NzrDbjQpuF6DrxZ1qsjLC0X9HSzMel1mn2aK5bXJYwyRF6juc5MOA/s320/20180624_135227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet family - and they loved Scarlett and Zak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a little princess <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO24MALOG1dtxCOAbChfhxgwBnMlMC3bJxtsz3I5pwcyZ7s80GnbVUjg7CU0X-5huE5J4J4zbo9yicCpWyDTLJvNTJUtsU9k2kWTDMnwQxXpVRXlaIJsY4NlwEgCRsNHfynjfWDyjs0ilI/s1600/36188280_10157604638764202_1592844748354224128_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO24MALOG1dtxCOAbChfhxgwBnMlMC3bJxtsz3I5pwcyZ7s80GnbVUjg7CU0X-5huE5J4J4zbo9yicCpWyDTLJvNTJUtsU9k2kWTDMnwQxXpVRXlaIJsY4NlwEgCRsNHfynjfWDyjs0ilI/s320/36188280_10157604638764202_1592844748354224128_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zak gives a kiss to a new friend - Elkhart Jazz Festival</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-89446594475597162312018-05-18T21:45:00.000-06:002018-05-18T21:49:04.849-06:00Backyard Fun <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8pzTlNLzitiCtU4iYMmsv7pHka04026laPyVN5Z4yI20Lk8vmQv57hecmk1X5IldtfPL5izXYZLixzOKQKgIgHC_0DzQ2xoEbcVrjmf5Y2sP7rBtUnjICQnyhgZ9pq0-2k6Gsf2pr1uS/s1600/32188122_10157462001249202_8189736643234627584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8pzTlNLzitiCtU4iYMmsv7pHka04026laPyVN5Z4yI20Lk8vmQv57hecmk1X5IldtfPL5izXYZLixzOKQKgIgHC_0DzQ2xoEbcVrjmf5Y2sP7rBtUnjICQnyhgZ9pq0-2k6Gsf2pr1uS/s320/32188122_10157462001249202_8189736643234627584_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>I really enjoyed my house over the winter. The gas fireplace was on pretty much all the time, and if I forgot, Zak would remind me. He loves to bark at the flame! But this Spring I came to a whole new appreciation for my yard! Never much of a gardener, I planted hostas and day lilies and FINALLY got a hydrangea to bloom - just last year. But the previous owners of <i>this home</i> had an absolutely gorgeous perennial garden and it has been a thrill to see new life emerging all Spring. First it was the daffodils. Then the bleeding hearts and other blooming shrubs exploded. Hostas line the border - perfectly spaced. Purple and white ground cover is sooo pretty. Irises are now blooming, with more to come. I added a couple of hydrangeas and two hanging baskets and - well, it's like a park! Never would I have dreamt that I'd ever have a yard so lovely. My hammock is my happy place. I <i>have</i>, unfortunately, found several wood ticks in the sheets (ugh!!) But we are LOVING our yard. When I'm inside, Scarlett and Zak happily lounge on the back deck. We miss our Moorhead neighbors terribly and I (surprisingly) miss living on a busy street with lots of activity. But we are enjoying our new home very much. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVUqouQInFxt4AzEEN8I-7p7fv04OSKpMOarLLqkGP_5Makft37SO4Qz_jHNnTf8rI6ef_klgubMKRyZ4crUbmk05fwC6uR9e_m4UNqd6clZbrkUtvzHyA20C2lo4foMHNnKbvZ4YK5HE/s1600/32293573_10157466591409202_2861656260292378624_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="943" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVUqouQInFxt4AzEEN8I-7p7fv04OSKpMOarLLqkGP_5Makft37SO4Qz_jHNnTf8rI6ef_klgubMKRyZ4crUbmk05fwC6uR9e_m4UNqd6clZbrkUtvzHyA20C2lo4foMHNnKbvZ4YK5HE/s320/32293573_10157466591409202_2861656260292378624_n.jpg" width="313" /></a><br />
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We are still in the pre-bug season (although I'm starting to swat mosquitos) and I could sit out there all afternoon with a book. With the dog fence that I put in, Scarlett and Zak are able to run and chase each other all through the yard and I don't have to worry about them getting into neighboring lawns. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU2-cRaopU2JBoHLY5ohrMjdNQeyYbSm2P5Mv7HYYlz3AoVHCvtvztMu9V6WCvng4SwyFzhTAxI3rLMyJwBprK6fwP0GSPowl0xDK067pBaJJlePoNCPtbPWSUAZwmWFq0vuz4pHi0Z4G/s1600/32243679_10157462001054202_1385112397315833856_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="886" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU2-cRaopU2JBoHLY5ohrMjdNQeyYbSm2P5Mv7HYYlz3AoVHCvtvztMu9V6WCvng4SwyFzhTAxI3rLMyJwBprK6fwP0GSPowl0xDK067pBaJJlePoNCPtbPWSUAZwmWFq0vuz4pHi0Z4G/s320/32243679_10157462001054202_1385112397315833856_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last week we had our first REAL Minnesota company! (I've had several other friends visit who I knew from Minnesota, but they now live other places such as Iowa or North Carolina.) But last week my friend Cindy came for a long weekend and it was SOOO good to have her here. Good to be able to have conversation with someone who has known me longer than six months! Good to get her perspective on some hard things that have happened over the past couple months. Good to be reminded that true friends do not abandon you when life gets hard; they come alongside you and walk with you through the storm. That's the kind of friend that Cindy is and it was wonderful having her here. As you can see, Zak thought it was wonderful too and he decided she was his 'new best friend'. <br />
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We went to Holland for Tulip Time on Saturday (that will be my next blog post) and on Sunday just hung around Goshen, went to Shanklin Park to watch the geese (the babies had more than doubled in size since the previous weekend) and walked around Fidler's Pond. Fidler's Pond is a nice walk and everyone talks about how peaceful it is but they neglect to mention the railroad tracks that run right next to the pond! I don't think I've been there yet when there hasn't been at least one train coming through. Oh well .... Spring is finally here to stay and we're loving it. <br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-37209876453339601202018-01-01T16:59:00.001-06:002018-05-16T14:34:25.004-06:00A New Year - a Fresh Start. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXTmJXfi7zt64_cT_UggUtGWJxmwCR0BvaWwM2L1YJmFLUQilBa4UgjKqPe_eAw0s4p5vGA_6giO504BMJy5dki15IVgYMI8IR4v1eoSk02HPgXXFOjWuoYzCcWWTVITIWX_s23Y3Hwuv/s1600/25594263_10156972084909202_3590120823675895635_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXTmJXfi7zt64_cT_UggUtGWJxmwCR0BvaWwM2L1YJmFLUQilBa4UgjKqPe_eAw0s4p5vGA_6giO504BMJy5dki15IVgYMI8IR4v1eoSk02HPgXXFOjWuoYzCcWWTVITIWX_s23Y3Hwuv/s200/25594263_10156972084909202_3590120823675895635_n.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I have lived in
Indiana for three months now, but I still feel very, very new.
My home does not yet feel quite 'like home', although I love it.
I've made a few friends, but they do not yet have the richness that comes with
time. I'm not even close to having mastered my job yet, although I
really like it too. I look back over 2017, without a doubt the most
difficult year of my life, and am so grateful to be able to trace God's hand
through it. </span><br />
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<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<span class="p"></span>
<span class="p">I recently came across a quote that has become very meaningful to me; especially this Christmas season. As I was walking over a bridge, listening to the rhythm of the traffic flowing beneath me, I was reminded of this beautiful piece by John Ruskin, shared in one of my favorite devotionals <b>Streams in the Desert</b>. </span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9HZnAPYPIqzKb_0JXj-6LorZj_Ru_1gwLpUTPn6R9wAnALLDnAc0h9zsSdwcalld1WKMAb1oGnPbWK-FykBY3C6T2fwldZyO_gOu1q-oqiaff_9qF-9y19NRfag7TGY-EeGbn8zldMQe/s1600/25593848_10156972084584202_7563075762464556748_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="462" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9HZnAPYPIqzKb_0JXj-6LorZj_Ru_1gwLpUTPn6R9wAnALLDnAc0h9zsSdwcalld1WKMAb1oGnPbWK-FykBY3C6T2fwldZyO_gOu1q-oqiaff_9qF-9y19NRfag7TGY-EeGbn8zldMQe/s320/25593848_10156972084584202_7563075762464556748_n.jpg" width="154" /></a><i>"There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it." In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by "rests," and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time of forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives; and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator. How does the musician read the "rest"? See him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between.</i></div>
<span class="p"></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 11px;">
<i>Not without design does God write the music of our lives. Be it ours to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the "rests." They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we look up, God Himself will beat the time for us. With the eye on Him, we shall strike the next note full and clear. If we sadly say to ourselves, "There is no music in a 'rest,'" let us not forget "there is the making of music in it." The making of music is often a slow and painful process in this life. How patiently God works to teach us! How long He waits for us to learn the lesson! --Ruskin</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUgSo-mkQx0m3YyDr-NGzxM4K2pLZ8hijhAFYlzEd8gh8CdgGaewBe_Pr4VUENkF0U_F_K0Iz5XhaDnm7qxY8gH-iLEodo459DELnPTveAVSifaBB7qbustI8EtA4U2IQRMpJBL0ulJdP/s1600/25594246_10156977161819202_6766136851722823906_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUgSo-mkQx0m3YyDr-NGzxM4K2pLZ8hijhAFYlzEd8gh8CdgGaewBe_Pr4VUENkF0U_F_K0Iz5XhaDnm7qxY8gH-iLEodo459DELnPTveAVSifaBB7qbustI8EtA4U2IQRMpJBL0ulJdP/s320/25594246_10156977161819202_6766136851722823906_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="p"></span><br />
<span class="p"></span>
<span class="p">One thing I do love about Indiana is being so much closer to my brother. Tim came here for Christmas, and we had a wonderful day in Chicago last Saturday, eating at the Walnut Room at Macy's, going to Millenium Park and walking the magnificent mile along Michigan Ave up to Water Tower Place. So much fun to be in Chicago at Christmastime! The rest of the weekend we relaxed at home, with a picturesque scene of falling snow outside my back door. Quite beautiful! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyB5luykzMJWM3M6b0Z0ZlcmsJPdaZT8LCJ-hx9JYYZkWWUUAcXAHOSEXNeZmtAFNQJuF71wWl3jxRbw2G163aBljMs9FdfWu3fauI-2mbLip21ua4Cu1mazHHjbc8g_1gfNCJq0wicB9/s1600/26172823_10157002392609202_6817696046386727540_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1440" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyB5luykzMJWM3M6b0Z0ZlcmsJPdaZT8LCJ-hx9JYYZkWWUUAcXAHOSEXNeZmtAFNQJuF71wWl3jxRbw2G163aBljMs9FdfWu3fauI-2mbLip21ua4Cu1mazHHjbc8g_1gfNCJq0wicB9/s320/26172823_10157002392609202_6817696046386727540_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="p"><br /></span>
<span class="p"><br /></span>
Now a new year is upon us, and I'm not quite sure what this girl was up to last night but she appears to have a New Year's Eve hangover. She's usually the first one up in the morning but has been lazily lounging in bed all day today! She's cracking me up. Happy New Year to all my friends and family and best wishes for a prosperous 2018!<br />
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZajyiVE7aIDg6vT6rOqoK01P68cxpFcHI3AW1TbTicibvKVNEgsVUhVZxQHvaKkyODPiTY34OST-B1hjmiuLxb_bnulbWmTKV0AVwlIRaUr_1g2wMN72qJpTWBsQPdxpW_n0iB7JiH69I/s1600/25507956_10156973386114202_5515386108898839813_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZajyiVE7aIDg6vT6rOqoK01P68cxpFcHI3AW1TbTicibvKVNEgsVUhVZxQHvaKkyODPiTY34OST-B1hjmiuLxb_bnulbWmTKV0AVwlIRaUr_1g2wMN72qJpTWBsQPdxpW_n0iB7JiH69I/s320/25507956_10156973386114202_5515386108898839813_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Magnificent Mile - Michigan Ave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZe8ooYAnVKFYkv6rpziLU6fymJMRiJxdOYkc1u9KcqpaOrARhRTNk8dX6YDrWZKZSpuYKsZs-ZB_r7-6ibbEQ-41jcngtmqQ2_i0tTp6amVre2J1H3LQz1cPSVV4hNFVlrxAd7FOXISgF/s1600/25552267_10156973385914202_850197711150592659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZe8ooYAnVKFYkv6rpziLU6fymJMRiJxdOYkc1u9KcqpaOrARhRTNk8dX6YDrWZKZSpuYKsZs-ZB_r7-6ibbEQ-41jcngtmqQ2_i0tTp6amVre2J1H3LQz1cPSVV4hNFVlrxAd7FOXISgF/s320/25552267_10156973385914202_850197711150592659_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Tower (one of the few structures <br />
spared in the Great Chicago Fire)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXjn44x_4R1GcNVTcbRp9V2c9AQWqL9O45pBJx0eeiWceCC8OCglmPG706eitcoVSJijAYYp0OCdbYrE_1ZuDwpQUiHftXlHnyswWE4bONLU0gTxB0lkVHWZ0qYeujZWP5dvaNYuvmE5R/s1600/25552325_10156972416494202_1935818511034848815_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXjn44x_4R1GcNVTcbRp9V2c9AQWqL9O45pBJx0eeiWceCC8OCglmPG706eitcoVSJijAYYp0OCdbYrE_1ZuDwpQUiHftXlHnyswWE4bONLU0gTxB0lkVHWZ0qYeujZWP5dvaNYuvmE5R/s320/25552325_10156972416494202_1935818511034848815_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Walnut Room at Macys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMo1n2xx15rgBVHZ6onmHe76YcrZgIwlDMUwI4Ak8G5IysXApC1Y3aXYgvyTXdIqZqndN651Nn8TZtq2vIDHQYHRf-TNO733twoo4H3Rr5qj_weOoagQjrP0F2sENMs92R-v2RoSk56i3a/s1600/25591744_10156972085284202_1823400063781461673_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="960" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMo1n2xx15rgBVHZ6onmHe76YcrZgIwlDMUwI4Ak8G5IysXApC1Y3aXYgvyTXdIqZqndN651Nn8TZtq2vIDHQYHRf-TNO733twoo4H3Rr5qj_weOoagQjrP0F2sENMs92R-v2RoSk56i3a/s320/25591744_10156972085284202_1823400063781461673_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Millenium Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGciROmO95-KlkaK5vdWR0h_ycKXIL-OSmwkt-eBhOVznFA9jAGMQpPPToM8YRN_Heb12E2UzbikZ6xwe-_btfDvUfRUMt7lBt2buXPeFCk0Ec28pm4_YvrmW9-FgBmlAg9umVTTiF7AqS/s1600/25659547_10156972085699202_2072116166792254744_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGciROmO95-KlkaK5vdWR0h_ycKXIL-OSmwkt-eBhOVznFA9jAGMQpPPToM8YRN_Heb12E2UzbikZ6xwe-_btfDvUfRUMt7lBt2buXPeFCk0Ec28pm4_YvrmW9-FgBmlAg9umVTTiF7AqS/s320/25659547_10156972085699202_2072116166792254744_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2xx4Xlhc4VVL9ublThenrqboi86agtrQudGpge4qkBKi8HTY5ANl6-AOiQ3XDmGtt4Z9s7wwI3ABQqGJYhybnOulGDs_HhR6Ywr9sUVllpU-HY-Epm1ofEIfCFsBBUeA73mEc_Z-ttB6/s1600/25660285_10156973384899202_3318304623118183739_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2xx4Xlhc4VVL9ublThenrqboi86agtrQudGpge4qkBKi8HTY5ANl6-AOiQ3XDmGtt4Z9s7wwI3ABQqGJYhybnOulGDs_HhR6Ywr9sUVllpU-HY-Epm1ofEIfCFsBBUeA73mEc_Z-ttB6/s320/25660285_10156973384899202_3318304623118183739_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Tower Building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSU-48uHMrAdi1AGblMgNIic5Nen9QExPkwIZx2PjpsIKVtn48i4KwfZBrDCALsdrIR8ppZSQoJSoJpVbUL78SFrFEKXb3zf4Z4ekfXDZ-Unm7X7HCS9JAKfPSTdqYNCBWq3Z2uWLVoWa/s1600/26112403_10156998456549202_4092483397941607093_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSU-48uHMrAdi1AGblMgNIic5Nen9QExPkwIZx2PjpsIKVtn48i4KwfZBrDCALsdrIR8ppZSQoJSoJpVbUL78SFrFEKXb3zf4Z4ekfXDZ-Unm7X7HCS9JAKfPSTdqYNCBWq3Z2uWLVoWa/s320/26112403_10156998456549202_4092483397941607093_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bean at Millenium Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMg4qDe60DPliYVIO88QVBcCqeeo6v7E9e7Mg5EOiOIm7jMvNFBg5MU_fKmy5GgfhKmgMAf82UEnTgAgqSfD_f_5ABaXpiIOKjH8_quBajFu3IKoocs-vJAKyBm2lSubiO414qEvdpeBb/s1600/25550560_10156972085379202_8388193737041796458_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="960" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMg4qDe60DPliYVIO88QVBcCqeeo6v7E9e7Mg5EOiOIm7jMvNFBg5MU_fKmy5GgfhKmgMAf82UEnTgAgqSfD_f_5ABaXpiIOKjH8_quBajFu3IKoocs-vJAKyBm2lSubiO414qEvdpeBb/s320/25550560_10156972085379202_8388193737041796458_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-88591662287130579972017-11-24T21:02:00.001-06:002017-11-24T21:13:59.506-06:0031 Parks in 31 Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
We have now lived in Indiana for almost two months, the house is
almost done, I started a new job this week and I'm meeting and making
new friends. I have a large yard and want Scarlett and Zak to enjoy
it without fear of getting into the street or my neighbor's lot so I put
in an underground dog fence, which is wonderful.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7SM1AXuc1-l_cwUPBcoGgOBlUyFQVdg-VC8S4fGPAndR2YTczapeXBXrj1mSpQe40FWwIHSlUCVe_-uiBsaIUcAZN801ZMGIqS4l2XFSDilJ7oCx7b3H9A-aKXjjqkNdNnsbOudfrjjB/s1600/DSC_8272c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="514" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7SM1AXuc1-l_cwUPBcoGgOBlUyFQVdg-VC8S4fGPAndR2YTczapeXBXrj1mSpQe40FWwIHSlUCVe_-uiBsaIUcAZN801ZMGIqS4l2XFSDilJ7oCx7b3H9A-aKXjjqkNdNnsbOudfrjjB/s640/DSC_8272c.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Indiana Dunes State Park<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEwqcJOxxhVd54yU7jXOtj0NG4jA5qi3EqvRfFEilmc7ckJ7JHNB3huvub0i7i5RihuRj-RRxl_IgXIdzP4MpMBdRYsJtl6TAtlB7BMkVCWWBSx1zAUjR5dOVsJqojoc1LRGRR7CuF2Jx/s1600/22_DSC_8308b+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEwqcJOxxhVd54yU7jXOtj0NG4jA5qi3EqvRfFEilmc7ckJ7JHNB3huvub0i7i5RihuRj-RRxl_IgXIdzP4MpMBdRYsJtl6TAtlB7BMkVCWWBSx1zAUjR5dOVsJqojoc1LRGRR7CuF2Jx/s320/22_DSC_8308b+%25282%2529.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
During
the month of October, to get a little break from unpacking, we visited
'31 parks in 31 days'. Despite rather disappointing weather (we had
over 10 inches of rain in October), we managed to stay on track. There
were several 'all day rains' so we doubled up a few times - but not too
many. We never got to the local dog park because it is a membership
only park (and quite expensive) but we found plenty of places to run off
leash and just play. I also found several gorgeous gardens, and
several large county parks. We went to Indiana Dunes Lakeshore one
day, and the end of the month we got to "Corgis in the Park" - a corgi
meet up event at Rivershore Park in Grand Rapids that attracts up to 300
dogs and their owners each year. That happened to be one of the "all
day rains" and we didn't get there until afternoon but still had a lot
of fun. We'll go again next year for sure, and hope to catch the one
in Indianapolis too. I have a running list of at least 31 <i>more</i> parks to visit next Spring and Summer. We can hardly wait! <br />
<br />
Here are some of our favorite photos from "31 parks in 31 days"! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i7SpWvXRKLeCF3IDlO71rYSNTSwqRl7cre631moRauHEKyhvOutdJ90cSuwdbQfV3QqkenJgFcKIdnOneTds3ILbff-EqRakSZ2k-n1_isuhQCm8q5ca0jsSwUWiowwfpmii-XrtviMm/s1600/20171001_181739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i7SpWvXRKLeCF3IDlO71rYSNTSwqRl7cre631moRauHEKyhvOutdJ90cSuwdbQfV3QqkenJgFcKIdnOneTds3ILbff-EqRakSZ2k-n1_isuhQCm8q5ca0jsSwUWiowwfpmii-XrtviMm/s320/20171001_181739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dAyW40fiEfA4pMXo-ETjWihkoNBeNb2jQN3NmD_ohQv9aKaCBiO94YDFkmFjwiOV-J_GXuVcG4-jg8SzjUAFnaaW2aLnDrRg3e2FHWCvTmFomtTv_YCxknc5lddaICLeWWeLOtqb6us7/s1600/20171001_183328_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dAyW40fiEfA4pMXo-ETjWihkoNBeNb2jQN3NmD_ohQv9aKaCBiO94YDFkmFjwiOV-J_GXuVcG4-jg8SzjUAFnaaW2aLnDrRg3e2FHWCvTmFomtTv_YCxknc5lddaICLeWWeLOtqb6us7/s320/20171001_183328_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hTw3TIpTnvpLcin9RPS0mLEapvKDX4718WuhYxj-Hjdjwcp9KeMu6el1OuQRh-ftqG_n4qafgPvGiWn86K5qnweNxc8QDS1nXvSpgZj-CY9qvEEWBkiAEoIbnMoZWam4Ld2PeTgTeCKp/s1600/20171011_164656_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hTw3TIpTnvpLcin9RPS0mLEapvKDX4718WuhYxj-Hjdjwcp9KeMu6el1OuQRh-ftqG_n4qafgPvGiWn86K5qnweNxc8QDS1nXvSpgZj-CY9qvEEWBkiAEoIbnMoZWam4Ld2PeTgTeCKp/s320/20171011_164656_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun day with my friend Patti from North Carolina</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluIr42ZoYHEn7nYCal6DTJqzj-v3hTJ4t6WHIV25SAwXt1UMC87pf6wDYwzPqZTYAWyI-M_pJYs3uKeubhlacHCaJQAp-nbifh5Kfyazxrhc1vj3Dw9InMKQFzRTg8y384bqBd2ZwHMLY/s1600/22519310_10156747217074202_8439758269011705333_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="733" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluIr42ZoYHEn7nYCal6DTJqzj-v3hTJ4t6WHIV25SAwXt1UMC87pf6wDYwzPqZTYAWyI-M_pJYs3uKeubhlacHCaJQAp-nbifh5Kfyazxrhc1vj3Dw9InMKQFzRTg8y384bqBd2ZwHMLY/s320/22519310_10156747217074202_8439758269011705333_n.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S&Z at Krider Gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUwtS6o2eT9XozcZq1I5lMDNWyQjJCWpQcwYxU1i0VRJyRmBr2nfrplz2_kJiKsDtFaqA6ymTtwLWNDnBXoY8yHmyYL1-U7W5t0n_i0fb1VL7l80Nbqf9dU05stkfIECHoXPq1ZYsEvV/s1600/20171019_181058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUwtS6o2eT9XozcZq1I5lMDNWyQjJCWpQcwYxU1i0VRJyRmBr2nfrplz2_kJiKsDtFaqA6ymTtwLWNDnBXoY8yHmyYL1-U7W5t0n_i0fb1VL7l80Nbqf9dU05stkfIECHoXPq1ZYsEvV/s320/20171019_181058.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krider Gardens in Middlebury</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGcvzIBnvh6fppfwxSgQ9VbqGxEmPPMDL08LJnxRnvKv9B-yXy8uwVa01fBsWa9_w928KaGcIzFwBOVj7O2vzqMrroDFKxC3DrMufzRzj7xhTYnM-SGuhVChGj3_n9Gnh1-1NsaNAj__V/s1600/20171019_183931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGcvzIBnvh6fppfwxSgQ9VbqGxEmPPMDL08LJnxRnvKv9B-yXy8uwVa01fBsWa9_w928KaGcIzFwBOVj7O2vzqMrroDFKxC3DrMufzRzj7xhTYnM-SGuhVChGj3_n9Gnh1-1NsaNAj__V/s320/20171019_183931.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHEWt81sWDFUVbUbnJ_Z0PMkP31J6Woey0FjiDZyjNGKct9GaWEDj7fgWTpilUix80jzMPhWk9s4QuKEL8fE2CpWrGXy49wCtYFAj7xqcpjA-frsgtRaTEtsFxw1aDb7YlDqGFbJX_MG/s1600/23032384_10156773138524202_2044605683193865806_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHEWt81sWDFUVbUbnJ_Z0PMkP31J6Woey0FjiDZyjNGKct9GaWEDj7fgWTpilUix80jzMPhWk9s4QuKEL8fE2CpWrGXy49wCtYFAj7xqcpjA-frsgtRaTEtsFxw1aDb7YlDqGFbJX_MG/s320/23032384_10156773138524202_2044605683193865806_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corgis in the Park - Grand Rapids, MI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4owuokql_HW1AvFCLuNWQ0O0mShfTPIp6twTKDlVf9pvuWqz-3AkS_TrxIBltgFPjrR9-fn9blWczOFrzmwq_gILWdXE4xnHlY9cTNIkUHdbg5G06vxQT4sxEDu0_XRkhyu6ZLlIZHIm/s1600/20171028_183622_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="777" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4owuokql_HW1AvFCLuNWQ0O0mShfTPIp6twTKDlVf9pvuWqz-3AkS_TrxIBltgFPjrR9-fn9blWczOFrzmwq_gILWdXE4xnHlY9cTNIkUHdbg5G06vxQT4sxEDu0_XRkhyu6ZLlIZHIm/s320/20171028_183622_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We needed our corgi umbrella and Lands End rain slickers this day! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCHF-3s4Ef8D5Bz_woSIOH0ACLbKLb5kjgJ0jX6N4e_PL4rYGkyt0KMBMtaMlXjb3Zl6NFg3H6xwSOj8sK9BTdkFlX4wmNMqRI-mHbELzAP6ov6veiBYaEj5Yqq8PMPowW5cAgZq7Dcub/s1600/20171029_135634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCHF-3s4Ef8D5Bz_woSIOH0ACLbKLb5kjgJ0jX6N4e_PL4rYGkyt0KMBMtaMlXjb3Zl6NFg3H6xwSOj8sK9BTdkFlX4wmNMqRI-mHbELzAP6ov6veiBYaEj5Yqq8PMPowW5cAgZq7Dcub/s320/20171029_135634.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took Scarlett and Zak to Huizinga Park<br />
in Zeeland - adjoining Royal Park Place<br />
where my parents spent their retirement<br />
years. This was the last place my Mom<br />
ever went -and we took Princess, Dee Dee<br />
and Elvis there many times. Good memories. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuP5JCiF9B2rDKM-PsgXjMZTBPeVuyD3mywsChrObm5TyLUchkX9Z8-v4VGWKeSI_Vte5HsyHs1IyVensmOTLPsei3XQYVncMZZTPOll-J79plMGEvrRNZzihTdUSzqtd8MIUnt1mldXv/s1600/22366674_10156713042279202_1156976722303084279_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuP5JCiF9B2rDKM-PsgXjMZTBPeVuyD3mywsChrObm5TyLUchkX9Z8-v4VGWKeSI_Vte5HsyHs1IyVensmOTLPsei3XQYVncMZZTPOll-J79plMGEvrRNZzihTdUSzqtd8MIUnt1mldXv/s320/22366674_10156713042279202_1156976722303084279_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulaski Park in Elkhart was one of my favorites</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fidler Pond is a great little walk in Goshen. My<br />
biggest problem was keeping Scarlett from<br />
rolling in the goose poop. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indiana Dunes State Park</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-11835779322199074632017-10-17T20:00:00.001-06:002018-02-07T15:12:17.299-06:00INDIANA !!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQ-uouO9cJbl_PE8KzgKihfQLrIoAZM9UQsxgJ3odb64u-wrtiNkAxDvBomqrFPFVSOu1t-juEaM7ubQ58CCaAvpZvPnFnEHq1p1g8T7ya-uTskQWKAr4vSzIHBsiWc8b9MOdouZp6Lm2/s1600/21761777_10156656521119202_6646279653478022177_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQ-uouO9cJbl_PE8KzgKihfQLrIoAZM9UQsxgJ3odb64u-wrtiNkAxDvBomqrFPFVSOu1t-juEaM7ubQ58CCaAvpZvPnFnEHq1p1g8T7ya-uTskQWKAr4vSzIHBsiWc8b9MOdouZp6Lm2/s200/21761777_10156656521119202_6646279653478022177_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zak and his little friends in MN</td></tr>
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With great sadness and yet great excitement, we drove across the Minnesota state line, late at night on September 26, heading for our new home in Goshen, Indiana. Although I lived in four different cities in Minnesota over my 48 year residency there, it was the<strong> <em>state</em></strong> that I truly embraced as 'home'. And 'home' it will always be. The past 29 of those years were in Moorhead, and the goodbyes there were difficult - for many reasons. What comforts me is that so many of my Moorhead friends are planning to come and visit me in Goshen. Two already have! And I am just one long day's drive away from the Twin Cities, where so many of my friends make their home. I will definitely be going back to visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGEOOkOPRFNFc8UYx2ptqF7YQLo3bFVm2nDD5aCI4NJEtX35VZEUMYP9C52ofJ39VFUQwsPguFglj2TVw5i64QOA3orSQqHz-1MliD8s7RrY70-fiL4looUXLIkSd8uZ-jK9MmjZAVVZn/s1600/22137304_10156682554554202_2290388866904265727_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGEOOkOPRFNFc8UYx2ptqF7YQLo3bFVm2nDD5aCI4NJEtX35VZEUMYP9C52ofJ39VFUQwsPguFglj2TVw5i64QOA3orSQqHz-1MliD8s7RrY70-fiL4looUXLIkSd8uZ-jK9MmjZAVVZn/s400/22137304_10156682554554202_2290388866904265727_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At home in Goshen, Indiana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8Di0I3lenzhVL6p3EAy7X9ot7LVlyxSIg5pxRIWuvqwYFyrlxG23tHN_OhYiYdxX2IcoD69lXhDSbMraQowy2GNNyBx9Od8DOAwx4bmk13T0OHZADGEWGAryiksyM66ARdThq5mSIZaJ/s1600/21768666_10156661102534202_7717064107621121649_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8Di0I3lenzhVL6p3EAy7X9ot7LVlyxSIg5pxRIWuvqwYFyrlxG23tHN_OhYiYdxX2IcoD69lXhDSbMraQowy2GNNyBx9Od8DOAwx4bmk13T0OHZADGEWGAryiksyM66ARdThq5mSIZaJ/s200/21768666_10156661102534202_7717064107621121649_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It WAS a big rig!! </td></tr>
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I still can't quite get my head wrapped around the reality that I pulled this huge, long distance move off - pretty much by myself. Moving is not for the faint of heart, and the financial hemorrhage, though slowing down, hasn't stopped yet. There is always 'one more thing' that I need for our new house or one more unexpected expense. Still, all things considered, it went well. Material Damage was limited to one broken piece of glass, a chipped piece of Delft and a crushed lamp shade. Personal damage included two broken toes (it would really help if I would just wear shoes!) and a flare up of carpal tunnel syndrome which is already signficantly improved. Three months of lifting heavy boxes, painting walls and long, long hours of packing takes a toll. After two and a half weeks, I have the two main levels of the house unpacked and settled. The basement needs to be painted before I can unpack down there, and right now the weather is too nice to spend time in a basement! So that will wait. I am enjoying time working in the yard, organizing the garage and shed and raking leaves out to the curb where the city picks them up! (In MN we had to bag them; blahhhh!!) I've met our neighbors, we're getting to know the town and we love it here. As much as I miss Minnesota, I have never, in my life, had such a strong sense that I am 'where I need to be'. I was led here; of that, I have no doubt.<br />
<br />
But wait! This is CORGI TALES! What about Scarlett and Zak? How are they doing? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAT1KMuVmt9xqQSnDSnpdbRLY4UybnM2nYt5IB9wbcEmlGhlGmoOqhnwATGgX6SUY7YgC6qortdGOH2bqqTbAAk0WB5anS_6E72fk5xAkJHtAtrWRVd30G5j8EtPH_maLZeb4M9RReksI/s1600/22140736_10156688323619202_1385229795602223081_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAT1KMuVmt9xqQSnDSnpdbRLY4UybnM2nYt5IB9wbcEmlGhlGmoOqhnwATGgX6SUY7YgC6qortdGOH2bqqTbAAk0WB5anS_6E72fk5xAkJHtAtrWRVd30G5j8EtPH_maLZeb4M9RReksI/s200/22140736_10156688323619202_1385229795602223081_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome!</td></tr>
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It's been an adjustment for all of us, and Scarlett has had the hardest time with it. Her kennel was the very first thing I unpacked and I put 'their room' (which is one side of the walk-in pantry) together right away. She has found refuge there, amidst the chaos of boxes and nails being pounded into the walls and things banging around. Now that two floors are settled, she is doing much better. She kept her distance as I was unpacking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeK6wSMBuE-Mh8WzjyVN3Ib9gF6IjXzSrviAK8S50ri04dqQdH5-b8QoYNgfy_ETYu0dZik-WfePMgJf3TTunRFZzwi-Tr2qwEvskB60WGohDaSXBHYVceDXqdnxFDGDexifrznMImXFBn/s1600/22338909_10156713751484202_8914657798732848750_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeK6wSMBuE-Mh8WzjyVN3Ib9gF6IjXzSrviAK8S50ri04dqQdH5-b8QoYNgfy_ETYu0dZik-WfePMgJf3TTunRFZzwi-Tr2qwEvskB60WGohDaSXBHYVceDXqdnxFDGDexifrznMImXFBn/s200/22338909_10156713751484202_8914657798732848750_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling at Home</td></tr>
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Zak, by contrast, was my constant shadow. He has dealt with his little corgi anxiety by being a friend that 'sticketh closer than a brother'. If I go upstairs, he is bounding up right behind me. He snuggles up beside me whenever possible and is never far away. He is learning to love our new, large yard. I am hating the fact that his lead gets tangled in the shrubs almost every time he goes out, and am trying to find a way around that. Overall, Zak is doing very well. Both dogs have their favorite places in the house to rest. Zak has taken a liking to one of the guest rooms (the one with the new, plush carpet, of course) and I can usually find him there, if he's not right next to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZlgMkq54hdceIhzSydEW2PcUyGSKXs1ZIM-8llJ6IfbRGkUsvIgkVWfKvKG0E6DFQGu98Bipr9KIwlF5q62NQn_Pgl0M-WqGZayOOpYx9HLulx8gRrNmYalOI_pcWR5AKpEOKyPf5hPc/s1600/22196369_10156696338444202_1194187134659058187_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZlgMkq54hdceIhzSydEW2PcUyGSKXs1ZIM-8llJ6IfbRGkUsvIgkVWfKvKG0E6DFQGu98Bipr9KIwlF5q62NQn_Pgl0M-WqGZayOOpYx9HLulx8gRrNmYalOI_pcWR5AKpEOKyPf5hPc/s320/22196369_10156696338444202_1194187134659058187_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim with Scarlett and Zak at Au Train Beach</td></tr>
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The week after we moved, we went to the cabin for a long weekend with Tim. That was a ton of fun for all of us. And during the month of October, we're doing something really special. "31 parks in 31 days" I've been calling it. I will write more about that in my next post. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU73GZlIGRyk6Q4xz2h5QDHqoiJ37RjHFh2kJw9ogrdboR_qkLw0h2C6R0KCofxgl_LO3SDLvSV38RmvCouEtz47vSPZtDHEemLnOJv31nZjeaOKa53Et-1yTWUXwQD0dM3U_xnu4kUdVa/s1600/22310673_10156705898379202_2410092164858478610_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="960" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU73GZlIGRyk6Q4xz2h5QDHqoiJ37RjHFh2kJw9ogrdboR_qkLw0h2C6R0KCofxgl_LO3SDLvSV38RmvCouEtz47vSPZtDHEemLnOJv31nZjeaOKa53Et-1yTWUXwQD0dM3U_xnu4kUdVa/s320/22310673_10156705898379202_2410092164858478610_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Peninsula - October Color</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMccVTbu-7HJapELwfwZByUM6216FW-6kulzlY8gNyUPD7TT3HwhXJdI5ePKqyUL0ZWwcSZs-TmyZxYcb4F1UN8PEvmAejIlBnqUvDjkJdyThnFhhvDIhMOIoYmdakY3esKGPJWXf4qfFJ/s1600/22256466_10156699714524202_5502192797172419153_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMccVTbu-7HJapELwfwZByUM6216FW-6kulzlY8gNyUPD7TT3HwhXJdI5ePKqyUL0ZWwcSZs-TmyZxYcb4F1UN8PEvmAejIlBnqUvDjkJdyThnFhhvDIhMOIoYmdakY3esKGPJWXf4qfFJ/s320/22256466_10156699714524202_5502192797172419153_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking our favorite place - the Au Train River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49qmyBBo8vQT2pjCYbnSXsGOCzJ_HvtOwaF5dsdfCrDSK0P4WQMNQzSYA4dvKAn7wrutq1tiXx3ybKgNvqaEDck1t076Qw5bUlO2fiV_VDPdf5QT6G6jTZrvYq4k0OPn-Z-BxzklH1J6h/s1600/22424259_10156713945139202_7495968124743110343_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49qmyBBo8vQT2pjCYbnSXsGOCzJ_HvtOwaF5dsdfCrDSK0P4WQMNQzSYA4dvKAn7wrutq1tiXx3ybKgNvqaEDck1t076Qw5bUlO2fiV_VDPdf5QT6G6jTZrvYq4k0OPn-Z-BxzklH1J6h/s320/22424259_10156713945139202_7495968124743110343_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was nice to go from THIS ....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCCHwJ_cRpYq4JTSrpeWjKUcxayxnaPmmKl1ivv10O0D3VR0ZiDyIeKR8UeXLs7Cmeex0m1V0uDEPGjGtbBiDWCCUGUisY1jJDlqWBH69tBJBpFBZeu4XKWgjeZUFCwRmuU99FB4USHn0/s1600/22491613_10156727812574202_3532040784821879053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCCHwJ_cRpYq4JTSrpeWjKUcxayxnaPmmKl1ivv10O0D3VR0ZiDyIeKR8UeXLs7Cmeex0m1V0uDEPGjGtbBiDWCCUGUisY1jJDlqWBH69tBJBpFBZeu4XKWgjeZUFCwRmuU99FB4USHn0/s320/22491613_10156727812574202_3532040784821879053_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To THIS ... finally</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-69414503163156873522017-08-17T20:36:00.000-06:002017-10-13T14:05:13.734-06:00A Much Needed Break<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEXU2v5f1tEqLzesFTSgE1CnXSbv6MBb10MT4ksCwESGPdL_zD8kfG-5ZjNt0V4HCwD6Jsm-zX7AJ6pG1edFxwI1G-CwT4VmsY-UpcnFpwFM4XRt9sabMkgfDHamwnn6rT5hrKeslYndE/s1600/20638462_1852549705036036_8796121546500940483_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="630" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEXU2v5f1tEqLzesFTSgE1CnXSbv6MBb10MT4ksCwESGPdL_zD8kfG-5ZjNt0V4HCwD6Jsm-zX7AJ6pG1edFxwI1G-CwT4VmsY-UpcnFpwFM4XRt9sabMkgfDHamwnn6rT5hrKeslYndE/s200/20638462_1852549705036036_8796121546500940483_n.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sweet treat at a frozen yogurt<br />
shop and Zak and Scarlett, <br />
as usual, steal the show.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have been working at a frenetic pace at home, preparing for the 'big move' to Indiana which is now less than a month away. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypBhSZTrKTOz74Dq99dpaOm6Z-OdoHiL-U3eWqyB6yjWZ9rZ1SlIaU6GPK_fF3OFlJci1doxacOf9fHhx4aH8jNwTErF-LxDzUc6gfd6PWZwwsiCXPnf6TGOHYz9KN2-0dbDDSbNvJOmE/s1600/20690157_1854693738154966_955704234560663293_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1440" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypBhSZTrKTOz74Dq99dpaOm6Z-OdoHiL-U3eWqyB6yjWZ9rZ1SlIaU6GPK_fF3OFlJci1doxacOf9fHhx4aH8jNwTErF-LxDzUc6gfd6PWZwwsiCXPnf6TGOHYz9KN2-0dbDDSbNvJOmE/s320/20690157_1854693738154966_955704234560663293_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stop at Canal Park in Duluth. I'll miss<br />
this place so much and hope to get back there<br />
once in a while.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sorting, packing, holding a garage sale, taking care of endless details such as getting new flooring installed, lining up utilities, and listing my current home led to 16-20 hour work days with just a couple of short breaks to walk the dogs and grab a few hours of sleep. I didn't dare get away until I had the basement fully sorted and packed and I finished that up last week. The night before we left for the cabin at Au Train, I had a last minute showing which meant leaving the lawnmower in the middle of the back yard and taking the dogs to the park on short notice. Ninety minutes later, I returned home, thinking the realtor must have forgotten to notify me that she was done, but lo and behold, they were still there! I figured that was a good sign - and it was. I got the call on Saturday morning as I was driving across the upper peninsula of Michigan that I had an offer. It was a good one for several reasons, and an hour and a half later, I pulled into a McDonalds parking lot, and signed the documents electronically. It was a great way to start my week of vacation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJj7Mg8tduO9TQ_PxtwyYj6PZYhkt1mIFv2hMU3-moXUrjV5Q4JV5uXXxP9JN08TPAJx61eknke9gZbMk0ZjPdQouolDINbXZRnYO4n7pZHuQy_BvX6tJhLM0IiDETTJveXfoIAyWPmxC/s1600/20882944_10156531203899202_7266749368866258487_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="960" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJj7Mg8tduO9TQ_PxtwyYj6PZYhkt1mIFv2hMU3-moXUrjV5Q4JV5uXXxP9JN08TPAJx61eknke9gZbMk0ZjPdQouolDINbXZRnYO4n7pZHuQy_BvX6tJhLM0IiDETTJveXfoIAyWPmxC/s640/20882944_10156531203899202_7266749368866258487_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ5WmBWkL4Nex3ow7ns3MVff2ECWE4VKvxr45Vr41k4FukT9Rvh1Z_yj93EkDkmpwANpVI6CyAHGVOJeu2QzW_EdWQapwbVUp866KCw7AaDUIj6IWylb4isn2gbV-CP8G-KILOiqQm_sD/s1600/20840623_1855180831439590_4369108764266599472_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ5WmBWkL4Nex3ow7ns3MVff2ECWE4VKvxr45Vr41k4FukT9Rvh1Z_yj93EkDkmpwANpVI6CyAHGVOJeu2QzW_EdWQapwbVUp866KCw7AaDUIj6IWylb4isn2gbV-CP8G-KILOiqQm_sD/s320/20840623_1855180831439590_4369108764266599472_n.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curiosity</td></tr>
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<br />
We've been having a very relaxing week here. kayaking on the Au Train River and swimming with the dogs. Tim plays with the Falling Rock Jammers at the Falling Rock Cafe on Monday and Wednesday evenings and that's always a lot of fun too. Tomorrow we'll head up to his property at Grand Marais, MI in hopes of finding some raspberries. They are pretty sparse this year - almost non-existent, to be honest -so I don't expect to find enough to make jam but hopefully we'll be able to pick enough to put on ice cream when we get back.<br />
<br />
On Sunday we'll return home to MN for the last time, and I'll have
just three weeks to finish packing things up there before the big move. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmT__zpkeuoPe9E4ZP6uhsEwYH04eY95-30Hihe8s2d_9nqnQ4rbv9-qkOMjCCD-0NUNkxlsC2RzMm92H9NlX3EXaHCgErb9ZL796clOO5owpw3MmGBQ38VfDGKPT5IEv_WEUzKBmkEqU/s1600/20800172_10156509898339202_5493619830673643182_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmT__zpkeuoPe9E4ZP6uhsEwYH04eY95-30Hihe8s2d_9nqnQ4rbv9-qkOMjCCD-0NUNkxlsC2RzMm92H9NlX3EXaHCgErb9ZL796clOO5owpw3MmGBQ38VfDGKPT5IEv_WEUzKBmkEqU/s400/20800172_10156509898339202_5493619830673643182_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After some initial panic, Scarlett and<br />
Zak settled in to the kayaks and did<br />
very well. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ5_ChDCGOL_ufqeSWaiLOm4Rnnq88cMf7HLHvsSmtLGWjnWJYrskwQl2F5vkvrtNjwyAPxTy-bJu8Mn4qfulwdxnMIf36wq57j-r5Ipu1vTp_QFllyhTZ13D62miLPJXGZXEr6rd7-Tr/s1600/20800025_10156520558249202_1682583231897963144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ5_ChDCGOL_ufqeSWaiLOm4Rnnq88cMf7HLHvsSmtLGWjnWJYrskwQl2F5vkvrtNjwyAPxTy-bJu8Mn4qfulwdxnMIf36wq57j-r5Ipu1vTp_QFllyhTZ13D62miLPJXGZXEr6rd7-Tr/s400/20800025_10156520558249202_1682583231897963144_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking on the Au Train River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMbEAJwCvwyAQgE0EO9fzVhs0ag1342RtkkW06yqRZrkYnQFJpFw8toVeNbmM-O0Bbvtvi2wd0sWVm32CIzwL_9gEUrrj0vruSeLH3pmwETj0VW1Y31uISXTzacratTDs-RwaKLu2FZiS/s1600/20882335_10156520558439202_215216773716459264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMbEAJwCvwyAQgE0EO9fzVhs0ag1342RtkkW06yqRZrkYnQFJpFw8toVeNbmM-O0Bbvtvi2wd0sWVm32CIzwL_9gEUrrj0vruSeLH3pmwETj0VW1Y31uISXTzacratTDs-RwaKLu2FZiS/s400/20882335_10156520558439202_215216773716459264_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gAGO80233bX471B0l3FBFVUHf3ojMJDevRDUDtYFM8iqr-4o-l24aBn2-d56Z20Uv1lSAR5wwPt7Y_CGgVVfmRXA5iVsDJSH1rsDfNfxUgVsR0zkdXWjLsJciNGTnODWK_ZI_ieSmmG3/s1600/20861716_10156517707089202_7135184891837131554_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gAGO80233bX471B0l3FBFVUHf3ojMJDevRDUDtYFM8iqr-4o-l24aBn2-d56Z20Uv1lSAR5wwPt7Y_CGgVVfmRXA5iVsDJSH1rsDfNfxUgVsR0zkdXWjLsJciNGTnODWK_ZI_ieSmmG3/s400/20861716_10156517707089202_7135184891837131554_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Au Train</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-44228124523068520702017-07-16T10:24:00.000-06:002017-10-13T14:05:51.190-06:00A New Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The best word to describe my life right now is 'fluid'. In my last post I mentioned a big camping trip to the West Coast. I was all packed and we were set to leave on Friday, July 7. I'd been watching the very fast moving housing market in northern Indiana for three weeks, when on Wednesday, July 5th, I happened to see a house 'for sale by owner' that looked like the house of my dreams at a price I could afford. What to do? It was a tough call, but I made the decision to scratch the vacation and fly out to Indiana last week where I saw the house, made an offer which was accepted - all in the space of 36 hours! I am excited, and nervous at the same time. It's a beautiful home in a newer development, but old enough to have wonderful trees and sidewalks and parks nearby. My brother went with me and it was so helpful to have another set of eyes (not to mention another <b>brain</b>) asking questions and helping me think things through. It wasn't until I saw two <b>other</b> homes in a similar price range, that I <b>knew</b> that this was too good an opportunity to pass by. One of the things that this house has, that Scarlett and Zak are going to <b>LOVE,</b> is a patio door that they will be able to look out of and see the back yard! We are moving from a house on the busiest street in town to the second to the last house on a dead end street in a quiet neighborhood! That, alone, will be quite a change!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfclxYNdJx8eiQ2j8tat_R9tiHM7Owc5TGjqZK19tO0bBxJdJskEnPGpet3anWFF1XoJLb_F2rExEICnWcbLlARlC_c7SuWRilL46T3SeL6ZGIVV3DDPKsU-xZGELR6xTk8keWc12mU2SV/s1600/House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1221" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfclxYNdJx8eiQ2j8tat_R9tiHM7Owc5TGjqZK19tO0bBxJdJskEnPGpet3anWFF1XoJLb_F2rExEICnWcbLlARlC_c7SuWRilL46T3SeL6ZGIVV3DDPKsU-xZGELR6xTk8keWc12mU2SV/s320/House.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new home for a fresh start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0balCcMCFpwO5_M7aif4ikqgLRLeMSbsHbhacEXGtEMS115uTFX9MUX_atVSpr0othabxQyMKOux-_KjVEpeMNsA2I_x-d1GDuz3IUP5bIPomp73Kam4OWcgLAiJsJugpSmdz3B2nWHy/s1600/SF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0balCcMCFpwO5_M7aif4ikqgLRLeMSbsHbhacEXGtEMS115uTFX9MUX_atVSpr0othabxQyMKOux-_KjVEpeMNsA2I_x-d1GDuz3IUP5bIPomp73Kam4OWcgLAiJsJugpSmdz3B2nWHy/s200/SF1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yI1jmSxVE8SyXsbDP7eSZwm1QWsy6jQl5_J-eWktV0fV1vSv3rPeU1K7Eb7oeclyBaEfP7bXUwy3W6vQB0KNVzHhkmD4MJ6tzTjsXI3tw3TtJ0X2DMZqdWQk5toN2xsiQUNNlwFKfF_0/s1600/SF2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yI1jmSxVE8SyXsbDP7eSZwm1QWsy6jQl5_J-eWktV0fV1vSv3rPeU1K7Eb7oeclyBaEfP7bXUwy3W6vQB0KNVzHhkmD4MJ6tzTjsXI3tw3TtJ0X2DMZqdWQk5toN2xsiQUNNlwFKfF_0/s200/SF2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I am now back in Minnesota where I have worked hard this week to get my house staged and start the long process of packing. Since I have plenty of time (closing isn't until the end of September and my house here isn't even being listed for another week or so), it is kind of fun because I have time to sort and downsize my 'stuff'. There will be a gigantic garage sale in a couple weeks. My biggest challenge is pacing myself, since I tend to be a 'full steam ahead' kind of person. My brothers and close friends are afraid I'll be all packed by Labor Day and then sit around for a month with nothing to do! So I'm intentionally building in some breaks - getting together with friends, day trips to the lake, and this week, taking in the Fargo Street Fair this week for the last time. As usual, Scarlett and Zak got plenty of attention and drank it up. Zak is good for <b>anyone's </b>self esteem and the lady pictured here, new to our community, said "Zak made my day" after he snuggled up to her for 30 minutes. <br />
<br />
While I'm busy sorting, packing and carrying boxes, Scarlett and Zak are living the good life. They enjoy having me home all day, Scarlett spends a lot of time on the hardwood floor of the guest room (it's cooler there) and Zak is outdoors almost all day (sometimes up to twelve hours.) He just loves to watch the traffic and the people walking by. Lately we've had a black cat stalking the neighborhood. That crazy cat LOVES to taunt Zak and Scarlett. It hides in the shrubs next door, waits for Scarlett and/or Zak to come out, sticks its head out and once they notice it and start barking madly, it arches its back and hisses, which sends Scarlett and Zak into an absolute frenzy! Crazy cat. And a black one too! Zak doesn't mind the heat, and will often nap on the hot pavement of the driveway. I make sure I bring him cool water every hour or two. But now and then, I make him come inside for a while. His favorite place to nap IN the house, is just under the bed where it is cool and dark. <br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-46127252500919872902017-06-24T22:32:00.001-06:002017-10-13T14:08:09.418-06:00A Season of Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week I resigned my job of 29 years and am beginning the transition to move closer to family in Michigan. I decided to take one more big camping trip to the Western US. Scarlett. Zak and I are leaving July 7 for Bozeman, the Sawtooth Mts of Idaho (my favorite place in the continental US), the San Francisco Bay area, Sequoia National Park, Crater Lake, Priest Lake, Idaho and Glacier National Park! We'll be gone three weeks; mostly tenting, but spending a few days with friends in California too. I've taken some big trips with the dogs before but never one this long. Am I crazy? Stay tuned for the answer.<br />
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We'll be home about a week and then leave for the North Shore of Lake Superior, drive the loop all the way around the lake and spend about ten days at the cabin at Au Train. By the time I get home, summer will be winding down and I will start seriously looking for a new place to live and work. It will become my retirement home in a few years, so I'm more focused on finding the right <i>house</i> than the right <i>job</i>. I love my home here so much that it will be hard to let it go.<br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-79925098954789147482017-06-07T10:36:00.000-06:002017-06-07T10:48:01.830-06:00Splooting <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday on Good Morning America they shared a clip of a corgi puppy running
across the floor and sliding into a perfect sploot. Corgi puppies are SO stinkin' cute, and that clip brought back memories of when Zak was a puppy. Living on a busy street, I would take him outside regularly and on more than one occasion, a perfect stranger drove by, turned onto the frontage road and stopped to admire him. One time I caught a cab driver, between calls, sitting in front of my house watching Scarlett and Zak play in the yard. <br />
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Urban Dictionary defines 'sploot' as <i>"The position a corgi takes, lying flat on its belly with his/her legs spread out."</i> Of
my four corgis, only Dee Dee did a classic sploot. Before I knew the
word, I called it her 'flying squirrel' pose.<br />
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Scarlett lies with her back legs off to one side - sort of a modified sploot. Tim's dog, Elvis, often took this same position. <br />
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Zaccheaus does an inverted sploot! His legs are tucked underneath him,
facing forward. This boy LOVES to be outdoors and will spend the
entire day resting in the grass or watching the cars go by if I let him. <br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Princess usually took this position - one back leg straight out and the other was often tucked underneath her. I suspect this was her position in the womb because it was natural to her. </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">And THIS is a PERFECT sploot. Doesn't get any better than this. Dee Dee had broad hips so the sploot was even wider. This picture
brings back memories! I adore Scarlett and Zak and they have brought me great joy, but I still miss my girls. Just like children, no two corgis are alike. </span></span><br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-23379938256053375372017-05-27T19:09:00.002-06:002017-05-27T19:09:38.332-06:00Happy Memorial Day!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Life is full of uncertainties and one never knows if this day may be their last. In honor of the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom and in memory of loved ones who have gone before us and in gratitude for the days spent upon this earth. Happy Memorial Day.<br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-50883709461527886392017-05-07T14:23:00.002-06:002017-05-24T11:21:27.559-06:00Spring - and the Blowing of the Coat <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is finally Spring in the Northern Plains. Although the calendar identifies the first day of spring as Vernal Equinox, we don't start to see many real signs of the changing season until well into April. And, although our snow was gone early this year (avoiding a flood!), the second half of April was cold and <i>extremely </i>windy. So it wasn't particularly pleasant. The few nice days that we <i>did</i> have, however, fell on the weekends. <br />
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So .... what are my favorite signs of spring. Here are a few:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Being able to sleep with the windows open - and better yet, having them open during the day.</li>
<li>Replacing the flannel sheets with my cotton percale sheets.</li>
<li>Wearing my capris and flip flops (of which I have a ridiculously abundant supply). </li>
<li>Putting out my windmill and wooden tulips. </li>
<li>Tulips!! (Real ones!) After years of the rabbits chewing my tulips right down to the stalk, I finally bought some liquid fence. Putrid stuff (don't spray it on a windy day!) but it really works. My tulips are really nice this year. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxikdxqAiQRxpSnqeljqTqhUA0NxMyS8ZV1HCvStESW_BypM_LuD1t7Ym1y3RK5803fF4O7z1Uk5lMSm9SA_jMllgQ148YYEll62z-oOKYDMVVy06afy6MAcgEPG76CUXS4Zj_mRirXiW/s1600/Yard+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxikdxqAiQRxpSnqeljqTqhUA0NxMyS8ZV1HCvStESW_BypM_LuD1t7Ym1y3RK5803fF4O7z1Uk5lMSm9SA_jMllgQ148YYEll62z-oOKYDMVVy06afy6MAcgEPG76CUXS4Zj_mRirXiW/s320/Yard+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Budding trees. </li>
<li>Seeing the grass turn green, aerating my lawn and mowing for the first time. ("First time" is significant here, as I am tired of mowing by about the middle of June!) </li>
<li>Spring Cleanup Week .... which means my garage is decluttered and cleaned up. </li>
<li>Curbing and Garage Sales. OK; I admit I do not get into either of these activities but I have so many friends that do that I have to include it on my list. </li>
<li>Putting air in my bike tires and going for my first long bike ride. ("Long" is a relative term. For me, it means 15-20 miles .... not 40-50!) </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_PBgNtiQzZKlZdJmz76J8PX_lqZfRQ2OFdMGurmdL-7o2k8DzPq20u_EpKIkSdEdf900l_9_N9AR-nhiF99eQZ7y0qTybnL7u3ZqYYSOYey948sWndxoPdQgzBC1KqxE_xthk6MAM03H/s1600/Pauline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_PBgNtiQzZKlZdJmz76J8PX_lqZfRQ2OFdMGurmdL-7o2k8DzPq20u_EpKIkSdEdf900l_9_N9AR-nhiF99eQZ7y0qTybnL7u3ZqYYSOYey948sWndxoPdQgzBC1KqxE_xthk6MAM03H/s320/Pauline.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zak and his new 'best friend' Pauline </td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<span id="goog_602323644"></span><span id="goog_602323645"></span>
<li>And last, but not least, the<b> BLOWING OF THE COAT</b>.<b> </b>This is not the normal, year-round shedding that most breeds do, but the seasonal shedding that dogs with a heavy, dense, undercoat do. That downy fur is incredibly soft and <i>wonderful</i> for burying your face in when you cry or for just warming up your lap on a chilly winter day. The downside is that it changes <i>at least</i> twice - and up to three times a year. When I got my first corgi, I invested in a high-end vacuum cleaner. Now I have two - one upstairs and one down. For anyone who's interested, my favorite brands are Riccar (the Radiance is wonderful) and Miele, a German brand that has expensive parts but some wonderful features including a great swivel mechanism, and is especially good for hardwood and tile floors. With my first two corgis I had a heavy shedder (Dee Dee) and a not-as-heavy shedder (Princess). I have the same again. Zak's coat is a bit more coarse and he sheds plenty but <i>nothing like</i> Scarlett! Oh my goodness ... that girl sheds!! Spring is definitely the worst time of year, as the undercoat is completely shed in preparation for the warmer days of summer. I brush every day right now and use several different brushes to get the maximum benefit. </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJRx8A4Uu6zRQx_xSFFWFXjJo5w4HttVqpfuRtw2tcoVMo3CaoCFSqTeHEO6MLLQcnK4m1zCjmtOwh31U0xekrGeGBaQs56Pl1mj6c9tZghC5ZAKeWXblrL2L6ayo-BV271n-U9tM1m3/s1600/18581748_1785513208406353_7514796886811892214_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="960" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJRx8A4Uu6zRQx_xSFFWFXjJo5w4HttVqpfuRtw2tcoVMo3CaoCFSqTeHEO6MLLQcnK4m1zCjmtOwh31U0xekrGeGBaQs56Pl1mj6c9tZghC5ZAKeWXblrL2L6ayo-BV271n-U9tM1m3/s320/18581748_1785513208406353_7514796886811892214_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zak and his pile (20 minutes worth) </td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><ol>
<li>The Zoom Groom (by Kong) is a rubber bristled brush that removes loose dirt, stimulates new hair growth, and gives the coat a nice shine. My dogs love this one the most as it feels like a massage. </li>
<li>If you have a heavy shedder, the Furminator is a 'must have'. You thought you were brushing your dog before?? Spend 5 minutes brushing with one of these and you'll have a pile of hair that's a foot high and a foot wide. The teeth are heavy steel and it almost feels a bit like a razor, but Scarlett really doesn't mind this one unless I'm working in sensitive areas along her tush or legs. I would not use this brush on her tummy. It really is an amazing tool and you DEFINITELY want to be working outside with the wind blowing the tumbleweeds of hair <b style="font-style: italic;">away </b>from you! If you have an overabundance of rabbits in your neighborhood, you might want to consider furminating at a local park, as the rabbits LOVE the soft, downy fur for building their nests under your deck. (Nests= more plant-eating nuisance rabbits.) </li>
<li>My personal favorite (and my go-to brush most days) is the natural boar bristle brush (palm style with wooden base and hand strap.) This one works almost as well as the Furminator and both Scarlett and Zak love it. The hair quickly accumulates in the teeth but is easily removed. It gets a lot of the downy undercoat, but also the loose, longer top coat. </li>
<li>The two-sided stainless steel shedding blade removes loose hair but the teeth aren't long enough to pull a lot of the undercoat. I use this as my clean-up brush, or for a quick brushing when we travel and I want to control the hair in the back seat. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgxvYITtaFZFQ1sRgNTWLU6NHNrhFt00FT-jzZ5Lx7YxBAG6wgJm7RWP7Eu-jX8kF8-qCWAmD2YxrRewS6a3r1hHgODl_t3uiiEgJrpCTDeCYOklLrrovaz6lNoKLO7W2yeJoqw-SIsTI/s1600/Blow+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgxvYITtaFZFQ1sRgNTWLU6NHNrhFt00FT-jzZ5Lx7YxBAG6wgJm7RWP7Eu-jX8kF8-qCWAmD2YxrRewS6a3r1hHgODl_t3uiiEgJrpCTDeCYOklLrrovaz6lNoKLO7W2yeJoqw-SIsTI/s320/Blow+%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlett and HER pile - about 15 minutes worth of brushing!</td></tr>
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</li>
</ol>
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There are many other great brushing tools on the market but these are the four that we use. </div>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-34284317646586025922017-03-25T15:58:00.000-06:002017-04-24T22:10:14.398-06:00Hijack to Asia - Part II - YUNNAN, CHINA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjYCPFVbInHhXGnUDjkb0xvjpwi1DnADhCdw5cRsOyoF3A-EzVEHFDZ6x5ZoEECXtE-SJHrKwa4Bg_sP086fHqcLI2V0ZtBqZ0tymW96YmaLNKad0koK6NYNzUDKNdcv8A9f14FPMEhj0/s1600/DSCN0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjYCPFVbInHhXGnUDjkb0xvjpwi1DnADhCdw5cRsOyoF3A-EzVEHFDZ6x5ZoEECXtE-SJHrKwa4Bg_sP086fHqcLI2V0ZtBqZ0tymW96YmaLNKad0koK6NYNzUDKNdcv8A9f14FPMEhj0/s320/DSCN0677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yi People of Kunming performing an<br />
ethnic dance at the Stone Forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cpkd5biI4MP8M4aiyr-IpvPOqGad9DAPwrgoRo-1k-KScTPiHF531zf2OkWzycYK88DAAp89Jwpq7TiwgJUkfnO0ScMKrrzDB72F5jmeaHlB9Sj_M5wceog2ogiKnmjvYxGJlCT0lPMv/s320/DSCN0746.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stone Forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cpkd5biI4MP8M4aiyr-IpvPOqGad9DAPwrgoRo-1k-KScTPiHF531zf2OkWzycYK88DAAp89Jwpq7TiwgJUkfnO0ScMKrrzDB72F5jmeaHlB9Sj_M5wceog2ogiKnmjvYxGJlCT0lPMv/s1600/DSCN0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span id="goog_1710758203"></span><span id="goog_1710758204"></span></a>As mentioned in my previous post, <span style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px;">Yunnan Province, in far southwestern China (bordered by Tibet, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) is home to an ethnically diverse population. It has more ethnic minorities than any other province, including the Yi, Bai, Tai, Dai, Hui, Nakji, Mongolian, Tibetan and Pumi - just to name a few. These groups are distributed throughout Yunnan, and most are clustered in compact communities of a few thousand. Chiang Mai is located in the northwest corner of Thailand, so it was just a short two hour flight to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. It was a pleasant enough trip except for the incessant chatter (all in Chinese, of course) of one of the flight attendants, informing us of all the sites we "must see" while in Yunnan. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWDp9ILJoKeCKdeN5KM_C8jo9h13n6oZYctagV0D5ZPjTOEhx8o6lgkYCOQDoL6e_gCLbHUxRymCx_DxgyMJL69DS9RMC0W3v320UsIvcfCTewPdORCqKcvE71_BVYzZ2hPFnQcANWZ9u/s1600/DSCN0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWDp9ILJoKeCKdeN5KM_C8jo9h13n6oZYctagV0D5ZPjTOEhx8o6lgkYCOQDoL6e_gCLbHUxRymCx_DxgyMJL69DS9RMC0W3v320UsIvcfCTewPdORCqKcvE71_BVYzZ2hPFnQcANWZ9u/s320/DSCN0709.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh the stairs we climbed!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ffffe5; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We were in Kunming <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">just one full day, and we spent it at the Stone Forest, a natural display of limestone formations that have the appearance of trees; located about an hour from Kunming. The Yi people were there in their </span></span>full, colorful costumes, performing an ethnic dance for the tourists. Then we spent several hours 'leisurely' walking through the stone forest. I say 'leisurely' somewhat tongue in cheek, because there were quite a few <i>very</i> long, steep stairs that one had to literally squeeze through in places. I knew my knees would be complaining the next day but the scenery was worth it, and at the end, we emerged into a gorgeous meadow, just as the sun broke through. It was a lovely day. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_O9v6LMIwUnx54xvY7ZWNt00nAeJmwdX3UKPGstwd9E0YazjCNhXLc7_jMJ2r70Hsy7cgGgqRaLCkNz_qHLMHae89XW70tf71G5F9gBGyWmLvwM-hf83-eIne0vZw0Ic62hHgFQknsny/s1600/DSCN0748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_O9v6LMIwUnx54xvY7ZWNt00nAeJmwdX3UKPGstwd9E0YazjCNhXLc7_jMJ2r70Hsy7cgGgqRaLCkNz_qHLMHae89XW70tf71G5F9gBGyWmLvwM-hf83-eIne0vZw0Ic62hHgFQknsny/s320/DSCN0748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ffffe5; font-size: 19.32px;">From Kunming, we flew northwest to Dali City. The minority group inhabiting Dali are the Bai people. When people ask me what my favorite place was from my whole trip, I'd have to say it was Dali. We stayed in the walled 'old city', where we had a lovely hotel room and walked through the village shops, fruit markets and ate at sidewalk cafes. Dali is located along Erhai Lake, which - I'd have to say - is prettier from a distance, than it is up close. We took a gondola ride up up to Mt. Cangshan to enjoy the scenery and overview of Dali. There wasn't much to do once you got up there, but for $10 (US) you could have your picture taken with a monkey and a peacock and I fell for that little tourist trap! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreYQAt0Ryom-tKElPN3jX_tdDS4iutmb4bi4V_yJTt0LZu7osmzzmHop947r8H8guJzCm_VeOHU6xI55a3v_4qzATq_NZY3FOMxIry1IBVJYHdXotcHlJJ7VBoxCCACvsJcP67IpJKPwf/s1600/20170213_103952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreYQAt0Ryom-tKElPN3jX_tdDS4iutmb4bi4V_yJTt0LZu7osmzzmHop947r8H8guJzCm_VeOHU6xI55a3v_4qzATq_NZY3FOMxIry1IBVJYHdXotcHlJJ7VBoxCCACvsJcP67IpJKPwf/s320/20170213_103952.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a very nice room in Old Town Dali</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx5piZ1GjlAX7kZLiO5ywrFhE_qhJg6xwhG60zsSPuwxxXasWkKLx2FGKwUnmvZxpK2D1DhTTez83TLPZAPzqiKASRSBtXRU0sBXROKA3bj9rMZO2SA9FrdXjzXDIuCMHUcIl8N_ndnVc/s1600/20170213_123828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx5piZ1GjlAX7kZLiO5ywrFhE_qhJg6xwhG60zsSPuwxxXasWkKLx2FGKwUnmvZxpK2D1DhTTez83TLPZAPzqiKASRSBtXRU0sBXROKA3bj9rMZO2SA9FrdXjzXDIuCMHUcIl8N_ndnVc/s320/20170213_123828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fruit markets were so much bigger, cleaner<br />
and more appealing than what I remember from<br />
my last trip to China. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNmIDtRPUfh2tI6Wl9TVA2gSsnVPg9LLQ0YZEOjvKas8HxBAyY8IFLY3g7b2fTECPLfXNn4JxrYfjleT1YIA-nS1s4UXH0-KoZUF54TGiHIf6Zj0sYEUaTYlUe-It8IXfKfV5zHKA8EW1/s1600/20170213_144129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNmIDtRPUfh2tI6Wl9TVA2gSsnVPg9LLQ0YZEOjvKas8HxBAyY8IFLY3g7b2fTECPLfXNn4JxrYfjleT1YIA-nS1s4UXH0-KoZUF54TGiHIf6Zj0sYEUaTYlUe-It8IXfKfV5zHKA8EW1/s320/20170213_144129.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was intrigued by the elderly, and would<br />
have loved to have heard their life stories. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Ancient Chinese cities were protected by a wall. In modern times, as the cities have expanded in size and population, the 'old town' inside the wall has been preserved and become a tourist shopping area. Dan was in this same area about 20 years ago and commented on how much of the 'old' has been lost as tourism has raised the standard of living for most people. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSUFeMir2Gv4lKyyfTeM6nQa8Crp_IUBkWpdSQ2Y3pLgUXCzJsZReOa8w6wBMeHnbHMllpfgowQpi1RXUKXShRx6G08mC2rGcWfpfCYmwPDS4uYgHy4Ufo8XL0j3gW-KVqiB1Ak_A88Yn/s1600/20170213_161134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSUFeMir2Gv4lKyyfTeM6nQa8Crp_IUBkWpdSQ2Y3pLgUXCzJsZReOa8w6wBMeHnbHMllpfgowQpi1RXUKXShRx6G08mC2rGcWfpfCYmwPDS4uYgHy4Ufo8XL0j3gW-KVqiB1Ak_A88Yn/s320/20170213_161134.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The north gate of Old Dali was particularly beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #ffffe5; font-size: 19.32px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4n2KztWk3RxChxpX-Q5MhoVfI26jqC6nb9pcqGgUREkc6x8HhKf735FICzk_MGP-XT59BAJ5n35GdxEdea1FG_DOlTALximauzI84v4uLfHuXiKq1KSGpB29A149ICd157SF8SV1gb8D/s1600/20170213_162131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4n2KztWk3RxChxpX-Q5MhoVfI26jqC6nb9pcqGgUREkc6x8HhKf735FICzk_MGP-XT59BAJ5n35GdxEdea1FG_DOlTALximauzI84v4uLfHuXiKq1KSGpB29A149ICd157SF8SV1gb8D/s320/20170213_162131.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChIhVi9hgPnFvSYAmBb7UsszmVS_VGCLk5fnmlOUdGs_lIv-X30ILNSMVenxPjr9JupwVjgHjXAAkIOQqXIaThn6Au2asmzoez9vuPud_ZYJKpv3FbHMUjiMbMQE4DA-4BZavh2BC2_vv/s1600/20170213_180007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChIhVi9hgPnFvSYAmBb7UsszmVS_VGCLk5fnmlOUdGs_lIv-X30ILNSMVenxPjr9JupwVjgHjXAAkIOQqXIaThn6Au2asmzoez9vuPud_ZYJKpv3FbHMUjiMbMQE4DA-4BZavh2BC2_vv/s320/20170213_180007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan on the Dali City Wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xZsCcHBsIvDDgGsFBxsysHWnHTGq-HMJSy7equDsZlOKrs81CT_kgDl0oMK0KS1GUHnjzUgAAqgOjjv_g7dKtInEAj-J8jwWk-Nthg4VuKvWfLDh5zwfX0vm_HRQjbupVP-2uC2BYy_C/s1600/20170213_180625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4xZsCcHBsIvDDgGsFBxsysHWnHTGq-HMJSy7equDsZlOKrs81CT_kgDl0oMK0KS1GUHnjzUgAAqgOjjv_g7dKtInEAj-J8jwWk-Nthg4VuKvWfLDh5zwfX0vm_HRQjbupVP-2uC2BYy_C/s320/20170213_180625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Christian church (state run) in Dali is very active,<br />
with two hundred people attending worship on<br />
Sunday and three Bible Studies (two in Chinese<br />
and one in English) during the week. Although<br />
state run, these churches are allowed to preach the<br />
gospel and restrictions are few. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Gj_Sc9lMm3qaM-uTmhPfUBMvCfeWk9IbIGFRtbZe_SQz7OHCbRmElWFqOaiS9Hn-_opGFnjN36vSgMkEqJ5D05XyqAPTZ71jqzEjxcQDRGpqLukIszkMmQaNay4c5AU04qV8EHtdFDEf/s1600/20170214_135529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Gj_Sc9lMm3qaM-uTmhPfUBMvCfeWk9IbIGFRtbZe_SQz7OHCbRmElWFqOaiS9Hn-_opGFnjN36vSgMkEqJ5D05XyqAPTZ71jqzEjxcQDRGpqLukIszkMmQaNay4c5AU04qV8EHtdFDEf/s320/20170214_135529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gondola ride up into the mountains<br />
over Dali City. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0Gy6AGIjc8mjRCaJqV5hCUZVzi93O0re7xn8JNEUVdwWOxG62ovluE-YGaL4dEddvm2j1AZS1U0xtdiAbO3LvuMO3mUnLvukt6pEox_ws8gXllRFbmTK6p_VmdZ1KlA4xt_5ie3nAOc1/s1600/20170214_141921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0Gy6AGIjc8mjRCaJqV5hCUZVzi93O0re7xn8JNEUVdwWOxG62ovluE-YGaL4dEddvm2j1AZS1U0xtdiAbO3LvuMO3mUnLvukt6pEox_ws8gXllRFbmTK6p_VmdZ1KlA4xt_5ie3nAOc1/s320/20170214_141921.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a cute little friend. I could<br />
have taken him home with me.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_NMCCWo6Y9CVChD0yx6Bdt4meOqSGZtHfglnrXoomhbA0i-lmGTHi8VNRI8ZYbfVy5fD5dHJOrg1WfUTO4-SV7dTVPkMbwVs0mcceE14-yz2pNDOlh-6i4uGRUziF6hqhpnlg4OvLfgK/s1600/20170214_183523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_NMCCWo6Y9CVChD0yx6Bdt4meOqSGZtHfglnrXoomhbA0i-lmGTHi8VNRI8ZYbfVy5fD5dHJOrg1WfUTO4-SV7dTVPkMbwVs0mcceE14-yz2pNDOlh-6i4uGRUziF6hqhpnlg4OvLfgK/s320/20170214_183523.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 6.5pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">I wasn't impressed with the pedicure and Thai massage I had in Chiang Mai (my own fault for not asking more questions). But in Dali, we had a truly unique type of massage, known as a Fish Pedicure. You put your feet in a tank of warm water, filled with about a hundred hungry minnows and they nibble away at the dead skin on your feet. This is not something you want to do if you're ticklish. Dan made sure we found the place with the hungriest looking minnows!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Our final three days in Yunnan were spent in the quaint city of Lijiang, which we traveled to by bus from Dali. In some ways, Lijiang is similar to Dali, with the Old City surrounded by a city wall and the same type of shopping district throughout. But the architecture of Old Town was especially beautiful and the night life was especially fun, with lit up shops and live music in the square market. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoYTCh7MEVeCpRrG8MAnoL8bcqM7QmBJHeDy9LlFY1Bdd6Xa1QJhumiZGiHxTeai99Zf0PM2dOZWcn5iCekozkIM3YtcekHbY-HFFqPsAeXRmPQy_YLlwxXq6mGDoy23ecjrpfikdn-jr/s1600/20170216_114615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoYTCh7MEVeCpRrG8MAnoL8bcqM7QmBJHeDy9LlFY1Bdd6Xa1QJhumiZGiHxTeai99Zf0PM2dOZWcn5iCekozkIM3YtcekHbY-HFFqPsAeXRmPQy_YLlwxXq6mGDoy23ecjrpfikdn-jr/s320/20170216_114615.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These men haul loads for a living and are<br />
waiting for jobs to come their way as they<br />
sit on a busy street corner.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We stayed at t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">he south g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ate to Old <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Town Lijiang and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">were there for three days. The first day we spent exploring the south gate area and the shopping district<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>The second day we took a bus up to Black Dragon Park, on the north end of Old Town. We spent several hours there, enjoying the scenery and getting photos. At times, we had the place almost to ourselves and then suddenly a huge group of Chinese tourists would arrive. The first time this happened, I groaned - complaining to Dan that our nice peaceful outing was about to be spoiled. "No worries", he said. "They will swoop in, take a couple pictures and be out of here in less than five minutes!" And he was right! I couldn't believe it! For us, taking photos was just a way to document and remember the experience, but for the Chinese, taking photos IS the experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Dragon Park, LiJiang, Yunnan, China<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">A short bus ride away from the city of Lijiang, at the bottom of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, is the village of Shuhe Ancient Town. It is along the ancient tea route and was settled by the Naxi people. We spent about a half day there, leisurely strolling along the walkways and stream that runs through it. There is a beautiful pond, and an ancient water wheel and as you make your way through the town you will see peasant farmers working in the rice fields. It was a lovely place to spend our last day in Yunnan. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing laundry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street performers</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtpofRE4dsKkBOkGtD11f8W9Ku2Ho0miNKCD8G9utkke97xc8PEtHFKrgcCe08QpXrEafZmhnwGI0moQb_rpYQH_d2o3mW3CkI5RsocY2TRy9MJ73ZEZXS3GpjEh9L_YGPzftzWJD0eSc/s1600/20170217_153431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtpofRE4dsKkBOkGtD11f8W9Ku2Ho0miNKCD8G9utkke97xc8PEtHFKrgcCe08QpXrEafZmhnwGI0moQb_rpYQH_d2o3mW3CkI5RsocY2TRy9MJ73ZEZXS3GpjEh9L_YGPzftzWJD0eSc/s200/20170217_153431.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> Our final night in Yunnan we enjoyed the night life inside Old City Lijiang, with the stores lit up, some of the lantern festival (the final event in the Chinese New Year celebration) still around and live music drifting from the eateries. We really enjoyed our time there. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdQ9ETKOpc9KBh6u71k4OESNgpx9A7rM9jLMfP_hcPHHZiCwokmF_moUjYAoOPhcNa1Tp6hj-S_L-zfVpYK1u7S3cX-7Z08-QY_K-f8-bEDhFwVLfAzIoAj56UqJlchSRGGp0BQRzHPdL/s1600/20170217_213545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdQ9ETKOpc9KBh6u71k4OESNgpx9A7rM9jLMfP_hcPHHZiCwokmF_moUjYAoOPhcNa1Tp6hj-S_L-zfVpYK1u7S3cX-7Z08-QY_K-f8-bEDhFwVLfAzIoAj56UqJlchSRGGp0BQRzHPdL/s320/20170217_213545.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My last night in Yunnan - and look what <br />
I found!! A beautiful tri-colored corgi!<br />
As the wealth of the average Chinese family<br />
has increased, dogs are becoming much <br />
more common - especially in the wealthier<br />
cities of eastern China - but we saw many dogs<br />
in Yunnan too. They are rarely on a leash, <br />
roam freely in and out of stores, restaurants<br />
and Dan tells me most of the have not<br />
had rabies vaccines. In fact, because of <br />
this, Dan's agency requires that their members<br />
get rabies vaccines.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzkaiHbi52XWZhuWPi9GaHLaHAaL5LRDOXC8lB5ID0nUFPEPrJDhyphenhyphene0NeuYHthNJAl24i1GaDHzceC7fa51aclQnLO3UMh2qOaV6wLbte5GABc41LDPPobCplfwRiuZrYya9csjCz_odY/s1600/20170217_213607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzkaiHbi52XWZhuWPi9GaHLaHAaL5LRDOXC8lB5ID0nUFPEPrJDhyphenhyphene0NeuYHthNJAl24i1GaDHzceC7fa51aclQnLO3UMh2qOaV6wLbte5GABc41LDPPobCplfwRiuZrYya9csjCz_odY/s320/20170217_213607.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This corgi's owner spoke no English and <br />
Dan was somewhere down the street, so <br />
I had to pull out my smartphone and show<br />
her the photos of my dogs so she could<br />
see why I was so excited. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Leaving Yunnan was ki<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">nd of sad<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We REALLY enjoyed our time there. We flew to S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">he<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">nzhen rather than Hong Kong for several reaso<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ns - one being, that it was cheaper. Th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ese are the foothills to the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Himalayas that we are flying over. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">We had a delightful dinner with a former student of D<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">an's and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">his wife. They<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> have a young daughter<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> and are expecting their second chil<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">d, now that the one child policy has been lifted. H<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">er <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">parents live with them to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">provide childcare. They have good jobs and live well, but housing is so expensive that they<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> have just a 700 square foot apartment for their soon-to-be<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> family of four, plus h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">er par<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ents. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRnjMLbveMqwKBrpoW3nQZ4AYhJb309FmovR83VqF72Pp6TrGbjuVVRs4cHCN99XVQj_ep4vnEW_693VPrQvNCwrgjhBW04fs7PpxecBNEUaopA_Bsl-N2lOd0aDIpukrJfbemSkxBJKw/s1600/20170218_175619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRnjMLbveMqwKBrpoW3nQZ4AYhJb309FmovR83VqF72Pp6TrGbjuVVRs4cHCN99XVQj_ep4vnEW_693VPrQvNCwrgjhBW04fs7PpxecBNEUaopA_Bsl-N2lOd0aDIpukrJfbemSkxBJKw/s320/20170218_175619.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Meals are served family style in China, so as a group, you choose a number of entrees from the menu and share them. After a long discussion, we ended up with this spread! I particularly enjoyed the pork ribs and the snap peas, as well as the corn chowder. It was a delicious meal.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">Another reason<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> we flew to Shenzhen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">, rather than H<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ong Kong, is that i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">t is much easier going through immigration at the train station than at the airport. His friends gave us a ride to the station<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">, we <span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">w<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ent through immig<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ration in abo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">ut a half hour and then took a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> taxi up to Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre - a monestary founded by Norwegian missionaries in 1930 that is no<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;">w used<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> as a retreat center for Christians. Its' a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"> quiet place to get away from the chaos of Hong Kong. It was a special place to end our vacation. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All was well in Pilgrim Hall until I saw this sign on our door.<br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-76264240901246087552017-03-22T08:56:00.000-06:002017-03-25T15:14:53.852-06:00Hijack to Asia - Part I - THAILAND<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Once a year, or thereabouts, I hijack Corgitales to share stories and pictures from a recent vacation. That would be a vacation without the dogs. I take them with me, whenever and wherever I can, and we love to camp - but when I go on an African safari, or to Hawaii or to China - well, there is no way to bring them along. <br />
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My brother Dan has lived in China for 26 years; the last twenty or so in the city of Xian. Having visited him in Xian before, and also seen all the sights in and around Beijing, such as the Great Wall and Forbidden City, I decided that I'd like to see a different part of the country this trip. Yunnan Province, in far southwestern China (bordered by Tibet, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) is home to an ethnically diverse population. It has more ethnic minorities than any other province, including the Yi, Bai, Tai, Dai, Hui, Nakji, Mongolian, Tibetan and Pumi - just to name a few. These groups are distributed throughout Yunnan, and most are clustered in compact communities of a few thousand.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bustling Hong Kong</td></tr>
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I'm getting ahead of myself, however. The month of February is Chinese New Year time; similar to our Christmas break. For expatriate professionals, such as my brother, it is a time to get out of China (and the terrible air pollution there) to gather with others in his organization for an annual conference. The vast majority of these conferences are held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and it was there that I spent the first few days of my vacation after meeting up with Dan in Hong Kong.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese New Year in Hong Kong</td></tr>
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Dan's agency is made up of mostly Europeans, with a few South Africans and Americans thrown in for good measure. Of the just FIVE Americans in his agency; Dan being one of them; the other two <i>couples</i> turned out to be from Fergus Falls - just a few miles down the road from where I live! That was crazy, on a couple of counts. First, that Dan doesn't know his Minnesota geography well enough to have ever mentioned this to me. And second, that both couples knew MANY of my friends from a church group I used to be in in Moorhead. Just too crazy!!</div>
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The third day of the conference was Dan's birthday and he decided to skip the meetings and I treated him to a day at an elephant theme park nearby. It was a fun outing, and way to spend his birthday but I was not prepared for the backlash I got from a few friends when I posted the pictures on Facebook. I certainly did not mean to offend anyone. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bamboo raft ride was really a float down a very calm river.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night Market</td></tr>
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The second half of the week - when Dan was still at his conference up in
the mountains - I spent at a very nice little resort in Chiang Mai,
where I could get a Thai massage (that was an experience, let me tell
you!) and shop at the night market, which was a lot of fun. Chiang
Mai is a very tourist friendly city, transportation is easy to find,
currency is easy to understand and most everyone speaks at least some
English.<br />
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I stayed at a place called Juniper Tree, where meals were served family style and you could drop your laundry off in the morning and by 5:00 it was all
washed and ironed! I don't iron my underwear at home; that's for sure!
A wonderful pool and library made it a nice place to relax for a
couple days before heading to Yunnan, China. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1ZyAcM8wm4Dlk14PXt2knx351cNhyphenhyphenvKohaedvtuP1w0xrVPLI4GCxXThuPA4TyY6NKrT9WumKNCOwM9fkXgkgmVkqN9qNeCjGzq_QWafl5oVoFG6Z0TC2AlmiicGwmzM9BLIMTEVBiHY/s1600/20170210_213544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1ZyAcM8wm4Dlk14PXt2knx351cNhyphenhyphenvKohaedvtuP1w0xrVPLI4GCxXThuPA4TyY6NKrT9WumKNCOwM9fkXgkgmVkqN9qNeCjGzq_QWafl5oVoFG6Z0TC2AlmiicGwmzM9BLIMTEVBiHY/s320/20170210_213544.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thailand's revered King <span class="st" data-hveid="52" data-ved="0ahUKEwjOrY3IltnSAhVE2oMKHR-_CCUQ4EUINDAE"> Bhumibol Adulyadej<br />died in October, 2016 and the country is<br />in a year long period of mourning with black<br />ribbons and photos of the king everywhere.<br />At the time of his death, he was the longest<br />reigning monarch in the world. </span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="52" data-ved="0ahUKEwjOrY3IltnSAhVE2oMKHR-_CCUQ4EUINDAE"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are more Buddhist temples in<br />
Chian Mai than there are Lutheran<br />
Churches in Fargo/Moorhead<br />
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-81516818505275026842017-01-01T15:48:00.003-06:002017-03-12T14:55:17.062-06:00From Surviving to Thriving <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't updated our blog much this year. For the past 30 years I've been blessed with good health, good relationships, a good job, a strong and vibrant faith, a wonderful community in which to live and of course, my precious fur-babies. There have been some bumps along the way .... a broken relationship in 2007, the death of my parents in 2011, a few health scares and the loss of my first two corgis. But this past year, my world was turned upside down when a couple of TIAs (mini strokes) ended my 20 year passion with rubber stamping and the friendships that went along with it. I fully recovered from the TIAs and have no limitations at all, but before I even got out of the hospital, I received notice that I'd been replaced by a home-school Mom who was closer (in age and lifestyle) to the rest of the group. It was devastating.<br />
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I am immensely grateful to those who have stood by me and walked alongside me. I have some truly wonderful friends who went 'over and above' and never wavered in their support of me through this painful transition. My co-workers at KFNW (both our local and network staff) have stood by me as well. I am blessed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE8dsUFYAT8rLhDI_UhOBmm2UGK7GaM222pfjuwj3mhb9YVFYGNGirnnGSxPV1uMr9cfpgpfF2Wd2qSTYPBGefbrW07cKTBAio2HPFWGtI4dhj_677CHg4Vpa_7pX3xab8gGngkszrO8G/s1600/15094370_10155430810624202_2389244398503793791_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE8dsUFYAT8rLhDI_UhOBmm2UGK7GaM222pfjuwj3mhb9YVFYGNGirnnGSxPV1uMr9cfpgpfF2Wd2qSTYPBGefbrW07cKTBAio2HPFWGtI4dhj_677CHg4Vpa_7pX3xab8gGngkszrO8G/s400/15094370_10155430810624202_2389244398503793791_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Scarlett and Zak have 'been there' for me too. On days when my heart was breaking, they quietly snuggled up beside me and licked my tears. On days when I had a bit more energy, they gave me a reason to get out and move. I wouldn't have made it through this year without them. </div>
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I <i>have</i> put Scarlett and Zak in doggie daycare more often this year. They LOVE it, and when we turn down the dirt road leading to Yuppy Puppy, Scarlett squeals with delight. When I go to pick them up, Zak often hides under the desk. They just got to spend a whole week there so that I could go to North Carolina to spend Christmas with dear friends. They'll get to go there again for THREE weeks in February when I go to China. They get good 'report cards' for behavior and getting along with the other dogs. They could not be more different than my girls! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJJM8YObaYSCx_y0qhZTNG9tS-M7PiYQmcx7rDLfa9zdD3wOwll4T1cAgRiYLLq_2YFL-clRSgceVHJniTCdgZFTTgdn6Rso1cIIU8DkKwnxmk6v-ct2YX1vWJwyZJdxQh416_4hjGUPM/s1600/20161225_133001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJJM8YObaYSCx_y0qhZTNG9tS-M7PiYQmcx7rDLfa9zdD3wOwll4T1cAgRiYLLq_2YFL-clRSgceVHJniTCdgZFTTgdn6Rso1cIIU8DkKwnxmk6v-ct2YX1vWJwyZJdxQh416_4hjGUPM/s200/20161225_133001.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas through the eyes of a child</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdJJ7kZskNmxyU1_AtJj-z-4ArjR_OqMl7INebRZfOv8mqkdGuKqrAWboyywpyt4PrvlUamYcznObAxC8QJpkabeg4wUvVODqrh6jzDJozwQMum9bJnIKHiJQD9rtjKkkE26oeBKvd5Gw/s1600/20161225_120326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdJJ7kZskNmxyU1_AtJj-z-4ArjR_OqMl7INebRZfOv8mqkdGuKqrAWboyywpyt4PrvlUamYcznObAxC8QJpkabeg4wUvVODqrh6jzDJozwQMum9bJnIKHiJQD9rtjKkkE26oeBKvd5Gw/s200/20161225_120326.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is more exciting than a new bike?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jXSt2IJhyphenhyphen7FwLAdXu8l5SlBG8oNXjIUQWuifq0DpvLj1gOm3A3SLVpPHQxOv8pB-FldadaMr_ji36jSXg1UBDC9Lxsb_KIyfxcekPy89vmCyVj2LbPL9qjBTUKdlIENRBx6PI34-KpZA/s1600/20161225_115147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jXSt2IJhyphenhyphen7FwLAdXu8l5SlBG8oNXjIUQWuifq0DpvLj1gOm3A3SLVpPHQxOv8pB-FldadaMr_ji36jSXg1UBDC9Lxsb_KIyfxcekPy89vmCyVj2LbPL9qjBTUKdlIENRBx6PI34-KpZA/s320/20161225_115147.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toddlers don't notice or care about dementia. It's all love.</td></tr>
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I enter 2017 with many question marks. I try to imagine where I will be a year from now. I have life changing decisions to face; all of them difficult, with no guarantees that any will bring healing. I try to focus on things to look forward to in the short term (like my trip to China) and not plan too far beyond that. I don't know what is ahead, and take a day at a time. 2016 was a year to <i>survive</i>. I am hoping that a year from now, I will be looking back on 2017 as a year to <i>thrive</i>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1UU5n8CEOKcVwV8LM0k0TC7cF48HB_6TsZ9bSkPCDwBMW4XcdBXejom7zE_cbu0VXZaf3gVzm1-fc3pXDSirIlLdRsI3LimliQaE4XE08-oNcPApHeRxW40gaSgIEM_EIpW9P-05XMkZ/s1600/20161228_153723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1UU5n8CEOKcVwV8LM0k0TC7cF48HB_6TsZ9bSkPCDwBMW4XcdBXejom7zE_cbu0VXZaf3gVzm1-fc3pXDSirIlLdRsI3LimliQaE4XE08-oNcPApHeRxW40gaSgIEM_EIpW9P-05XMkZ/s320/20161228_153723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, NC</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-63671813705576912152016-09-18T15:37:00.002-06:002016-09-18T15:41:53.966-06:00Summer Waning .... Hello, Autumn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I say it every year, but <i>where did the summer go</i>?? We are experiencing an early Fall with many trees starting to change color already. I'm not sure why that is, as it wasn't a particularly hot or cool summer, and we had near normal rainfall. Hopefully the early Fall doesn't lead to an early Winter!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting another corgi family at the Donut Shop</td></tr>
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Due to some health issues, we did not get in a summer vacation this year, which made me especially glad for my trip to Hawaii last Spring. We did manage to squeeze in a long weekend of camping on the North Shore in late August. It was wonderful to get away from some of the drama happening at home, not to mention the unprecedented road construction we have experienced this summer. We met another corgi family at the Donut Shop in Grand Marais, and one of the daughters was starting school at Concordia College - just up the street from me - the following week! I told her she could come down for a corgi fix anytime she wanted! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High Falls on the Pigeon River</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade Falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing at Grand Marais harbor</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25MBgP3qDqV8G2a97P5zi1bZpeLYSh7MjyPvBDevSGkWpk112HNgPBrSXdDe_tULzctuJHwiWr2Jl1z5tEYeQZhOLyp9hJfIHnNuAGwviOH9HeHyVW7kDs1NGURcJ7nizzxIngDFjc8TJ/s1600/14317430_10155231321369202_2202151775941421094_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25MBgP3qDqV8G2a97P5zi1bZpeLYSh7MjyPvBDevSGkWpk112HNgPBrSXdDe_tULzctuJHwiWr2Jl1z5tEYeQZhOLyp9hJfIHnNuAGwviOH9HeHyVW7kDs1NGURcJ7nizzxIngDFjc8TJ/s200/14317430_10155231321369202_2202151775941421094_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbvBNavksCC9-r4mBQN42fa6aGRP74acjescKoI9Sk96o1IKIZtxR9yjQhsjuYZZ5yWJPBj_s5sLa0NyKn9qy4XdHvzpYZf6T5r6hnAgGWtK67LS4fgDwvGigk8dZFTyNKkbeTJzUJ7aD/s1600/14369887_10155231322579202_3197761890030384286_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbvBNavksCC9-r4mBQN42fa6aGRP74acjescKoI9Sk96o1IKIZtxR9yjQhsjuYZZ5yWJPBj_s5sLa0NyKn9qy4XdHvzpYZf6T5r6hnAgGWtK67LS4fgDwvGigk8dZFTyNKkbeTJzUJ7aD/s200/14369887_10155231322579202_3197761890030384286_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>The days are noticeably shorter now, so we try to get out for a good walk as soon as I get home from work each day. Last night we were down at Gooseberry Park where a local church was having their Fall kickoff with a worship band, games and food. The<i style="font-weight: bold;"> food </i> is what drew us in! Pulled pork, burgers, brats .... yum! Scarlett and Zak made off like bandits - not only in the bits of pork dropped on the ground or the 1/2 of a brat that someone tossed their way - but in all the attention they received. They never lack for it, but enjoy it especially from children. Zak thought he'd died and gone to heaven as clearly shows in these photos. He is a charmer. And Miss Scarlett - who turned 4 years old a few days ago - no longer lets him have all the attention. After a few minutes of watching him drink it all in, she makes her move. She is such a sweet and funny girl and has some gestures and sounds that are unique just to her. It's been a hard summer for me. A few friends have rallied around me and seen me through. But I cannot understate the role that these two fur-babies have played in my survival. I don't know what I would do without them. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lazy Sunday afternoon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leif Erickson Park - Duluth</td></tr>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-73345500691565175612016-07-31T15:29:00.002-06:002016-07-31T15:44:26.962-06:00Three Years Old! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm528hNaFLOBMdSM0h3Opcb6stSZesQpHSXr21X1VQOicKamYiZyrAD6DB3SwMUj9TKq87TzcdIg3fu3KqA1Qv02Nv7FwcEHVcq3KcYsdptdjoGvN2umy8li2hCOctTHYuWtDnaQv9dUR4/s1600/100_2383+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm528hNaFLOBMdSM0h3Opcb6stSZesQpHSXr21X1VQOicKamYiZyrAD6DB3SwMUj9TKq87TzcdIg3fu3KqA1Qv02Nv7FwcEHVcq3KcYsdptdjoGvN2umy8li2hCOctTHYuWtDnaQv9dUR4/s200/100_2383+%25282%2529.JPG" width="170" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLJyiJUgcYsA7o43sD30rx37HHiWN9FB_vXlZPGZqrobD95KnsUo7CPVVNtHEctvaM7dK44tNlLjnSGWK7fmaSvzRgxxd5IFcgGja4aupYwRl3DF-9Xjf6t8yHLmeZhlW1__XsRDHuJJu/s1600/100_2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLJyiJUgcYsA7o43sD30rx37HHiWN9FB_vXlZPGZqrobD95KnsUo7CPVVNtHEctvaM7dK44tNlLjnSGWK7fmaSvzRgxxd5IFcgGja4aupYwRl3DF-9Xjf6t8yHLmeZhlW1__XsRDHuJJu/s200/100_2380.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Years Old</td></tr>
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Where have the last three years gone?!?! I can hardly believe it was three years ago that I brought that little 3 lb squawking fur-baby home with me. I had no idea what to do with a brand new puppy, having gotten all of my other dogs at 8-12 months old, and, much like a new mother, I was scared to death. With the help of a pet-nanny, we got through those first four months when Zak needed to be let out several times a day. I'd come home for an early lunch, quickly let him out and clean up the kennel while shoving a sandwich in my mouth. Emma would come about 3:00 and let him out again (as well as Princess and Scarlett). Having a brand new puppy, a one year old and a <i>very</i> elderly senior for 15 months kept me very, <b><i>very</i></b> busy but
we got through it and had a lot of fun. Total strangers
driving down 8th Street would see him in the yard and come around the corner and ask if they could play with him. That happened <i>several </i>times. He was SO stinkin' cute. <br />
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https://vimeo.com/77722531<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeL987l6_uWOQ0Q07d0JIjsMCkwHxLSptDYW1zYOsQLIKnHO5E13ivyMacDL8laTDuiLupGFGZRbfUSeiWzdUmZgZKOADaEhNwkQXAydT6wWA_4wrGuEdigjRdUUIKdOHQLSrXGUzONuF/s1600/100_2376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeL987l6_uWOQ0Q07d0JIjsMCkwHxLSptDYW1zYOsQLIKnHO5E13ivyMacDL8laTDuiLupGFGZRbfUSeiWzdUmZgZKOADaEhNwkQXAydT6wWA_4wrGuEdigjRdUUIKdOHQLSrXGUzONuF/s320/100_2376.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Friends Forever</td></tr>
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Zak had a ton of personality right from the start and today he is a big boy (long and rather slender by corgi standards) who thinks everyone on the planet is here to play with him! He is a happy, active, smart three-year-old who, as I found out yesterday, is quite willing to pose for the camera. These were taken in a friend's garden. Scarlett and Zak ran and ran around their large country estate and had <i>so much fun</i>. On the way home, we stopped in Barnesville for a walk around Whiskey Creek and they got to finish the day with a swim and an ice cream treat. I think Zak had a great birthday (one day late)! </div>
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7633083546024818767.post-37248245673460846332016-06-05T16:06:00.001-06:002016-06-06T14:52:18.439-06:00Summer Music Festivals <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqUjV6h_eyExg4E41c0XXdz4HPAaMclKyTrdPuy2-H3zs4CeLp0P9TEqgmSU3_BQI0gJjLF0oX5NXxVU8IIEMqajtoabiXfXo3nBfBmrVcfydGPYqrwQmN5MsvI34gAZ3MRJN5WnwYuMK/s1600/P1040823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqUjV6h_eyExg4E41c0XXdz4HPAaMclKyTrdPuy2-H3zs4CeLp0P9TEqgmSU3_BQI0gJjLF0oX5NXxVU8IIEMqajtoabiXfXo3nBfBmrVcfydGPYqrwQmN5MsvI34gAZ3MRJN5WnwYuMK/s200/P1040823.JPG" width="200" /></a>One of the special treats of summer is the chance to take in some open air concerts. There’s something about listening to live music on a warm summer afternoon, corgis snuggled up beside me, breeze blowing through my hair, that is a delight to the senses. I enjoy folk festivals in particular, but very few of them allow dogs. We have found one in Wisconsin that does, and have been there a couple of times. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJu9fuyiupxXRFXCYKxmfRGmMNYq4YpZiUPxuFPUICsAVj9UBmnLI-T8GzBMyOEHtK-SVP83p1lwl74FFiWtdjc24Y5pm5AejKLi917q2BcSNRf-dw7ucQuHYL4z8fXKboGRDQjAolBkX/s1600/P1040825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJu9fuyiupxXRFXCYKxmfRGmMNYq4YpZiUPxuFPUICsAVj9UBmnLI-T8GzBMyOEHtK-SVP83p1lwl74FFiWtdjc24Y5pm5AejKLi917q2BcSNRf-dw7ucQuHYL4z8fXKboGRDQjAolBkX/s200/P1040825.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out with our friend Marilyn</td></tr>
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Today, however, we enjoyed some outdoor music closer to home. Our local MPR station, KCCM, hosts a classical music festival the first weekend of June at Rheault Farm, and we took that in today. We ran into my friend Marilyn Proulx and it was fun to hang out together. The music is light fare; Americana, light classics such as Steven Foster and George Gerschwin, as well as a jazz band and local choral group. It was a fun afternoon and Scarlett and Zak had a blast. They looked so cute in their sun visors and, as always, attracted a lot of attention. They were very well behaved, snuggling up to anyone who was willing to scratch their ears. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equal time, please!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFqLZmYtbDoPuEgC4uo3WGHZ3iFUxfYAmtdjTTSX68rR0fExyBXDeF35QVhzn9mhE5zKAk8PGIEd_9FzoAZgbMbt6wlw76spesifPHW9H5J176qJIsx0Uzrij5_FHzMsLqOT6DDA-kG18/s1600/P1040826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFqLZmYtbDoPuEgC4uo3WGHZ3iFUxfYAmtdjTTSX68rR0fExyBXDeF35QVhzn9mhE5zKAk8PGIEd_9FzoAZgbMbt6wlw76spesifPHW9H5J176qJIsx0Uzrij5_FHzMsLqOT6DDA-kG18/s200/P1040826.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppy love</td></tr>
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May was a very intense month for me with some health issues and a traumatic experience that has been pretty heavy. I have been so grateful for my little four-legged therapists. They've kept me focused and have given me lots and lots of unconditional love. <br />
I love my sweet fur-babies. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVBzADpRGMI6mWWZwI5K5rIS1cuxi6WT7UwQ0_WIG9P7o1_IbSTlbWAM2ZmeE7vlxVL9XlmowHoyAODoL-N886JshFcxZOM5Cw8TeLoFLWAtVH9jqtVjFvWA79w8BvFhTeQ6TYh7la67F/s1600/P1040833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVBzADpRGMI6mWWZwI5K5rIS1cuxi6WT7UwQ0_WIG9P7o1_IbSTlbWAM2ZmeE7vlxVL9XlmowHoyAODoL-N886JshFcxZOM5Cw8TeLoFLWAtVH9jqtVjFvWA79w8BvFhTeQ6TYh7la67F/s200/P1040833.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the music</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02541911261842350833noreply@blogger.com0