Let's Do Some Updating

Happy Post Thanksgiving! If having way too much food around at all times AND being off work isn't enough, we had our sweet daughter, Lauren, in town for 4 days. We were thrilled to have her here for the holiday, but her puppy (Tula) was even more excited to have her Dog Mama here. They are bonded beyond belief, and only have eyes for each other. So with that, here's the scoopie poop:

Lauren is moving back to the Dallas area at the end of December, as she has taken a job here, instead of the original plan of going to Houston. Either way, it's a win-win. Houston has a fabulous library system, and Lauren was to be a Youth Librarian there. But after much thought, she has decided to take a Children's Librarian position in the Dallas area instead. She's super excited to 1) move back to Texas, and 2) have her puppy back - and be near family again. We are looking forward to her being close again, and I will have my yoga partner back, as well as a fellow running partner. Colorado has been good to her, and I know it will be a experience she'll always remember.

As Tula awaits her Dog Mama to come back, David and I are doing the best we can to be surrogate dog parents. Tula and I are still going to Manners Class at What A Great Dog training facility in Frisco. It's a completely positive reinforcement discipline used to train your puppy/dog. I have blogged about this new-to-me training method previously, and am happy to report I've come a long way in my own progress. Tula can only be as good as I am, as she relies on me to train her. And I'm not that good. So she rides the struggle bus, along with me, as we go through this journey of learning good dog manners together. It's a team effort, and since there's no "I" in team (there is a "me" though) it's either we're both succeeding - or we're both screwing it all up. I'll leave it as: we are a work-in-progress. I definitely have more work to do, but I will tell you, I can regurgitate the proper actions verbally, but actually doing them is another story. I do know one thing, that when it rains dog treats from my fingers, Tula is a perfect puppy pupil. Attentive and willing to do most anything. Unfortunately, I can't live my life with my dog-treat bag hanging from my waist band. That's a real thing, by the way, and I'm "that lady" with her bag of treats hanging from the waist band of my sweat pants. It's not a good look. But I do what I have to do - when I'm at dog school.  

Now what about those new baby chicks I got awhile back, you ask? We had purchased 6 mystery chicks a couple of months ago, because the people who sold them to us said, "Well, we think they are (make up any name) breed, or (make up another name) breed. Yeah, we're pretty sure they will be one of those breeds". WRONG.  It only took a matter of (short) time to realize they did not know what they were talking about. And it's not like we are experts on baby chickens either, so between all of us involved, no one knew what-the-heck breed these chicks really were. Fast forward 2-3 months, and waa-laa, we learned several things. 1) 4 of them were roosters. Now, you know the Sheriff (my husband, David) does not have many rules in life, but one of his rules is: No Roosters. Period. Away those 4 go, to a new home that allows roosters. 2) The 2 remaining chicks began to divide their cells at such a fast pace, they were hot to the touch. This is true, I promise. If you were to pick up one of these sweet chickens, you would think they were running a fever. They feel like they are literally on fire. Their cells are dividing and growing at a incredible pace. Why? Because they are cornish hens. Beautiful, huge, white cornish hens. Huge, short, wide legs. Ginormous bodies, waddling around on these short, fat legs. They are meat chickens. Just like the majority of chickens that people eat every day. The problem is, I have named them. Daisy and Lily. How could I possibly eat them?! They don't forage for food, they enjoy the food provided for them, and they will lay very few eggs. They are the kindest and sweetest chickens you can imagine. Gentle giants. The smaller (yet older) chickens boss them around! To add a twist of irony to this dilemma, is David got a new Big Green Egg and he'd love nothing more than to cook these tasty delights on it. I am sick about this. It's a predicament that's weighing heavy on me. Do we really eat them? Do I let them just continue to grow and grow until they burst? Because they get bigger all the time. This "update" will go unsolved. It's like watching a Dateline that doesn't find the perpetrator. This will continue to be a mystery of what we'll do. David is off work Friday to cook a brisket, and I have a hunch that there will be more than red meat on his new smoker. I feel nauseous.

I'll turn to a happier bit of news. David and I have the opportunity to travel to Honduras in February for a mission trip. One World Surgery Center is able to provide surgeries to the people (in need) in Honduras based on volunteers and donations. It is located on a 24/7 well-guarded ranch, along with an orphanage. I will volunteer as a Operating Room Registered Nurse, while David will volunteer for what they call "General" duties such as cooking, assisting in the surgery center, assisting in  the orphanage, or many other general duties such as mowing, painting (or such) that is needed at the time we are there. I'll definitely blog each day I'm there so you can come along with me!

As we all fall back into our usual routines after this wonderful holiday, I realize how much I love routine in my life. I'm one of those people who can eat the same things each day, go to bed at the same time each day, and become way too set in my ways. So in my effort(s) to be more mindful, I stay turned for opportunities to grow. This helps me not be so stuck in my ways. I do enjoy thinking outside of my 9 dots. It's good for my brain, my mind, my soul and my spirit. Whether it's asking my daughter the specific reasons I should change my internet browser to Google Chrome (because she thinks it's the bomb), or not using the sentence "well it's not broken, so my iPhone 5 is just fine", or recognizing when I'm saying something "old people" say - or resisting change, esp when it comes to technology. I have many opportunities for self-improvement. As each year passes, I have to remind myself to be more objective. It's easy to start closing my world down a little at a time as each year passes. I want to be better, and open myself up, instead. This definitely requires extra effort on my part. Did I mention I'm a work-in-progress?

Stuck on my Safari internet browser,
Cyndi