It Hurts

Isn't she cute.  I love my little fruitbat.  It's an unfortunate comparison but the truth hurts sometimes.  Want another truth that hurts?  A pair of my favorite pajama shorts bit the dust today because of this little creature's taste for undergarments. I mean, I could still wear them....like crotchless panties if I wanted too but instead I shed a salty tear as I threw them out.  Sage, you better sleep with one eye open tonight.

When she does something wrong, she knows it.  Oh yes this little whippersnapper will tell you she did something wrong even before you found the wrong-doing.  I'll come in to the house, take one look at her squinty little eyes, ears flattened to her skull, and go searching the house for a little turd or maybe 5-10 pairs of underwear strewn about like a crotchless pantie extravaganza. 

 

 

I think it's her firm believe that if she can't see me, I in turn, don't see her.  At this point I have kind of lost my steam.  How do you get mad at a little fruitbat who looks sound alseep?

It's when her ears go back that no matter how many newly bought Victoria's Secret underwear are now in her intestinal tract, I can do nothing but laugh.

At the sound of my cackles she comes awake again, she knows the storm as blown over.  The dark threatening clouds have moved north, the violent winds have died down to a whisper, and all is right with the world.

"So everything's cool right mom?"

God calls me to forgive...but I will not forget.  Especially when I reach for those shorts that are no longer there. When I envision that cute paisley print that was last year's spring line...never going to see those again.  When I am forced to go commando and just don't feel right about it. When I shell out $80 at VS to replenish my undergarment drawer.  The truth, it hurts. 

I will not kill this plant.

It will thrive and grow and gather nutrients from the manure enriched soil.  Big blooms will burst forth and make me smile every time I pull up and park in my driveway.  When the plant gets too luscious and burdened with blooms I will take some cuttings and display them in sweet mason jars all over my house.  My neighbors will notice and make comments like "what a beautiful Hydrangea that is" or "my, you sure have a green thumb, looking at your Hydrangea from my front window makes me smile every morning."  All of this could theoretically happen.  Theoretically.  That's the key word.

If I don't kill it.

No one has ever complimented me about my "green thumb."  Ever.  This will change.  Just watch.

I picked up this young Hydrangea Macrophylla at a thrift store across the street from work.  They were having a half off sale and I noticed they had multiple bedraggled looking plants sitting in the baking sun.  The plant was somewhat of a charity case and when I saw it's sad little buds hoping to one day bloom I took pity and snatched it.  Actually I paid $5 for it. 

I mentioned Macrophylla which kind of makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about, it also sounds like some sort of disturbing disorder, but it really means that this particular plant is a "Mophead" Hydrangea. They produce really big circular blooms that I'm absolutely in love with.  I see these flowers in weddings all the time and they are just so elegant and whimsical and they make me want to have them in my life at all times...inside and outside.  Buying this plant will hopefully get me a littler closer to that reality.  Look how beautiful the blooms can be!

 Imagine if I had these blooms and put together something so totally awesome like this.  So sweet and serene.

 Or this?  I'm in love with the simplicity of it as well as the sheer beauty.  No need for greenery or any other flowers.  These babies stand on their own with no problem.

 During Christmas I could even make one of these!!  Wait...do they bloom during Christmas?  Dang. I really wanted a Hydrangea wreath.  I'll just cut this picture out and tape it to my door when the time comes.

I better slow down or my Hydrangea will hide it's flowers from me in fear of being naked all the time.  I promise, I won't pluck you dry right away.  I will practice self control.  Theoretically.  I love that word.

I MIGHT be able to enjoy these wonderful blooms if I can get the thing in the ground at some point.  Hydrangeas are primarily shade plants, however they do like a few hours of morning sun.  I'm having a problem figuring out where to put my little youngster to get what it needs.  Because in order to avoid plant murder, you have to make sure they get what they need.  I think this theory goes towards a lot in life. At first I thought I had the perfect place in the front yard under our deck/walkway leading to the front door.  I assumed it was a pretty shady spot with some sun but after leaving the plant, in it's container, in the proposed spot I nearly scorched the poor thing to death.  I hugged it and told it I would never do it wrong again.  Today it sits by the back door waiting to be put in it's proper home.  You'll be home before you know it little one.

I've got a few little pink faces coming out to say hi, one did not appreciate the sun burn and is looking a little forlorn. 

Most of the others have yet to be born and are marinating in their buds waiting for me to get my shit together and put their mothership in the ground.

Wish me luck in my Hydrangea endeavor.  I will keep you posted.  If you don't get posted than it means the plant has most likely died and gone to plant trash can heaven.  Let's hope my thumb starts turning a light shade of green and that doesn't happen.  I won't be able to handle the thought of being so close to my dream of having hydrangea blooms in my life.  Amen. 

No Other Like Nelson...

Nelson is a force to be reckoned with.  This furry little creature has more personality than 20 dogs put together and keeps showing us more.  The guy is like a gigantic onion, his layers are unending and most the time he makes me want to cry.   He has a ridiculous underbite where one tooth sticks out from the bottom holding his upper lip back in this grimace/smile/snarl depending on his mood.  His moods range from terrible to sweet to adorable and back to terrible again.  He's only terrible to SOME people, I'm not part of that group so I absolutely love the heck out of little Nelson.  If you want the key to his heart, you must know this....high pitch baby talk.  That's what will save your hand or pant leg in a pinch.  Unless you're Brandee...then he hates the air you breathe no matter what octive you can get your voice to reach. 

Nelson is a 5 year-old Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix who came to entertain us at the SPCA after failing his temperament test at another shelter.  We tend to collect the "problem-kids" and have alot of fun with them. 

Recently, I pulled a trick out of Nelson that has been lying dormant for the past month.   A trick we have never seen before.  It's another layer being peeled back.  I was originally trying to get him to sit by using a scrumptious peanut butter treat.  He sat, I gave him a treat.  Then I wanted to try to get a ballerina twirl out of him, because that's obviously the next step right?  When I did a little circular motion with my hand the little lad stopped, dropped and rolled.  I got really excited at that point and made him do 26 more rolls-overs.  The guy was on fire.  I think he probably regrets showing me his circus talent because we had to document it of course...Lisa, my director and Nelson's biggest fan, demonstrates for you.

 After all of his horizontal work Nelson earned himself a desk nap.  How does one work under these conditions? 

Zucchini Banana Bread!

After cleaning out my fridge to prepare for a large grocery run, I noticed I had a few left-over zucchini from an over-zealous vegetable splurge.  They were looking a bit tired and were beginning to form some slime.  I put them on the counter along with my other things that were headed for the trash and moved on.  When I was done I noticed three nearly black bananas hanging out in my fruit bowl.  Gross, gotta toss those too...until I had an idea.  I could make banana bread!  So I gathered all the other non-survivors and headed out to the can.  As I was nearly tossing the zucchini...I had another idea.  I could make zucchini banana bread!  And that's just what I did.

The smell this bread leaves in your house while it's baking is intoxicating...beware.

This is what you'll need: (this recipe makes one big loaf or two mini loaves)

3 large bananas (preferably over-ripe...the blacker the better)

1 cup shredded zucchini (I used two small-medium zucchini and shredded in my food processor...oh and I washed the slime off)

3/4 cup white sugar OR pure cane sugar

1 egg (beaten)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1/2 cups nuts (optional)

2 tbs butter (melted)

How to put it together: 

0. Preheat oven to 350

1.  In a medium size mixing bowl, peel your bananas and mash 'em up good. 

2. Shred your zucchini any way you know how.  Food processor works best but if you don't have one I'm sure you could use a cheese grater or do it by hand, just pop on your ipod and go to town.

3. Add the shredded zucchini to the mashed banana along with the sugar and beaten egg.  Mix thoroughly.

4. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly.

5. Combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture and stir, stir, stir until everything is mixed. 

6. Now it's time to add the melted butter along with any of the optional items (raisins or nuts) Mix. 

7. Poor batter into a greased loaf pan or two mini loaf pans and pop into the oven for an hour.  I usually check it at 45 minutes but it took exactly an hour to be fully done.  Do the toothpick test if you're unsure. 

8. ENJOY the smell as it's cooking and then enjoy it sliced and buttered when it's done!!  YUM!

*Recipe from http://beautyandbedlam.com/zucchini-banana-bread/

Back to Blogging...

I'm back from a small hiatus...it's kind of what I do. What's the lineage of the word "Hiatus"...Greek? Latin? Swahili?  Next time I'm on a google frenzy I'll have to remember to look that up.  I'm hoping that somewhere down the line my consistancy at blogging clears itself up.  These are my hopes.  Even though my following is one...and that's probably my mom...I still like to write and share and post pictures.  I'm sure I'll get a kick out of looking back on it when I'm 80.

What you've missed?  A wonderful trip to Hawaii to see a great friend get herself all married up.  My husband and I had an awesome time except for him contracting some sort of plague (i.e. horrible flu) and being out-of-commission for a good chunk of the time.  That and having to be sick and bed-bound on his 30th birthday while his wife forgets to bring him home dinner really made his trip fantastic.  Aside from that everything was perfect.

Lots of cooking and recipes of which I will soon share.  As we speak the aroma of Zucchini Banana Bread is wafting from my oven.  I hope it tastes as good as it smells.  These are my hopes.  It always feels good to save food from going into the garbage and this recipe helped save the lives of three VERY ripe bananas and two equally ripe zucchini.  I'm all about saving lives. 

Work has been really wonderful.  I'm still in disbelief that I get to go do what I love every single day.  Although some days are a bit weird and when I say weird I mean on the side of freaky.  It's never a dull day at the Santa Cruz SPCA!  That should be our slogan.  Although most weird days involve "different" people...things like this happen on a daily basis...

HIS name is Palomino.  HE is a Chihuahua mix who loves to eat people's sandwiches and put holes in your tights with his nails.  HE also apparently likes to wear wigs and pearls and veiled-hats.  We don't judge around here...it's Santa Cruz. 

 

Four Reindeer at Roaring Camp

 This last Sunday I found myself with nothing to do on a beautiful day.  Of course there were a lot of things I could have been doing like laundry, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen or even the bathroom but I vowed to myself that Sunday is a day of rest.  The Bible taught me that.

I looked at Sage and she looked at me.  "Do you want to go somewhere?"  That's all I had to say to make her literally loose her mind.  Somewhere else is always more exciting than where she is.  My dog always lives for something better .  Slow down Sage, life's too short, start living in the moment.    

I remembered that the SPCA was doing a special holiday event called Santa Paws over at Roaring Camp so I decided to bring Sage to visit my work buddies and volunteers.  

Roaring Camp is a beautiful spot nestled in the redwoods of Felton where one of the original train stations still chugs tourists around.  It's a very unique place with LOADS of history.  Some people get a little carried away with the historical significance, decking themselves out in civil wore garb and bringing their guns.  Actually, they get serious and do full-on civil war reenactments that are a site to see.  

Have I mentioned that B and I got married here?  These guys did a 12 gun salute when they announced us man and wife.  They accidentally shot some of the doves that were released during the ceremony.  Just kidding.  I'm not kidding that we got married here though.... just about the guns and killing of doves. 

But a train did come through at some point during the ceremony and I vaguely remember lifting my arm up and down while we were saying the vows, you know like when you try to get a semi to honk at you?  That wasn't the proudest moment of my life.

Choooo Choooo!

There is a sweet little covered bridge that leads you onto the property and I absolutely love it.  Looking at it brings me peace and serenity and reminds me of all thats good and right in the world.  

The Santa Paws event was a small fundraiser allowing people to get all festive with their pets and get their pictures taken in a holiday setting for Christmas cards and such.  I wasn't really planning on having Sage get her picture taken but she jumped in the sleigh surrounded by reindeer in a winter wonderland so I gave the photographer the thumbs up to start shooting.

I don't know about you but all I see are four reindeer...  

Book Report: Jewel

 

I just finished this book this morning and was left...vowing to never grow old.  Jewel by Bret Lott is in no way a thrilling read that keeps you on your toes or page turning like a maniac.  It's not action packed or loaded with gruesome scenes.  It's more like molasses, sweet, slow and steady.  I enjoy thrillers just as much as the rest of them but I did enjoy this book because of the reality and genuineness of it.  It was relate able all the while being so totally different from my life.

I like hearing about other people lives and how they live them.  This book takes you from 1904 to 1984 all from the eyes of a woman name Jewel.  It shoots you back and forth from the present and past to tell her childhood as well as her current life with the family she is raising.  She lives most of her life in the backwoods of Mississippi until her sixth child is born with Down's Syndrome. Back in the 40's, the scientific name for a child born with this was "Mongolian Idiot."  No joke, that is what doctors called your child back then with no shame.  Jewel is suddenly thrown into this whole new world where this child's needs take everything she's got.  Her desire to have the best for her youngest daughter causes her to move the family all the way to Los Angeles, California to seek help from a special school.  Along the way her other children are growing up and starting their own families while her husband stays by her side.  A rift forms between them but occasionally they share incredibly soft and tender moments, acting as the glue that keeps them together through the ups and the deep deep downs.  

This book really shows the tests of marriage and the strength needed to overcome...and stay married.  It also touches on race relations and uses the N word quite a bit.  The word isn't used in a derogatory manner but instead depicts the times when it was just a word used to described something and carried no negative connotation...until she moves to California.

Overall I enjoyed the book.  Her life so starkly different than mine...different time...different place but still felt strangely relate-able.