The Land of Babes.

Sometimes it's fun to reminisce on times past, when Nathan & I were engaged and so full of excitement for the impending events: college graduation, graduate school, marriage, etc. Not that life right now isn't absolutely wonderful & exciting.... it's just that I don't have pictures that are nearly as good.

If you give a dog a cat toy....

He will probably just eat it. Unless that dog is Cohen, in which case he will play with it incessantly.

Good god, I love him.

Why I love my pets.

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm just absolutely in love with my pets. I'm an animal person through-and-through. I'm a vegetarian mainly because I just can't bear the thought of eating an animal. I get upset at the predatory nature of animals while watching Planet Earth. I fall in love with every dog I see at the dog park, every single time I go. I just adore animals, particularly the warm-blooded kind.

So, it's only natural that this love of animals would lead me to be a slightly obsessive pet-parent. I could seriously just sit and watch my cats chase a bug all day long. I could pet each of them until their hair fell out. I spend too much of my paycheck on animal toys, and Nathan has to drag me out of PetSmart every time we're there. I nearly had a breakdown when we brought Cohen into the family just because I was so nervous that the cats would be unhappy.

My pets are my family, in such a genuine way. I know their personalities. I know whose hairball that is, which cat is scratching at the door, what food they like (my cats don't like fish... weird, huh?), where they like to be petted (Fiero loves his butt being scratched), what makes them more excited than anything in the world (you should see Cohen's ears when I ask him if he wants to go on a walk), and  what kind of games they like to play.

I enjoy their company like nothing I've ever experienced. The affection of my animals is probably the most therapeutic experience I could ever have. Fi-fi sitting in my lap purring is all I need in this world to be happy. Somehow, when I feel like little in the world is good, including myself, my pets remind me that simply being with another life is enough. The goodness and gentleness of my pets brings me such peace and comfort, as well as joy and laughter.

Animals just have an incredible way of showing us what is good and real in life. They're not distracted by technology, opposable thumbs, and human drama. They enjoy the simplicity of life: food, a warm bed, cuddling, exercise, rolling in the grass. Sometimes I really need to be reminded to take a break from being a human.

THE BEST EVER.

I'm obsessed.

And completely unashamed.

Poverty by Numbers

via NPR

Saturday Success.

Saturday was a really, perfect day in so many ways. One of those days where, at the end of it when you're lying in bed next to your best friend in the whole world & a pup at your feet, you just smile thinking of all the wonderful things that fit in such a small number of hours. Saturday was one of those days.

We slept in, so you know it was bound to be a good day. I woke up with a pup stretched out next to me, got up, and hobbled sleepily down the stairs to see my husband in the kitchen busy at work making fresh ketchup. Have you ever made/eaten fresh ketchup? It's not even the same category of foods as the regular stuff. Such complex flavors all binding together to make the most perfect condiment/topping/sauce ever.

Homemade snack: ketchup & fries.

After we finished making ketchup & cleaning up the mess (it was a big mess), we did yard work & planted our fall garden. I love sweating in the sunshine and getting my hands literally dirty. And I am so excited about our garden for the fall. It was kind of a bust this summer; we started too late in the season once we moved in, and then it was just too hot for much of anything to live. Not to mention the mess of bermuda grass. But after a summer of sitting under cardboard and straw, our beds are full of rich, moist, dark soil, perfect for growing a fall bounty. We planted radishes, dragon carrots, arugula, & onions in the first bed. Hopefully this week we'll finish forking the second bed & get our kale & more radishes planted. I'm really optimistic that we'll get something out of this season's crop.

Our rose bush bloomed! 

Be still my heart. Basil basil basil.

Looks like we've got some tomaters!

After our wonderfully productive morning of gardening & yard work, we cleaned up, napped, ate an amazing lunch with our ketchup, and headed to the DOG PARK! Happiest place on earth. Plus, Cohen got to play with one of his two girlfriends, Nova. We met up with Nova's mom, Heather, and our other human friend Cayla at the park and giggled as the dogs frolicked & played. After Nova & Cohen tired themselves out a bit, we all went to Hillsboro Village to meet up with Cohen's other girlfriend, Bella, and her mom Marie for the Pup Crawl I had been excited about all week. Well, I think the rain earlier in the day may have ruined the pup crawl, cause there was not much of a crawl going on. Nevertheless, we had a great time chatting and spending time together at Fido with our pups. 

Bein' a pup.

Once we returned home with our tired pooch, we made our snack of fries & ketchup to enjoy while watching the movie Stardust. Ummm, how have I never seen that movie? It was seriously one of the best movies I've ever seen. I want to watch it again ASAP. It was so magical and wonderful! Plus, they all have British accents so you know I loved it. 

Beautiful story, beautiful people, beautiful costumes.

And then of course, after my wonderful, perfect Saturday, I got to lie down next to the love of my life & wake up to a whole new day with him.